“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
In light of the free Blueprint for Productivity, Innovation, and Growth webinar next week, InnoFuture would like to share the top 6 problems facing CEOs this year, and how you can overcome them. Expect much more in-depth information at our free event.
Fewer CEOs are Confident in Revenue Growth
In the aftershock of global recession, the aim of many companies was to streamline and improve productivity to increase output and decrease cost. Now that the economy is moving on, Leaders must shift their focus to finding new ways to expand in a positive way.
In the new economy, more and more Leaders are focusing on organic growth for their organisation rather than revenue growth. By focusing on their customers and more effective operational models, they are positioning themselves to compete in the era of social media – where every single “bad” experience can become a major debilitating event.
Democratization of Leadership Descisions
Gone are the imperial days of CEOs making company decisions in ways that dismiss the board. The board is not a necessary evil, but an active think tank that has hand in the the direction and transparency of the entire company. Rather than allowing this shift to be a struggle, CEOs must embrace this as their best opportunity for collaboration ever.
Organisations Don’t Have Direct Control of Their Brand
If the current economy has taught us anything, it’s that every organisation needs to control their brand, but embrace transparency. Understand you cannot directly control the image your customers and employees (or ex-employees) paint, but you can work hard to build loyalty, encouraging them to paint a beautiful one.
Technology Has Disrupted all Industries
Leaders cannot ignore technology and it’s disruptive powers across all dimensions of business. Social media, mobile devices, the Cloud, and more are changing the way customers interact and do business so quickly that only the most agile businesses are going to be able to keep up. Constantly adapting to the new norms in market behavior is soon to be mandatory for your business to survive.
Talent Immobility Damages the Organisation’s Workforce
In the talent pool for any organisation, a challenge is emerging. Less and less talent is willing to move for the jobs they are offered. While many companies still cling to the old model of on-site employees, they are strangling their workforce and depriving it of much-needed new talent and ideas. It’s time for more organisations to look into the possibility of remote workers in some sectors of their business. This is not business of the future any longer – it is the business of NOW.
Leaders can No Longer Control Their Environment
The typical idea of a CEO is based on an old, ineffective model. CEOs can no longer control their environment in today’s marketplace, and they must learn to Lead by influence and collaboration. Collaboration with their board and employees will shorten the gap and make their company the agile ship it has to be.
In talent as well as in Leaders, the critical skills are communication, collaboration, creativity, flexibility, and innovation. Breeding these in an already-established workforce may sound impossible, but it is much easier than you may think. What it requires is a decision to embrace these changes by the CEO, and the distillation of the company vision so that EVERYONE understands it. You cannot afford to have a confused workforce in the world of today.
Make sure you join us for a FREE 60 minute Blueprint for Productivity, Innovation, and Growth webinar on March 5th to learn how you can quickly transform your business into the agile machine it must be.
