Change is the only constant
Throughout my professional career in the healthcare industry, I have been amazed at the pace of change.
Whether it’s the rapid advancement of medicines treating once incurable diseases, shifting regulatory and reimbursement landscapes, or the continuous evolution of patient care models, the environment is always in flux.
Fight or Flight
In this sea of constant change, people and their teams either first, become paralyzed by the realization that their worldview is outdated or are energized by the opportunities that lie ahead in this new world order.
Like a good “Sherpa”, our goal is to lead our teams thru change, to a better place. The role of a Sherpa isn’t to lead from a distance. Instead, leaders must climb the mountain right alongside their people.🗻 Become a Leadership Sherpa.
The old world vs the new world : information overload
📚 The Great Library of Alexandria, Egypt was once the largest and most significant library of the ancient world. Alexandria came to be regarded as the capital of knowledge and learning, in part because of the Great Library.
A significant portion of wordly wisdom was contained within the city.
Not much had changed for centuries.
Information and knowledge was fairly concentrated to a few priviledged individuals. The phrase "knowledge is power" is often attributed to Francis Bacon, from his Meditationes Sacrae (1597).
The idea was that having and sharing knowledge is the cornerstone of reputation and influence, and therefore power.
🗺 In the old business world, this concentration of knowledge meant that leaders at the top held significant power. They controlled access to information and could shape decisions based on their privileged insights. Organizations operated under hierarchies where information flowed from the top down, and leaders often made decisions in isolation from broader input.
🌎 In today’s fast-paced chaotic world, leaders at the top no longer have all the information - no one person or organization does - let alone all the answers.
One of many frameworks to make sence of the chaos aroud us : An introduction to VUCA
🎖VUCA—Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity—is a concept that originated from the military to describe the unpredictable conditions faced on the battlefield.
It has since been widely adopted in business and leadership contexts to characterize the turbulent and rapidly changing environments that organizations and leaders navigate today.
There are other proposed thought models to better describe our chaotic world, such as BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible).
Confused? Welcome to our VUCA world !
The key to managing in this environment is to break VUCA down into its component parts, and to identify volatile, uncertain, complex, or ambiguous situations.
Volatility refers to the speed and unpredictability of change in an environment. Volatile conditions can shift rapidly and unpredictably, making it challenging to anticipate outcomes.
Uncertainty describes the lack of predictability and the inability to foresee future events or outcomes with certainty. Uncertain situations lack clear information or reliable data to make informed decisions.
Complexity indicates the multiplicity of factors involved in a situation, often interconnected in ways that are not immediately obvious. Complex environments are characterized by numerous variables and relationships that can be difficult to understand or manage.
Ambiguity refers to the haziness or vagueness of information in a situation. Ambiguous conditions lack clarity and can lead to multiple interpretations or perspectives, making it difficult to determine cause and effect or to make definitive decisions.
Become a Sherpa - a Leadership Sherpa
❇️ Successful leadership hinges on fostering an environment where information is decentralized and readily accessible.
❇️ Collaboration and transparency are now essential, empowering teams to contribute diverse perspectives and insights.
❇️ Leaders must adapt by becoming facilitators of knowledge sharing, harnessing collective intelligence to drive informed decisions and agile responses in an interconnected business environment.
🦉In upcoming articles, we'll delve deeper into these aspects and explore strategies for navigating chaotic change effectively.
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About the Author:
Nick is passionate about enabling people and businesses to reach their full potential. He taps into over 25+ years of truly diverse leadership experience, challenging the status quo - to ultimately define a clear strategic path forward and propel success.
Thought Leader | Board member | Founder of Aktina Group Consulting | Proud Father