How To Lead
In 2018
The key leadership question of this uncertain era: What can we do to
inspire optimism?
When I was in my early twenties, a close relative of mine was
murdered on the street by someone he didn’t know. It was a random act of
violence that threw me into a spiral of sadness, fear, and negativity. I saw
danger around every corner. The future was dark; the past was a fairy tale that
had morphed into a cruel joke.
But the days passed, and I muddled through. At some point, when I
got up in the morning and looked in the mirror, I saw hope again in the eyes
that looked back at me. And I started the next phase of my life.
I am a believer in the power of optimism, the drive and creativity
that possibility can engender. I believe in it not the way a child would, but
knowing full well the perils and pitfalls that the world can put in your path.
Today there is much to be anxious about when we get up each day.
Uncertainty reigns as rapid change disrupts expectations and social norms.
Global leadership is fractured and economic conditions fluctuate widely.
Specters loom, from climate change to cyberterrorism. The relentless pace can
make you want to curl up in a corner, wary of what might come next.
Or you can stare unblinkingly at this time of chaos and dig into
the difficult work of building a better tomorrow. This issue is dedicated to
that sense of hope, sharing leadership tales and
insights collected at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, a weeklong gathering of top entrepreneurs, thinkers, creators, and
practitioners dedicated to holding business to a higher standard. More than
8,000 attendees (32% men and 68% women; average age of 38; from 60 different
countries and 45 states) participated in 200-plus workshops, panels, studio
tours, and keynotes.
I’ve culled 10 lessons from my experiences that week, which help
fuel my optimism. I hope that they, along with the rest of our coverage,
inspire you to embrace your own future. We never really know what’s going to
happen next; but if we focus on what we can control—and our own reactions to
the world around us—we can find meaning and create impact, bringing to life the
dreams we all share.
1. MOVE QUICKLY, BUT DON’T RUSH
When Ford CEO Jim Hackett talks about
leading the 115-year-old companythat he took over in 2017,
he acknowledges the need to speed up its metabolism—to try more new things.
It’s one reason he’s endorsed fast prototyping at Ford’s new Greenfield Labs in
Palo Alto. If Ford wants to withstand the revolutions of autonomous driving and
next-generation engines, Hackett knows, its culture has to move beyond
methodical and reliable. But Hackett also isn’t saying what Ford’s precise
business model will be after these revolutions play out. And he’s okay with
that uncertainty. He’s too impatient to stand still, yet deeply patient about
selecting an ultimate course of action.
2. COMMUNE WITH YOUR SPIRIT
Someone once told me, “Before you say something in anger, count
backward from 100.” Keeping calm is one of the hardest challenges in times of
stress. It is also the route to gaining perspective. When Questlove talks about his love of silence—and how it serves as
a creative engine for him—he’s definitely onto something. The sound of silence
is the sound of someone thinking.
3. TAKE THE PULPIT
One of my favorite verses from the musical Hamilton is the lead
character’s admonition of Aaron Burr early in the play: “If you stand for nothing,
what will you fall for?” As leaders and as businesses, we are defined by the
positions we take on the most difficult issues. To Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson,
that means pledging to hire 100,000 “opportunity youth.” To soccer star Abby Wambach, that
means support for both U.S. patriotism and Colin Kaepernick. As Nike’s Hannah Jones puts
it, “A brand that doesn’t stand for something is no longer a brand worth
working for.” This is not a moment to be shy.
4. MAKE YOUR ORGANIZATION A PLATFORM FOR CHANGE
Government officials may claim to be stewards of our social
contract, but other institutions provide their own leadership as well. “Think
about the sustainability movement,” says Nike’s Jones. “You fly across the
world and you see windmill farms everywhere. It doesn’t matter what the U.S.
administration is doing; we are all moving to renewable energy.” From education
to gender identity norms, businesses play a central role in advancing global
culture. Forward-thinking leaders embrace that responsibility with conviction.
5. GET IN SOMEONE’S FACE
In our tech-filled world of always-on connectivity, augmented
reality, and artificial intelligence, direct interaction provides the ultimate
competitive advantage. As Ideo’s Fred Dust argues, face-to-face engagement is a
dwindling art. Yet it is empathy that unlocks so much capacity and creativity.
Whether in a one-on-one situation or a one-to-many forum, listening is an
essential skill. As Brandless CEO Tina Sharkey says, “People are craving human
interaction. That’s going to move the needle more than any technology you could
ever dream up.”
6. CROSS THE LINE
Traditional demarcations of “generations”—what differentiates one
age cohort from another—are becoming muddy, as experience takes precedence over
age. While seasoned executives still have wisdom to share with young
talents—Cecile Richards of Planned Parenthood calls the training of young
people “probably the most important mark I hope to leave”—modern mentorship is
a two-way street. West Elm’s Doug Guiley admits to leaning on his 12-year-old
daughter for perspective on his brand. He’s hardly alone in appreciating the
fresh eyes and intuition of digital natives.
7. RESPECT THINGS YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
Even as businesses work to project confidence in a competitive
world, we all have to get comfortable with a higher-than-usual degree of
messiness if we want to iterate at the pace of global change. “We can’t think
about being perfect, we just have to keep moving forward,” says Dell
Technologies’ Elizabeth Gore. Whether
the topic is bitcoin or AI, we have to accept that our knowledge is incomplete,
that lifelong learning is required. Actor Kate Hudson, who cofounded athleisure
brand Fabletics, groans at the prospect of robots invading the retail
experience—yet she acknowledges that her company will inevitably need to reckon
with them.
8. RESPECT PEOPLE YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND
Diversity is not just a social issue; it is a business
requirement. Having “a lot of different people in the room,” says Morgan Stanley’s
Carla Harris, unlocks broader ideas and
opportunities. What’s more, says Professor Michael Kimmel, diversity must be
aligned with inclusion, breaking down silos and freeing voices. Whether it’s TV
writer Lena Waithe discussing her emotional, Emmy-winning coming-out episode of
Master of None, or drag queens Sasha Velour, Milk, and BibleGirl sparking
dialogue around how we talk about gender with our kids, uncomfortable topics
help us all to grow.
9. EMBRACE RISING EXPECTATIONS
Millennials “are getting into positions of leadership faster than
we did,” says Morgan Stanley’s Harris. “That is going to cause companies that
have been around a long time to change.” A parallel transformation is
under way in the consumer marketplace. Sundial’s Bonin
Bough uses the term “promiscuous” to describe
consumers, not in a derogatory sense, but to underscore how
fluid our relationships with products and brands—and employers—have become.
That sets the bar higher for everyone, to be more consistent, more responsive,
more essential. Yesterday’s achievements just don’t hold the same weight;
today’s best practices are tomorrow’s table stakes.
10. DON’T EXPECT THE BEST; MAKE IT HAPPEN
To hear Kimbal Musk and Dan Barber argue about the future of food is
like glimpsing two parallel visions of the future. Will we grow produce in
vertical farms within cities, as Musk would have it? Or will we return to family
farming that balances ecology, sustainability, and health, as Barber prefers?
Neither course would be considered likely by most analysts, and yet that
skepticism bothers the two of them not at all. The fact that their visions are
difficult to execute is part of what drives them. They take nothing for
granted—and they put everything they have into remaking this vital sector. In
the process, they open the door to a better way for all of us.
BY ROBERT SAFIAN
https://www.fastcompany.com/40508986/how-to-lead-in-2018?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=3&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=01102018
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