How to Lead Effectively in an Unpredictable World

My own definition of leadership is this:

The capacity and the will

to rally men and women to a common purpose

and the character which inspires confidence.

General Montgomery

When you find in a position of leadership, both the amount and quality of your work output depend on your team and, consequently, upon your skills as a leader. In his new book, Coherence, Dr. Watkins says that the world has become VUCA- volatile, uncertain, complex and often ambiguous. Fortunately, even in this kind of milieu, skills can be developed and fine-tuned.

Becoming an effective leader is by no means an overnight event, but what will really matter is consistency an and to the process. A good starting point is using the following four steps toward becoming a more effective leader. What is required is learning the keys to effective leadership and putting them into action. And once you have mastered your approach, you will be more than capable of going after whatever leadership role you desire.

1. Know and believe in the vision. Knowing the vision of the team and actually believing in it is perhaps the most significant step toward becoming an effective leader. At the end of the day, leading a team means inspiring the trust of your team members. And the best way to do that is to prove to them that you whole-heartedly believe in the vision.

• What you should first do is develop a good understanding of what that vision is, and determine whether or not it is something you can live with and live up to.


• Next, use every chance you get to “sell” that vision to the team. Show them that you live and breathe it and they will eventually see that it is something to grab on to.

2. Team building. As a leader, you will need the support of your team. In selecting your team members, seek people who can understand the vision and support it. Then, identify those who fit the roles they will be required to fill.

• Be careful to select the team based on merit, not emotions. Sometimes, when people recognize that you have given them an opportunity based on an emotional position, they use every chance they get to play on your emotions for favors. You want team members who know that they have been given an opportunity based on merit.

3. Negotiate well. Once you have been able to gain the trust of your team members, your next step is to master your negotiation skills. As a leader, that not only means negotiating with the team so the best results are achieved, but also succeeding at external negotiations in the best interest of your unit.

• Negotiate fairly so that others know that they can continue to trust you.


• Negotiate smartly for the well-being of your unit.

4. Delegate. Identifying an ideal team is a success unto itself, because you know that the people you have selected are capable of excelling in the tasks assigned. Now, it is up to you to assign tasks effectively. Becoming a good delegator will involve the following activities:

• Studying the strengths (and weaknesses) of every team player so that you can effectively match tasks with the skill set.


• Analyzing the potential success capabilities of your team that so you can make a wise choice when assigning responsibilities.

Becoming an effective, efficient and enlightened leader is an achievement you will undoubtedly be proud of! You have what it takes to earn the title of outstanding leader. By using this simple guideline, you will be able to sharpen your leadership your skills and prove that you are indeed the best person for any leadership position.

To your continued success!!!

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