0.0 What is Leadership in a Light Speed World?
When you tackle a topic like what is leadership, it’s important to understand the context and the history.
In the course of writing Leading at Light Speed, I’ve conducted hundreds of interviews, read dozens of articles and books, and learned from the experiences of our clients. Interestingly, the word “leader” comes from an Old English root word, leith, that means “to be out in front.” The same root word also means “to die.” I believe some of our old ideas of leadership are dying. A new model of leadership is rising to take its place. My hope is that this leadership course can help lead the way.
On September 29, 2008, the American economy suffered its greatest shock since the Great Depression. In a matter of hours, the Dow fell 777 points. Even more remarkable than the depth of the plunge was the speed with which the reverberations spread. The panic of 2008 raced through global markets, toppling banks in America, Europe and Asia in a matter of days. By contrast, the crash of 1929 took three years to unfold. That’s how much our world has changed. Today, we are linked by information and communication systems that are breathtaking in their complexity and speed. That system allows events, like the financial collapse of 2008–2009, to unfold at light speed.
In his seminal book Future Shock, Alvin Toffler predicted this future. In Toffler’s vision, the world would grow so complex that people would be incapable of managing or leading it. The crash of 2008–2009 is all the evidence we need to understand that Toffler was right. The defining characteristic of this new, interdependent age is that so many things – from commerce to correspondence to influenza – move at a pace that few of us can manage if we are unprepared.
What is Effective Leadership?
In my work with leaders throughout the world, people tell me that they need a new set of principles to guide them in this new world. So in writing this book, I set out to meet the needs of people like these:
• The CEO of a hospital: “I was trained first and foremost as a doctor. Now I manage 5,000 people. Things are happening so fast. I don’t know if I’m thinking the right way or doing the right things.”
• The head of a bank in New York City: “How do I balance my time? How do I leverage myself as a leader? Do I focus on front-line staff? On meeting with customers? On managers? What’s the right balance?”
• The manager of a large retail chain: “All I do is respond to questions and put out fires all day. Did business school teach me how to lead in this kind of environment? Well, we attended a three-day leadership seminar. But the short answer is ‘no’!”
What is Leadership in a Light Speed World?
I see signs everywhere that we need a new way of thinking about what is effective leadership in this light speed world. One only has to think of Detroit’s automakers and imagine what might have been had their leaders developed the capacity to think and act differently in this new era. I have spent the better part of a decade reading these signs and developing an understanding of what leaders need to do differently. Working with leaders all around the country, I have had the opportunity to dissect what it takes to build dynamic, resilient, high-performing organizations. These leaders include the head of a global bank in London, who has created new ways to manage decisions across 24 time zones. Or the leader of a huge state health care system who has transformed the delivery of medical services in her state. Or the executive of a non-profit in Los Angeles who has created a sustainable system to educate more than 300,000 inner city youth. Or companies like Google that have learned to innovate quickly and thrive amid accelerating change.
That’s the backdrop for this book. What is leadership? Over time, I’ve identified ten quantum leaps in behavior and approach that can help people lead in a light speed world. Underlying these ten leaps are two foundational principles that will show you how to navigate complex change and deal with hyper-turbulent times. Above all, this book will equip you to think and act and lead effectively in the 21st century.
- Are you prepared to lead in a light speed world?
- Does your organization train leaders how to lead in times of accelerating change?
- How does the pace of change affect your market/industry?
- Does technology play a role? Global competition? Increased communication?
- Write your thoughts in the notes section below.