Corporate world is changing. The ongoing work-models disruption, social-cultural generational expectations, the focus on wellbeing and the increasing scrutiny on ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices are demanding new perspectives and mindsets from leadership and top management teams.
Therefore, you can find transformation agendas everywhere – in any industry, geography, or type of company. The scope of change, of course, is diverse – ranging from business models to corporate cultures, from digital transformation to structure redesign.
In many of these cases, the leadership solution is not found indoors. In fact, in (too much) similar teams, where everybody thinks and acts in the same way, you get small added value for innovation. You must look outside, to different profiles and backgrounds, and search, attract and recruit effective transformational leaders. To address these challenges and deliver real change, these new leaders must bring diversity, innovation, critical-thinking and better decision making. They may come from outside your industry, from an alternative academic/ training backgrounds, from other geographies or cultures. People that were exposed to different realities and challenges throughout their careers. In these volatile and non-linear times, their new perspectives, questioning attitudes and skills will be quite relevant: in the adaptability of business processes and models, in scenario planning, in risk management or in the operational agility. And on more conceptual out-of-the-box thinking, with innovative solutions to organizational problems.
In sum, companies must search for culture add, not just culture fit. And, hopefully, these new transformational leaders will enable new corporate capabilities – and contribute for a more positive business outcome.
Carlos Sezões
Managing Partner of Darefy – Leadership & Change Builders
