In the introduction to this blog series, I discussed how with the onset of the Coronavirus Pandemic, leaders are now confronted with a world of ambiguity. The crisis has crippled supply chains and forced the shutdown of many businesses. The ability to thrive in ambiguity will be imperative to the success of companies in this ever-changing environment of heightened risk and vulnerability.
Unfortunately many companies are not prepared for heightened risk and vulnerability because they are built from the outside-in. They only compete externally. For these companies competing is actually “cutthroat” - strictly a zero-sum game. All decisions are driven by how they compare with The Opposition. People in these companies are managed. They’re viewed as cogs in the machine. Taglines like “people are our greatest asset” are essentially part of a marketing strategy designed to embellish their brand. These companies struggle with ambiguity.
By contrast, companies that are built from the inside-out thrive in ambiguity. Their workers are too immersed in the process of getting better to spend a lot of time worrying about how they compare with The Opposition. These companies are led by people who understand the value of building relationships with their workers. Relationship building is an item that never appears on their spreadsheets, but it is the key to their enduring success during ‘normal’ times and equips them to thrive during uncertain times.
I help leaders channel the power of relationship building to imbue a spirit of Strivership in their companies. Strivership is an ethic of continuous improvement based on the origin of the word ‘compete’: to strive together. True competitors do not view competing as a zero-sum game. They view competing as an opportunity for everyone involved to get better. Striving together is not always about winners and losers. Ultimately it is about getting out of your comfort zone to wrestle with difficult problems. The best companies focus on striving together internally so that they’re ready for anything The Opposition throws at them.
Companies that embrace Strivership are comprised of people who strive together in 4 relationships: to Self, Team, Boss, and Direct Reports. I developed the Striver Quotient® Assessment Tool to evaluate one’s willingness to demonstrate key attributes in each of these relationships. This matrix provides a conceptual overview of what the assessment measures. People fall into one of three categories in each relationship.
The most important relationship is Relationship to Self. This is the conversation you have with yourself when challenged to move out of your comfort zone. The way that you respond to that question directly impacts the other 3 relationships. With more companies working in teams, people who insist on Working Independently can struggle to make a significant contribution to their company’s success, particularly during uncertain times. Giving of themselves and trusting the contributions of others takes them too far outside their comfort zone. They are not leaders or followers. They’re just flying solo.
People who fall into the Work Together category are followers. They hesitate to take on projects that do not offer at least some assurance of success because they do not want to risk damaging their brand. They rely on others to take the lead. While they may be able to cope with some uncertainty, they cannot thrive in it.
People who are committed to Striving Together lead by example. They thrive in ambiguity because they’re willing to move outside their comfort zone to accept challenges that have no assurance of success. They excel when challenged to persevere while tackling problems that do not have clear solutions. As a result they exude an authentic self, not a branded self.
In modern times, management challenges—strategy and planning—have become infinitely more complex, but the principles of leading have remained constant throughout our history. George Washington, our nation’s first leader, set the tone for us! He accepted the challenge of forming an army of untrained Americans to face down the most powerful empire the world had known—a challenge that had absolutely no assurance of success. For the first two years of the war, he was dealt defeat after defeat. But Washington embraced the uncertainty of his predicament by persisting until he found novel solutions to the complex problems he was facing. The courage he displayed in the face of pervasive ambiguity not only inspired his army to win the war, it made him the only man the people trusted to lead the newly forged nation.
