Get Ahead of Change. Take the Bull by the Horns. (#233)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
A prominent news anchor shared with her co-host and the entire viewing audience that despite her efforts to understand cryptocurrency for an upcoming interview, she couldn’t quite grasp it. Her comments reflect the confusion many leaders experience regarding emerging technologies and trends. Here’s how to ensure you don’t wake up one day to find that the world has passed you by.
“The only thing that is constant is change.”
– Heraclitus (Greek philosopher)
This Week’s Edition
Having a hard time keeping up with new trends and innovations? Tap your innate curiosity.
Clarify Your Thinking
The growth of emerging technologies and other trends is about to accelerate to near-warp speed. The combination of deregulation, investment, and competition is fueling this phenomenon.
Leaders tell me that it’s difficult to keep up. “Robin, not only do I have to learn about these new technologies and trends, but I also need to decide how our organization will adopt, apply, and generate increased revenue (or reduce costs).” Many are expressing doubt about their ability to keep pace.
Old Thinking: What is AI? Is cryptocurrency dependable? If our team lacks knowledge about these innovations, how will we ever understand how to apply them and maintain our competitive edge? I’m concerned about how they will change our business.
New Thinking: The future is here. We must invest in learning about these innovations, educate ourselves, or risk being left behind. I will lead the team by embracing a permanent posture of curiosity that propels us to advance our knowledge and think strategically.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Many industry leaders confront emerging technologies and trends that pose a risk of putting them out of business.
- Artificial Intelligence
- Cryptocurrency
- Influencers disrupting typical corporate marketing spend allocation
If leaders seeking future growth cannot ignore new innovations or trends, how can they manage the new threat to their business? How they approach the issue today may directly impact their success in the future.
Leaders have options. They may require a little courage. Here are a few:
1. Seek out experts in your network
At our annual Leadership Summit in February, the leaders attending will share their existing knowledge on certain topics. While none are experts on the topics, we are crowdsourcing what the group already knows.
2. Seek out your industry association
Industry organizations are often hosting information sessions on these hot topics. This is a good place to start to get a working knowledge of subjects.
3. Do you own research
Never has there been a better time to easily access information. Finding subject matter experts, videos, articles, and other materials is as simple as a Google search. Roll up your sleeves and spend a little time digging in.
4. Ask your team
Chances are that someone on your team has information you may not have. Ask them.
Fortune favors the bold. Are you bold enough to take a risk by learning and daring enough to discover something that could revolutionize your business? Or are you content with the status quo?
Those who tap into a deep well of curiosity rarely complain of being bored or left behind. The choice is yours.
Boost Your Performance
Watch this week’s video to find out how you can go from existential threat to competitive advantage.
What’s Your Opinion?
How do you approach new things? Fear? Or curiosity? Share it with me at robin.pou@robinpou.com.
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.