Supporting Seasoned Executives

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.  To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” — R. Buckminster Fuller

What We Offer:

Chaos, overwhelm and isolation is pervasive and disabling in the VUCA environment.  If your leaders can handle this intense chaos, overwhelm and isolation, your team has an unassailable, competitive advantage.

We provide seasoned executives with something they cannot provide for themselves: a sounding board where they can safely and openly explore their thoughts, feelings, and alternate perspectives essential to arriving at wise decisions with clarity and confidence.

When we have only our internal conversation to guide us, we create an echo chamber where we are easily misled by our innate biases and blind spots.  In our fast-moving VUCA ecosystem, we must make decisions based on incomplete information, seasoned only with our experience and foggy vision of the future.  It helps to have a sounding board where we can safely talk through the ambiguities, uncertainties and unintended consequences surrounding our decisions.

When asked what I do, I reply:  “I partner with leaders to create an essential pause for reflection within the chaos and isolation of their life.”

This reflective time for calm, centering conversation enables more thoughtful, sounder decisions in becoming a more effective, influential leader.  I support leaders as they deal with the four killer emotions – fear, frustration, isolation and anger – naturally arising in response to the turbulent VUCA environment.

Whether or not they are even aware of it, leaders are looking for “an accessible, safe port in the VUCA storm;” a place where they can become more self-aware and calmly centered – an essential if one is to successfully deal with the volatility and complexity of their ecosystem.

We all have beliefs and assumptions, operating below consciousness that are masked from our conscious awareness.  These are our blind spots, unconscious biases and those “half-truths we hold to be self-evident.”   It is these beliefs and assumptions that need to be surfaced, examined and tested if we are to be open to the learning and adaptability required to successfully meet the future as it arrives.  This is what a Learning Leader looks like.

This is the key to creating a cultural ecosystem that aligns the organization’s culture with its strategy.

Is Becoming a Learning Leader Right for You?

If the idea of creating a low stress, All-In engaged ecosystem for you and your team – one capable of dealing with the turbulent VUCA environment – resonates with you, then continue reading.  If the concept of creating an adaptive and developmental culture is attractive, then continue reading.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I frustrated by not meeting our strategic goals?
• Am I worn down from trying to make change happen within my area of responsibility?
• Am I limited by existing cultural patterns that prevent innovation, growth, and pursuing new possibilities?
• Do I need to find new ways of solving intractable – whack-a-mole — problems?
• Am I highly stressed or burning out?

If your answer to any of these – and similar — questions is anything other than a firm “NO, not me!” we may have something of great value to offer you.

“Navigating the VUCA Ecosystem as a Learning Leader” is not a predefined program.  The executive controls the agenda.  Each session focuses on the leadership topic of greatest importance – or urgency – to the executive.  In terms of leadership development, this approach provides “just-in-time learning” for dealing with the current issues.

In the past, every successful leader I’ve known relied upon Grit and Determination: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  In today’s VUCA environment, Grit and Determination are necessary but not sufficient.  We also need a high level of innovative adaptability.  We – and the organizations we lead — must evolve as rapidly as the environmental ecosystem is evolving; change as fast as change itself!

The most seasoned and successful learning leaders are discovering they must master new skills if they are to successfully handle the adaptive challenges inherent in all VUCA ecosystems.  The ability to rapidly close the adaptability gap is the new metric for competitive success.

We walk beside leaders as they learn to close the adaptability gap in their Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous – VUCA – ecosystem.  This is the new normal.  It requires a new model.

Going Forward:

If you are a learning leader who is ready to eliminate the chaos, overwhelm and stress in your life, we welcome the opportunity to become acquainted with you and explore how we may be of service.

Getting Acquainted:

We use a two-step process: the first step is a 15 minute (30 minute max.) phone conversation in which you describe your situation and we answer any questions you may have.  We want you to realize the nature of the commitment you are making to your leadership development and career.  This program is not a silver bullet quick-fix or a “when I get a round tuit” activity.  It requires clear goals and a strong commitment to achieve them.

If we agree to continue to explore an engagement relationship, we will schedule an in-depth strategy session in which we thoroughly explore your needs and expectations.  So that the strategy session is an efficient learning experience, you will complete a brief questionnaire beforehand.

Email your questions, comments or requests to: BeginnersMind@InSearchOfEagles.com. All emails will be answered.