High-Impact Leadership in the Age of Endless Disruption

Today's leaders accept business disruptions as a given, regardless of whether the drivers of change originate from inside or outside company walls.

The rapid adoption of technologies like AI, next-generation cloud services, IoT devices, and more are only accelerating the pace of innovation required by organizations. As leaders, we need to prepare for these evolutions because there's a growing expectation for us to proactively plan for each new wave of disruption.

Yet, while 97% of senior executives now consider organizational resilience as very or somewhat important, nearly half still say they're not fully equipped to manage disruption when it occurs.

That's a problem.

From starting my career at West Point and serving as a captain in the military to decades spent working for some of the world's largest technology and data companies, every leadership role I've held has involved finding ways to make the most of disruption.

These experiences have taught me a vital lesson: As leaders, our ability to guide our organizations and employees through disruption isn't just talk. Finding opportunities for growth amid uncertainty is a responsibility we must take seriously and a skill set we as leaders can refine.

Here are three proven strategies to turn disruptions into differentiators.

Intention alone won't bridge the gap between disruption and opportunity. Leading effectively means getting your hands dirty and providing critical support when it's needed most.

Across my diverse leadership experiences, here are three tactics that have served me well:

1. Focus on the "big rocks."

Any new challenge — whether it's a major market shift or a pandemic — is best faced head-on. To avoid inaction, my leadership team and I focus on what we call "big rocks." These are key areas where relatively immediate improvements generate outsized, long-term business impacts. Examples of big rocks might include improving customer experience or moving the needle on automation.

This philosophy is driven by the reality that it's impossible for me to fine-tune every last business detail (and not the best use of my time either). I'm responsible for charting a course and securing buy-in from our teams. Beyond that, I have to trust that the right talent is in place to execute our company vision in the face of evolving challenges.

Freeing myself from the expectation that it's my job to fix every problem and address every detail has helped me become a more proactive and future-forward leader — a leader ready to inspire progress, not stand in the way of it. I couple this mentality with owning our strengths. A clear awareness of the areas in which your business is solid frees up resources to effectively tackle the disruptions that truly require your attention to keep up. For example, working in the telecommunications space, I rarely lose sleep over our business model becoming obsolete. As technology continues to evolve, fiber will remain a necessity to power that evolution. Knowing this, we can instead concentrate on innovating our offerings to stay ahead of changing customer demands.

Not questioning every last detail means I can focus on the bigger picture, apply myself directly to opportunities to evolve the business, and then share that vision with my company and other leaders.

2. Get ahead of your weaknesses.

My theory is that when our competitors sneeze, it's only a matter of time before we catch a cold. If you haven't already, make a habit of monitoring developments across your industries and competitors. Paying close attention to the market is a simple, yet effective indicator of trends or challenges heading your way.

There's no single way to source this information. You might host a customer advisory board or, like my team, produce a weekly digest covering relevant company, industry, and competitor news. It can even be as straightforward as plugging in more often with team members who regularly interact with key stakeholders.

It's the intention behind your efforts that matters most. This level of organizational foresight can be difficult to achieve at the employee level, but as leaders, we have the networks and experiences to spot trends as they're happening — and before they land on our doorstep.

3. Leverage culture to weather the toughest storms.

Whether it's economic instability, a healthcare crisis, or quick-turn technology innovations, an agile and supportive company culture can prove the difference between a team that goes under and one that rises above.

As a recent example of this dynamic at play, consider that three-fourths of workers shared that their employer's organizational values helped them navigate the COVID-19 pandemic — and 94% of managers reported that a positive workplace culture builds a resilient team.

As leaders, there are multiple steps we can take to ensure cultural components help mitigate the impact of disruption on our organizations.

• We lead by example. We have the organizational visibility and reach to positively impact culture and set the tone for those we work with, both directly and indirectly.

• We pull the right strings. We're in a position to merge tactical and strategic initiatives that center around core cultural gains. This might look like advocating for upgrading systems that benefit employee experience while working alongside AI to increase efficiency and scale.

• We know when to ask for help. It's just as important to ask for help as it is to lead. For example, at my company, we've prioritized bringing in trusted corporate culture leaders to help guide me and my direct reports on key initiatives.

Be the high-impact leader your company needs.

As leaders, it's time to rethink our default reaction to disruption. Don't panic.

The more we face disruptions head-on, the better we become at leading our organizations through challenges. In many ways, it's when we're needed most.

With the right planning, strategy, and mindset, we can view disruption as an opening for innovation and differentiation. Previous roadblocks morph into opportunities that push our organizations forward, pressure testing both operational mechanisms and cultural connections so we emerge stronger on the other side.