One thing we know for certain about doing business in today’s environment is that it is full of uncertainty. A recent article by Ram Charan entitled 20/20 Foresight (Read it here) provides some excellent tips on how to take control of uncertainty – a task he strongly advocates as a primary responsibility of leaders. Being able to do this successfully will give those organisations the advantage in business.
The article is very readable and full of way more information that I can summarize here, whoever some of the gems worth further exploring include:
- Immersing yourself in the ambiguities of the external environment in order to ‘see around corners’
- Develop perceptual acuity – spotting potential significant anomalies, contradictions and oddities before anyone else
- Consulting staff on a regular basis about what they see in the external landscape
- Testing perceptions by talking with other people, especially those who may have opposite or divergent views
There is more in the full article, which really challenged me to think more about what might be than what has been or currently is. As Charan notes, “the more you embrace uncertainty and practice the skills to deal with it, the more self-confidence you will develop and the better prepared you will be to lead.” So are you ready to embrace uncertainty?
Avondale Business School can help you deal with uncertainty, and develop your leadership. To talk to someone about this, simply contact Dr Warrick Long on [email protected]