“Dreams have always expanded our understanding of reality by challenging our boundaries of the real, of the possible.” – Henry Reed
Chaerephon of the Athenian was a loyal friend of Socrates. One day went to the Oracle at Delphi to find out if there is anyone wiser than Socrates. His bias was confirmed, by the gods, no one was wiser than Socrates. Socrates believed he couldn’t have been the wisest, he also knew that the god doesn’t lie. Out of curiosity, he sought insight from those he considered to be wise, he challenged their wisdom, they were all full of self, and convinced themselves wiser than everyone else. When he asked them questions, they became angry. Socrates concluded now I know that I am wiser than these men because “All I know is that I know nothing”
At this time of unprecedented disruption recently aggravated by COVID-19, what type of leaders do you have at various levels of the society? Those who are wise in their own eyes believing that they know, when actually they don’t? Or those who recognise the limitation of their wisdom and continually seek ways to improve, experiment, challenge the status quo and their own ingrained ideas? Empty and archaic knowledge is a major boundary against innovation.
What type of people do you have in your team? Do you have radical improvement thinkers and are they empowered to lead and take decisions? If your answers to any of these is No, then you are ill-prepared for the challenges yet unborn in the current normal or the next normal.
Identify your boundaries
In this era of disrupted economies, sound leadership at every level is no longer a nice-to-have but a must have. The first boundary that needs to be pushed with laser focus mentality, without sentiment and emotion is bad and mediocre leadership. No organisation will thrive on the basis of just the residual knowledge of leaders. The COVID-19 pandemic is a reconfirmation of a vastly shifting operating environment. To survive, a new mindset, new ways of thinking must be adopted. We must put the best in leadership. The best in leadership are not necessary the smartest but they are those who like Socrates are willing to learn, willing to know and willing to lead. Having the best hands in Leadership must be non-negotiable and should be done without sentiment or emotions.
Poor leadership at all levels is an internally imposed boundary, it is the easiest to solve and the most difficult to confront due to unnecessary politicking, sentiments and lack of courage to do the right thing and do it right. The current disruption requires at all levels leaders who act as the bridge, an enabler and facilitator of good culture and practices.
Externally imposed boundaries is the second form of boundary that confronts every organisation. It comes in form of external threats like economic crisis, competition, poor operating environment or climate change and others. This type of crisis knows no boundaries, it hurts everyone. COVID-19 is a typical example of an externally imposed boundary, it has disrupted virtually every sphere of human undertakings. Great are the impact of COVID-19 that IMF projected negative per capital income growth for 170countries. As tough as these boundaries appear, they are much easier to confront and solve; given the right leadership at all level of the organisation or the society.
In the time of crisis of economic meltdown, pandemic, chaos, extra ordinary leadership is required at all level, emotions and sentiments must be thrown out of the window if you intend to survive and thrive. In repositioning our firm to overcome the current challenges, it occurred to me that we need to recruit the best hands we can find, however, I am disturbed to let few of the old hands go inspite of knowing that they underperforming and do not have a strategic fit for the current challenges, that they do not have the competence or the right attitude. I knew to take this decision with my head (cognitive ability) rather with my heart (my emotions and sentiments)
This is a challenge that faces leadership and which will be more pronounced in this safe distance economy which requires organisation to push beyond boundaries. The current disruptive economy requires bravery, resilience.
To Push the boundaries:
Willing to Challenge the status quo: keeping things the same mentality is a call for disaster in this present normal. In putting people in change of affairs ensure that the one to be appointed is willing to challenge the status quo, willing to question current system, processes, culture and model. Their sole focus is a human-centric reform
Willing to accept challenging opportunities: by accepting the unfavorable condition that comes with the challenges such leaders are willing to challenge their own abilities. A person who constantly refers to the mistake, error and omission of the predecessor will be a misfit in this era of disruptive economy. Such leaders are excuse producers, they will always explain away their failure by hinging it on the error and omission of the past.
Willing to learn today’s knowledge is quite fleeting, a leader in a disruptive economy must demonstrate and be seeing to be an incurable learner. Willing to learn from other, willing to fail forward, learn from errors and failures with a view to improve the organisation current position or offerings.
Willing to experiment: most organisation and individual are today living below their potential because of fear of failure and rejection. The leaders you need at this time must be willing to experiment, a leader who see fear as a safeguard against failure. Such leader understand that though there are barriers and boundaries, yet we are restriction less, and they promote such among their team.
Conclusion
The next or the current new normal need more than small improvement thinkers and fortunately the world is not in short supply of people with creative minds, people who can think beyond the boundaries. these people are everywhere in every team, society, countries tribes or race. Creative and innovation is not the prerogative of any society, gender or religion however how best a society, team, people can go depends on the quality of leadership at very strata of the organisation. In preparing for the next normal, it is important that quality leadership is ensured at every level of our endeavors, this must be done without sentiments or prejudice, otherwise the outcome for such society or organisation may be worst that the pre-covid era.
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Olukunle A. Iyanda PhD, FCA, SNFLI.
Founder/CEO, BROOT Consulting Nigeria Limited.
Human-Centric Design Led Innovation Consultant.
