As we've discussed previously, the world is not the same place it once was 20 or 30 years ago- heck, it's not the same place it was three or four years ago for that matter. Our globe is facing a litany of issues that range from food shortages to rising average temperatures to increased tensions between nations to overpopulation, and these problems are not going away any time soon. Bob Johansen is a leadership consultant and author of many notable works on the subject, in his book Leaders Make the Future he touches on what he calls the bad VUCA leaders face in the current world, and what they must do to prepare and stay afloat in the uncertain waters of modern society. VUCA, as Johansen puts it, is an acronym which stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity, and is the essence of what modern leaders will face as we head deeper into the 21st century and beyond. The world is hardly in a stable place; with the market crashes and undulations of the past decade to the political unrest of the Middle East there are a lot of uneasiness around the globe today and what currently may be happening isn't guaranteed to be present tomorrow- the leaders of today must be understanding of this and prepare accordingly. Along those same lines, the Uncertainty that Volatility creates causes a need to be overly prepared for the next step. The best leaders won't simply have just one plan, but several and will be willing and able to make adjustments to their strategies as they move throughout these treacherous times. With the rise of the Internet, CNN, and 24-hour news media, the Information Age, as it has been called, has given people more knowledge at their fingertips than ever before- it has also created a "too many cooks in the kitchen" type scenario around the world. Now, more than ever, everyday people like you and I can make financial transactions, get tips to self-diagnose diseases, and learn how to cook gourmet meals instantaneously over a data connection- actions that may have taken a stock broker, doctor, and chef several hours to do for you previously. This complexity has forced the leaders of today to have increased vision and long-term reach because they must be able to see through the dust and clouds that surround these turbulent waters and navigate the many wrinkles that the new world's problems have created. Finally, Johansen says that Ambiguity will become a huge problem for the leaders of the future because no longer will issues be so cut and dry. Moving forward leaders will have to do much more with much less, and have to deal with increased rules and regulations on how they do it. The leader of tomorrow must know his trade inside and out so that he can quickly make decisions despite whatever complications may come his way.
When I think about Johansen's description of the problems the world's new generation of leaders will face I am immediately drawn to comparisons of our president. What CEO could successfully manage an extreme financial downfall, increasing credit dependency, and the implosion of a new product launch all while being involved in a hostile takeover of one company and a messy buy-out of another? Well that's exactly what has occurred in Washington where President Obama has been trying to pull the country out of a deep recession, is facing huge pressure to reduce the country's dependency on foreign monies, and is hearing harsh criticism about the new health care bill, all while being forced to clean-up the mess that the invasions of both Iraq and Afghanistan have created. You think he has to lead with some Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility (good VUCA)- you bet! No matter what side of the political spectrum you fall you must admitt that he has endured a full-term's worth of problems in his first two years on the job. But his problems will only persist which means that in order for him to stay afloat, and have any chance of keeping his position in office, he must think on the fly and make clear, concise, impactful decisions.
Over the 200+ years that our country has been in existence much has been written about our leaders of the past, present, and future, and their skills. Their are books, news articles, and seminars you can attend that do their best to try to map out the qualities it takes to be a great President, but unfortunately most of us will never be able to reach that level of leading. Penn State University is trying to teach those humble few who are willing to try in their Presidential Leadership Academy, a program for select PSU undergraduates to learn and be tutored on leadership by their university's president. http://academy.psu.edu/index.cfm
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