Times of rapid change call for a new leadership model. Get a free download of the full series. advertisement Editor's note: This article is part of a new MIT SMR series about how leadership is evolving in a digital world. For years now, everyone has been talking about VUCA, the U.S.
Sensemaking refers to the process of creating meaning out of the chaotic world around us.
We need to make sense when something in our environment seems to have changed. We collect data, learn from others, look for patterns to create a new map of the landscape. Then we experiment with new solutions to see how it will respond to this new environment.
In business today, there's a growing trend toward agile leadership: a focus on fast decision making, short-term goals, and the empowerment of individuals. What began as a leadership approach confined to IT departments-business units that must respond quickly to rapidly changing technology-has become a way of life for leaders generally.
Executive Summary Surveys show that less than half of respondents say they agree or strongly agree that their leaders are inspiring. Even fewer feel that their leaders foster engagement or commitment and model the culture and values of the corporation. But real breakthroughs in performance come from employees who feel inspired by their leaders and their organizations.
Just as leaders who deliver only performance may do so at a cost that the organization is unwilling to bear, those who focus only on inspiration may find that they motivate the masses but a...
The leaders that inspire are those who use a personal combination of strengths to motivate individuals and teams to take on bold missions and to hold them accountable for results.
And they unlock higher performance through empowerment, not thorough command and control.