Leadership in the age of digitalization Leadership 4.0

1. 2019 Copyright FOCUS International2019 Copyright FOCUS International
THRIVE IN THE NEW NORMAL
OF COMPLEX CHANGE
From Discovery to Value Creation

2. 2019 Copyright FOCUS InternationalFor Internal Use OnlyAuthor: Reza Hagel
Global Innovation Partner
ECOSYSTEMS ORCHESTRATORS
In times of exponential, disruptive
change, we need Mindful Leaders.
Regardless of who you are or what you do, you are living in and affected by
unprecedented circumstances of exponential change and uncertainty. Not to
mention new opportunities. This affects your everyday life.
Our habits are becoming the biggest limitation.
We need new skills, attitudes and ways of relating to change and uncertainty
if we want to do well in the New Normal. As a leader or professional, we are
not only called to cope in these circumstances but to thrive in it while helping
others to thrive.
Businesses are changing right before our eyes as the digital transformation
takes place around the world. And yet many leaders, are in businesses risking
extinction if they can’t adapt to this ever-changing environment. Change-
agile leaders must be forward-thinkers who believe that the future is important
above all else. They must be able to change quickly and fluctuate as the
business world changes – sometimes on the daily. Walking the talk and leading
by example.
I want to share my five traits that leaders everywhere should strive to possess if
they want their organizations to not just change but thrive in change. Let’s
take a look at what will make the difference.
Clear Purpose, COMMUNICATE AT ALL LEVELS
Simply changing to be change isn’t a clear enough purpose, especially when
leading a business. Humans are naturally resistant to change, and reason isn’t
a large enough driving force. We need purpose to be able to make changes
in any area of our lives.
Leaders who have the ability to answer the question “why” are more apt to
bring their businesses along. We’re not adding new technology just to say we
have new technology. We are adding technology to remain competitive,
create a more productive workforce and push us towards innovation. See
what I did there? It’s all in answering WHAT BENEFITS YOU?
Forward-Thinking Opportunists, CATCH THE DAY WHITE PLAN FOR THE NEXT STEP
It can be tempting as a leader to get wrapped up in the day to day grind of
running a business. You may even expect your trusted advisors or board of
directors to make futuristic decisions for you. However, successful leaders are
known to think ahead, always searching for opportunity.
We should look beyond today, tomorrow and even next year. The easiest way
to do this is to infuse opportunity within your day, every day. Ask questions but
most importantly listen! Give your employees an open place to innovate and
experiment. Praise those who succeed, even yourself. Praise those who fail
and learn from the failure—these are the risk-takers your organization needs,
but more on that in a moment. Organizations and leaders can’t settle for
ordinary anymore.

3. 2019 Copyright FOCUS InternationalFor Internal Use OnlyAuthor: Reza Hagel
Global Innovation Partner
ECOSYSTEMS ORCHESTRATORS
Fix it, BEFORE IT’S BROKEN
We all know the saying, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But what about if something
is working, but not to its fullest potential? I’ve seen countless businesses with
systems in place that work on the surface, but when you dig a little deeper you
see that there are actually issues. As leaders not only fix what’s broken, seek
out what isn’t quite right, even before knowing.
During the digital transformation, there will be times when tough conversations
will need to happen. As a leader, you will need to discuss problem areas with
your team, make some tough decisions and drive your team towards
collaboration.
Things may break when new tech is implemented, or processes are altered.
You should have an open-door policy of communication for concerns. This is
the first step in being open and honest about what may be holding your
business back.
Risk-Takers and Experimenters, DARE TO EXPLORE
Where would we be without the innovation of technology companies all over
the world? Certainly not in this place of transformation. Take a second to think
about how you handle opportunity that comes with risk. When faced with risk,
do you ask why and move as far away as possible? Or do you ask why not
and take the plunge?
Both can be detrimental to your business unless viewed in the correct way.
Facilitating leaders are risk-takers and experimenters who establish opportunity
for experimentation and innovation. If you make moves to prepare for the risk,
you can take the risk even when you expect to fail. Any innovator will tell you
that out of failure comes success.
Strive for Partnership, LOOK OURSIDE YOUR ECOSYSTEMS
To be a leader during this time, you shouldn’t be all about what you can do on
your own. As technology improves and processes become complex, it is going
to take collaborations from all over your business to be successful. This means
your entire business must be ready to partner in the ultimate goal. A
Facilitating leader isn’t afraid of this partnership but embraces it head-on.
This transformation will also allow businesses to streamline their processes such
as marketing and sales across the board, making entire businesses well-oiled
machines. These machines are built to innovate, a giant think tank of
efficiency. But, without partnership and true collaboration, your
competitiveness will suffer.
When it comes down to it, change agility can be boiled down to three key
goals including being committed to the customer, to have a strong focus on
continuous improvement and the desire to inspire teams during massive
change.
Possessing these five traits is no easy feat. It will take work—hard work—to truly
implement a change. But the Facilitating leaders that master these traits will
be head and shoulders above the competition. Wouldn’t you rather be lead
by someone who can take your company into the future? I know I would.

4. 2019 Copyright FOCUS InternationalFor Internal Use OnlyAuthor: Reza Hagel
Global Innovation Partner
ECOSYSTEMS ORCHESTRATORS
BOSS LEADER FACILITATOR
Drive
employees
Coach
employees
Advice
employees
Depends on
Authority
Depend on
Goodwill
Depend on
Emotions
Inspire
Fear
Generate
Enthusiasm
Build
Empathy
Say
I
Say
We
Say
You
Blame Fix Empower
Know
how it is done
Show
how it is done
Inspire
how it should be
Use
people
Develop
people
Motivate
people
Take
credit (Yourself)
Give
credit (Individual)
Share
credit (Team)
Commands Asks Listens
Says
“Go”
Says
“Let’s Go”
Says
“Tell me when you
arrive”
CREATED BY REZA HAGEL
Gi Partner Chief Innovation Officer
And Group Facilitator

5. • DISCOVERY
• RELIABILITY
• SUSTAINABILITY
• PREDICTABILITY
• CURIOSITY
• ADAPTABILITY
• AGILITY
• CREATIVITY
Who is best qualified to lead?
2019 Copyright FOCUS International
Developed by Reza Hagel
Value
creation
From Discovery to Value Creation
The challenge faced by leading organizations in 2019 is identifying the right
leadership skills set, combining creative intuitive rational and analytical thinking.