Visionary Leadership with PwC
May 4, 2018 at Istanbul, Turkey (2 days)
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“The best way to predict the future is to create it” said Abraham Lincoln.
We live in an incredible time. More change in the next 10 years than in the last 250 years. New technologies transforming the ways in which we live and work. Digital platforms and blockchains, AI and robotics, 3D printing and nanotech .
These are just some of the fantastic new capabilities that enable us to innovate beyond what we can even imagine today. The future isn’t like the future used to be. We cannot just evolve or extrapolate the past. Today’s future is discontinuous, disruptive, different.
It is imagination that will move us forwards … unlocking the technological possibilities, applying them to real problems and opportunities, to drive innovation and growth in every industry, in every part of our lives.
Imagine a world where you press “print” to get the dress of your dreams, the food of your fantasies, or the spare parts for your car. Instantly, personalised and on demand. Think then what does that mean if we don’t need the huge scale of manufacturing plants, warehousing and transportation. Maybe we will even subscribe to the IP catalogues of brands, in the ways we currently subscribe to Netflix.
The best leaders have the courage to create a better future
… to think bigger and smarter, to shape the future to their advantage, to drive innovation across the business in a way that reinvents markets and organisations.
The best opportunities for business – to find new growth, to engage customers more deeply, to stand out from the crowd, to improve their profitability – is by seizing the opportunities of changing markets. The best way to seize these changes is by innovating – not just innovating the product, or even the business itself – but by innovating the market.
In the old world we accepted markets as a given – the status quo – and competed within it, with slightly different products and services, or most usually by competing on price. Most new products were quickly imitated, leading to declining margins and commoditisation. Most companies now receognise that this is not a route to long-term success in a rapidly changing world.
Fast-changing markets demand fast-changing businesses.
Leadership … Be the change
Leaders amplify potential by enabling teams to achieve more. They do this through a more collaborative and coaching approach, rather than top-down management.
Their starting point however, is the future. Leaders are the drivers of vision and change, but also enablers of innovation and growth. They create an inspiring vision of the future, make sense of change, build a sense of possibility. They make new connections, bringing together diverse talent, activities and partners. As Ghandi said, the challenge is to “be the change” – to change yourself, and to be the starting point for others.
Leadership comes in my different styles. Inspiring, empowering, quiet, humble. One thing for certain is that it has to be real, to be authentic, and that means finding the right style for you, as well as your people. Elon Musk leads through vision, but mostly by getting stuff done. Jack Ma leads through provocation and challenge, and with cult following. Mark Parker leads with collaborative innovation, one of the team who stepped up. Mark Zuckerberg leads by doing stuff. Every leader leads a little differently, and leadership itself can be found at every level of the organization.
The 21st century business leader is different. Whilst past leaders won through hierarchy and power, the world has changed. Technology enables new ways of working, organization structures have inverted, and organisations win through collaboration inside and out. The old model was about 2C – command and control. The new model is about 4C – catalyst, coach, connector and communicator.
World Changing … We live in a time of incredible opportunity.
- We will see more change in next 10 years than last 250 years
- In every sector, change is fast disruption, challenge and possibility
- What can we learn? Alibaba to Amazon, GE to GoogleX, SpaceX to Xiaomi
- How do you make sense of this world? How do you innovate? How do you win?
- Success today is not just about stady state, its about speed, agility and exponential
- For MMI, the opportunity is huge, but its about delivery, from potential into profit
Disruptive Innovation … Driving innovation and growth … creating the future.
- The mindset shift – “fixed mindset” to “growth mindset” – head up or head down
- Real leaders – Jeff Bezos, Jack Ma, Indra Nooyi, Elon Musk – What’s their secret?
- The 4Cs of Leadership – catalyst, communicator, connector and coach
- How does this work in a merged business like MMI? – insights from Axa and Aviva
- Smarter choices, sense and respond, give and take, deliver today and tomorrow
- So what does MMI 2.0 mean for you? What does it demand of its leaders?
Courage … We are all in the future business … time to find your greatness.
- We can talk at length about it, but its about you – “be the change you want to see”
- Leadership Compass – What will you change? Retain? Improve? Accept?
- Difference is our strength, harness the best of our past, create the future together
- Consider your “ikigai” (personal drive) and “ubunto” (what we can do together)
- We are all in the future business – it will take grit, passion, vision and courage
- Time to find your greatness … What’s the brave thing you will do differently?