The world is facing an uncertain future. In the last 9 years, we’ve seen huge change from events/situations such as:
- Covid 19
- Brexit
- War in Ukraine
- Hamas’ attack on Israel and the ensuing war
- Second coming of Donald Trump
- 6 UK Prime Ministers in 9 years
- Huge rise in cyber-attacks on IT systems affecting businesses and our everyday lives
- Massive, and increasing, impact of Artificial Intelligence
All of these have had an impact on our lives and our businesses. How well we responded to the challenges they created for us will have determined the success of our organisations.
And there will be other events waiting in the wings that, as yet, we know nothing about. The big questions for organisations is which ones will affect you, to what degree and will more than one happening at the same time cause an entirely different set of issues?
Despite the pontifications of many so-called Thought Leaders, Gurus and Experts, the truthful answer is NO ONE KNOWS which means you need leaders in your organisation capable of anticipating/responding to/reacting to change when it happens and responding again (and again) when it changes again (and again).
But do you already have the people around you, capable of dealing with this ongoing, rapidly accelerating, tsunami of change?
Thinking back to the beginning of these events, who among your managers disappointed you with their response? Who impressed you? Were any of these a surprise to you (either positive or negative)? Those who responded well are, potentially, your VUCA Leaders. If you manage to retain them (and we strongly suggest you try), they are the people who will guide you through future change events as well.
But what about your future recruits? Every day, organisations recruit, at all levels, the people they expect to get them through disruption and change when it hits, without ever knowing if they’re capable of doing it.
Undoubtedly, many organisations will have assessed their potential employees to ensure they can do the job they are being recruited for, immediately. But how many have even considered evaluating candidates with a view to future-proofing their business and recruiting VUCA Leaders?
What is VUCA?
VUCA is a US Military acronym, now widely used in the business arena, to describe the issues that change creates for organisations. It helps to define what they need to overcome to be successful in times of immense change. It stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity – the 4-pronged attack we see whenever change hits us.
VOLATILITY
The tendency of situations and events to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially for the worse. The more volatile the world is, the more, and faster, things change.
UNCERTAINTY
The lack of predictability, the feeling of not being sure what will happen in the future. The more uncertain the world is, the harder it is to predict.
COMPLEXITY
The state of having many different parts, connected or related to each other in a complicated way. The more complex the world is, the harder it is to analyse.
AMBIGUITY
The possibility of interpreting an event or situation in multiple, distinct, ways. The more ambiguous the world is, the harder it is to interpret.
Now, more than ever, leaders need the courage to step up to these challenges and make audacious decisions that embody risk but, particularly for data-driven leaders, this often goes against their natural instincts.
How do I know who is a natural VUCA Leader and what can I do about people who aren’t?
Individuals need to be visionary, courageous and flexible to anticipate change but, because, sometimes, they can only react to unexpected change, they need to be able to withstand stress, show resilience and demonstrate strong leadership.
Not everyone has the qualities needed, and employers can’t always tell who does. You need an assessment tool that specifically measures the behaviours associated with responding well to change and allows you to:
- see what you have (assessment)
- compare it with what you need (benchmark)
- DEVELOP existing people so that the gaps are minimised (individualised training)
This is critical if you want to confirm if the people you already employ are capable of coping with change.
But because you don’t employ a static workforce, you also need a plan for when you are recruiting. You must ensure that the people you RECRUIT, in future, are also VUCA Leaders and part of the solution, not adding to the problem.
The Great People Inside VUCA Leader assessment
The Great People Inside VUCA Leader assessment is a reliable and valid assessment tool, based on a huge body of independent research, identifying leadership potential in a VUCA world
By measuring the capacity and potential of existing employees, we can highlight the individual strengths and DEVELOPMENT gaps corresponding to the leadership needs of the organisation.
The same assessment and benchmark can be used for potential employees during the RECRUITMENT process, ensuring that they possess all the necessary traits and abilities, displayed by successful, current, VUCA Leaders in your organisation.
The Great People Inside VUCA Leader assessment Measures 12 Dimensions defined by a huge body of independent research: VUCA Approach, Managing Generations, Strategy, Openness to Experience, Connection to Others, Stress & Resilience, Results Orientation, Leadership, Vision, Courage, Flexibility, Curiosity and Self Awareness – all of them key to ensuring the leadership within an organisation is in the best shape to respond to VUCA.
We can neither avoid, nor ignore, change. What we can do is equip our organisations to respond more effectively to it, so that we survive and thrive.
If your business wants to respond better to the inevitable change it faces, you need to identify your VUCA Leaders and evaluate how you can adapt to the ever-changing requirements. Contact Great People Inside and let us decrease the risk associated with the VUCA events you experience.
