Flexing under-used leadership muscles in response to CoVid pandemic

Responding to the CoVid pandemic has relied on often under-used management & leadership capabilities; will we continue to ‘flex these new-found muscles’ in the future?
 
Organisations have responded in vastly different ways to the pandemic, just as individuals have also adopted vastly different reactions and behaviours. Not all have ‘leaned-in’ but those that did, have demonstrated capabilities and mindsets that are crucial not only to combating the CoVid pandemic but also to being able to thrive in 4th Industrial Revolution.

• Seize the Initiative and Pivot: Some organisations jumped quickly to address new needs, of existing customers or in the wider society. For example, some automotive and household appliance companies started to design and produce Ventilators and PPE. Other companies redeployed their drivers and vehicles to support food and shopping deliveries. Such changes required repurposing and acquiring new equipment, adopting new capabilities and behaviours and adjusting the supply chains. The new activities had to be supported by rapidly realigned governance procedures, of quality, health & safety, as well as financial performance. Success required them to move people rapidly and smoothly between activities, unconstrained by organisational silos and the practices, processes, policies and perceptions that often create resistance to change. A strong sense of a common purpose enabled cross-boundary collaborations to be formed rapidly, not only within organisations, but also between companies and in public-private collaborations. Beyond cooperation to address the issue at hand, these partnerships have demonstrated an unprecedented ability to look ahead, to be simultaneously (ambidextrously) resolving the immediate challenges whilst also preparing the way for accelerated progress in future stages. For example, in the race to create a vaccine there has been tremendous collaboration between big-pharma and university research departments whilst also coordination and preparation for the anticipated large-scale manufacture thereof. Additionally, representatives have spoken about their preparation for the envisaged eventual distribution of the vaccine. 

• Rapid Replication & Scale-Up: For example, the roll-out of multiple testing laboratories, the establishment of pop-up hospitals, the rapid scale-up of teams working in front-line roles and also of development teams working on digital applications (e.g. video conferencing). Speed at scaling up has required the ability to focus on the essential core elements without carrying forward the complexity of the ‘whole’; focus, simplification and streamlining being cardinal. To move at speed there has been increased reliance on creating fluid teams, empowered with the decision rights to take action and access to resources. This, together with the strong sense of purpose/mission has engendered a high sense of personal accountability and collective responsibility. In many countries, healthcare services were scaled rapidly, which necessitated a call to former employees, doctors and nurses to return to work as well as the rapid recruitment of support staff. Rapidly scaling up the workforce increased overall diversity, talent coming from different communities and demographies. Integrating these people whilst also seeking to support the core staff to manage their workload and stress load, required the widespread adoption of flexible work practices; accommodating personal circumstances. This has resulted in heightened recognition of the potential vibrancy of a 5G (5 generations) workforce and the benefits of flexible working practices that support workforce diversity.

 
The THREE axioms of to thrive in the 4th Industrial Revolution are (1) Build the capacity to act dynamically, (2) Drive audacious growth – that is purpose-led, (3) Win the race for 4IR talent. Those organisations and individuals that have chosen to ‘lean in’, to positively respond, to the CoVid pandemic have been able to hone the management & leadership capabilities that enable them to out-compete others in 4IR. The question is – will it stick, will they continue to flex these leadership muscles, or will they fall back into old habits?