Leadership- Navigating the Unknown

Summary: "The Secret to Success: How Great Leaders Navigate the Unknown" (Sudmann, 2022 - TEDx Talk)

Three Principles:

1. Think Broad and Beyond:

   • Known knowns and known unknowns.

   • Unknown knowns (things known but not consciously recognized).

   • Unknown unknowns (how to develop knowledge of these).

2. Know Something About Everything and Everything About Something:

   • Develop a diverse knowledge base.

   • Assess your thinking toolbox.

3. Be a Coach to Your Mind:

   • Use the "Five Whys" and "What Else" techniques.

   • Implement "What If/Scenario" thinking.

   • Consider actions for high-impact, low-probability events.

   • Challenge assumptions with "What if I'm wrong?"

Providing Clarity:

• Ask six simple questions:

  1. Vision.

  2. Let goals.

  3. Focus is on ___.

  4. I will not do ___.

  5. Do this to achieve ___.

  6. Key action we will do tomorrow is ___.

The Fire Principle:

• Extinguish fires while they're still small.

• Prioritize fixing urgent issues immediately.

Overlapping Principles:

• Growth occurs at the intersection of thinking broadly, gaining diverse knowledge, and coaching the mind.

LinearArc Solutions. (2020, September 17). Prof. Julie Hodges - Leading through uncertainty [Video]. YouTube.

The video featuring Prof. Julie Hodges discusses the concept of leading through uncertainty, particularly in the context of the new normal brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's a summary of the key points highlighted in the video:

1. Transition to the New Normal:

   • There is a shift from crisis response to thinking about the role of organizations and leadership in the future.

   • Leaders need to guide people through uncertainty and focus on engaging them in change processes.

2. Leadership Qualities:

   • Leaders should demonstrate empathy and flexibility, especially in navigating uncertain times.

   • It's essential to reflect on the learnings from the pandemic and adapt leadership approaches accordingly.

3. Organizational Culture:

   • The pandemic has led to a reevaluation of organizational culture, particularly with the rise of remote work.

   • While the overall culture may remain the same, there may be gradual changes to certain elements to accommodate remote and virtual work arrangements.

4. Adapting to Change:

   • The current environment requires leaders to manage both incremental and emergent changes effectively.

   • Transparency in communication is crucial, and leaders should provide background information and engage in dialogue with employees.

5. Role of HR in Change:

   • HR departments have traditionally been involved in transactional roles but now have the opportunity to shift towards transformational roles.

   • HR should focus on facilitating and supporting change initiatives rather than solely executing them.

6. Evolution of HR Role:

   • The role of HR needs to evolve to engage more with other functions within the organization, such as IT and marketing.

   • HR governance should emphasize analytics and data-driven decision-making.

   • Managers should take more responsibility for managing their people, while HR focuses on strategic initiatives and letting go of transactional tasks.

In summary, Prof. Julie Hodges emphasizes the importance of leadership adaptability, organizational culture alignment, and the evolving role of HR in facilitating change and transformation in the face of uncertainty.