Message: #1 2022-06-22 
WHAT will it take to be a great leader in the future? In five years,
ten years, even fifteen years?
Say those numbers slightly differently—2020, 2025, or 2030—and
your imagination takes you somewhere else entirely. To the realm of
science fiction in which books and films paint vivid pictures of a
future that looks vastly different from that which we know today.
There is the devastated world and its dystopian societies, the
artificial world with synthetic humans, and myriads of other worlds
scattered throughout foreign galaxies.
In these books and films, there’s always a quest, and there’s
always a hero. Smart and strong, they carry the weight of the world on
their shoulders. They have a sidekick, if lucky, but rarely are the
leader and the sidekick equals, and they almost never operate as a
team. The decisions these leaders make—the actions they
take—culminate in the restoration of humanity.
What’s curious is that this iconic image of the heroic leader
remains constant despite the vastly changed environment. It seems we
can easily imagine different future contexts, but when it comes to
thinking about leadership differently, we are on a repeating loop. It
makes for great entertainment, but it is not the stuff of reality.
Yes, the context will change—it is changing already—and this will
demand adaptation by those playing a leading role.
So what is this different context? In a volatile and complex world,
predicting the future with precision is a risky business. We can be
sure, however, about four global mega-trends that are reshaping the
environment and influencing business priorities:1
First, diversity of markets: Demand is shifting to emerging markets.
With their growing middle class, these new markets represent the
single biggest growth opportunity in the portfolio of many companies
around the world.
Second, diversity of customers: Customer demographics and attitudes
are changing. Empowered through technology and with greater choice, an
increasingly diverse customer base expects better personalization of
products and services.
Third, diversity of ideas: Digital technology, hyper-connectivity, and
deregulation are disrupting business value chains and the nature of
consumption and competition. Few would argue against the need for
rapid innovation.
Fourth, diversity of talent: Shifts in age profiles, education, and
migration flows, along with expectations of equality of opportunity
and work/life balance, are all impacting employee populations.
Diversity of markets, customers, ideas, and talent: These simultaneous
shifts are the new context. For leaders who have perfected their craft
in a more homogenous environment, rapid adjustment is in order. Of
course, the core aspects of leadership, such as setting direction and
influencing others, are timeless, but we see a new capability that is
vital to the way leadership is executed. We call this inclusive
leadership, and our research has identified six traits that
characterize an inclusive mind-set and inclusive behavior.
The Cultural Context
Truth, Harmony, Honesty - AB Lacrosse |