According to a recent poll by accounting and consulting firm PwC, nearly 2000 CEOs say their companies won’t be “economically viable” within ten years. That’s almost 40% of the total CEOs polled globally. The top reasons given were shifts in consumer demand, regulatory changes, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions.
Of course, change and adversity are not new. What is new is the pace of change and the onslaught of obstacles companies must navigate to continue to thrive. The business climate has become exponentially more complex.
The PwC poll should be a call to action for all leaders to be singularly focused on building the agile organization. Adapt or die. This is the choice.
Unfortunately, too many organizations have cultures that are stuck. These are cultures where team members waste so much time blaming others for problems and complaining about change, they have no time to focus on real solutions. These are teams frequently surprised by change, unable to see the storm clouds on the horizon because they are consumed with the tyranny of the urgent.
The companies that thrive will be the ones who have the most resilient culture. This is a culture characterized by team members who take ownership for adapting to changing conditions by practicing 100% Responsibility. Team members embrace the principle that success or failure will not depend on our circumstances but on how we choose to adapt to these circumstances.
Jim Collins in his book Great by Choice said it best, “We can’t create the future. But we can create it.”
When a team takes 100% Responsibility for what is possible, they move from reacting to change to creating it. Even the harshest conditions become fertile soil for producing extraordinary results.
Leaders who remain focused on building this kind of culture will be the winners.
100% RESPONSIBILITY
How to Be Agile in an Era of Adversity and Rapid Change