The responsibility of meeting the challenges ahead can feel daunting, even overwhelming, for leaders – even the most seasoned and sane. Here, IMD faculty offer insights to help you make sense of what’s required of you to lead yourself, your team, and your organization today and over the coming year.
Agile tenacity
Jean-François Manzoni, President of IMD and Nestlé Chaired Professor of Leadership and Organizational Development and Michael D Watkins, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change
Today’s business leaders are confronted with a daunting array of challenges that combine economic volatility, political and social upheaval, and technological acceleration. Success in meeting these challenges requires leadership that is both dynamic and robust, captured in a concept we call agile tenacity.
Agile tenacity involves a powerful blend of adaptability, resilience, and grit. Adaptability is essential in today’s world to adjust rapidly and effectively to changing circumstances, new information, and unexpected challenges, but it must be complemented by persistence stemming from resilience – the capacity to cope with adversity, recover from setbacks, and maintain motivation in the face of difficulties – and grit, which includes a passionate and enduring pursuit of longer-term goals.
Developing agile tenacity involves cultivating a growth mindset and establishing a clear sense of purpose, aligning goals with personal and organizational values to support long-term commitment. Embracing failure as a learning opportunity is also essential, enabling leaders to view setbacks as critical for growth and adaptation. Building strong support networks provides emotional support, which is essential in times of stress, while regular self-reflection and seeking feedback encourage continuous adaptation and growth.
Apocalyptic leadership
Susan Goldsworthy, Affiliate Professor of Leadership, Communications, and Organizational Change, IMD
Apocalyptic leadership goes to the true meaning of the word apocalypse, which is about revelation; ‘a lifting of the veil’ and seeing the world with new eyes. It demands a new leadership paradigm that views the world from an alternative perspective, understanding that (as Einstein so eloquently put it) the solutions to our problems cannot be forged with the same thinking that created them.
This calls for a radical shift from a focus on material success and a dominating, power-over, win-at-all-costs mentality to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness and intrinsic value of all life. It necessitates the recognition that the essence of effective change lies in an inner transformation of consciousness. Such leaders view the world not as a hierarchy of power or a resource to be exploited, but as a complex, interdependent ecosystem where every action has far-reaching consequences.