ADAPTING TO CHANGE
Successful leadership strategiesin the age of disruption
THE GENESIS OF DISRUPTION
Homo heidelbergensisc700,000 – 200,000 yrs ago
Homo erectusc1.89 mil – 143,000 yrs ago
Homo floresiensisc100,000 – 50,000 yrs ago
Homo neanderthalensisc400,000 - 40,000 yrs ago
Homo sapiensc200,000 yrs ago – present
2 million years ago 1 million years ago Today
Ability to
ImagineAbility to
Co-operateAbility to
ControlCognitive Revolution
50,000 BCAgricultural Revolution
13,000 BCScientific Revolution
1,500 AD
1 2 3
Nope.
Change is Linear.
Disruption is about Difficult Choices
VS
VS
VS
Tough choices favourGood Judgement
Leadership is NOT about Confidence, Charisma or high IQ
DISRUPTION IS NOT NEW
BUT DISRUPTION IS GETTING
WAY FASTER
3xIncrease in patents
last 20 years 1996-2016
WORLDWIDE PATENTS
6.2%Increase in patents
from 2011-12 to 2013-14
4.4 milTotal patents filed
2013-2014
AND THE DISRUPTION
IS MORE COMPLEX
Tools
Machinesthat run tools
Electronicsthat run machinesthat run tools
Artificial Neural Networksthat run AIthat run computersthat run electronicsthat run machinesthat run tools
Computersthat run electronicsthat run machinesthat run tools
Artificial Intelligencethat run computersthat run electronicsthat run machinesthat run tools
Specialised
Team
Pure
Team
Organised
Group
Simple
Group
Task
Co
mp
lexi
ty
Reliance on Others
Customer Call Centre Production Line
Surgical TeamSoftware Development Team
Increasing complexityfavours Teams
SOCIETY ENCOURAGES
INDIVIDUALISM
The Teamthat conquered
Everest
The Team that built
Apple
The NZLabourParty
The All BlacksTeam
ARE INDIVIDUALS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE TEAM?
INDIVIDUALISM IS THE
CRADLE OF NARCISSISM
TeamTrump
Narcissism is a Team Killer
BUILDING THE TEAM AS A UNIT
“Who is on a team matters less than how the team
members interact, structure their work, and view their
contributions.” - Google Teams Research, 2016.
Talent
Buy-In
Courage
Mission
Norms
Resources
TheRocketModel.comCurphy & Hogan
Effective teams require Method
• Disruption is really about difficult choices
• Tough choices favour leaders with good judgement
• Increasing complexity favours teams, not individuals
• Individualism breeds narcissism, which kills teams
• Effective teams require conscious method
Key Points
What Next?
We need to select and develop leaders with a stronger focus on ‘good judgement’.
NOT for Charisma, Confidence, high IQ.
1 2 3
We need to be ruthless about leadership as a resource for the good of the group.
NOT for the benefit of the individual.
We need to pay a lot more attention to how teams operate as a unit.
NOT assume it will sort itself out.
Resources
▪ Managerial Failure Rates. https://www.hoganassessments.com/bad-management-and-its-consequences/
▪ The Rocket Model. A practical guide for developing high performing teams. http://www.therocketmodel.com/
▪ Psychological Safety Manager Guide. https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness/steps/foster-psychological-safety/
▪ Team Effectiveness Discussion Guide. https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/understanding-team-effectiveness/steps/help-teams-determine-their-needs/
▪ The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organisation. Jon R. Katzenbach, Douglas K. Smith, 2003.
▪ The Science of Personality. http://www.thescienceofpersonality.com/