Today, businesses face unprecedented shifting sands upon which to build and grow.

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While I would like to opine that there are a few more significant challenges, and the others are potentially less compelling and volatile - that doesn’t reflect reality. Think for just a moment about a few of these challenges:

• The advent of quantum computing: while not imminent across all verticals, it is undeniable and will disrupt technology, people, and cyber security.
• Maintaining a cyber-secure environment: currently a very challenging objective to achieve and becoming more so by the day.
• Incorporating technology shifts: navigating the turbulent waters of disruptive technologies, robotics, and diverse systems integration across multiple verticals.
• Impact of Generative AI: Momentum will increase as GAI matures and impacts all aspects of our lives.
• Globally complex supply chains: impacted by economic stability, foreign  relationships, and politics.

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The most significant leadership imperative to build and grow in the above environment is recognizing and incorporating effective strategies to coalesce:

• Workforce demographics are changing and will continue to do so.
• Global competition for top-talent recruitment, deployment, and retention of talent.
• Generational expectations are changing and vary widely.
• There is a greater need to address purpose and value-driven plans and operations. 

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The 200 words above are enough to scare anybody. Please sit back and ponder where we go from here.

Insufficient trust, understanding, communications, connections, development, and connectedness among the people who matter overwhelmingly contribute to many business issues, challenges, and failures. The people who matter are everyone involved in the success or failure of the enterprise. 

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No one can build and grow an enterprise alone. Ideally, everybody needs to row in the same direction at the same speed. The more complex the technology, business environment, and conflicting values become, the more critical the people become.

How is this accomplished? You get what you prioritize and reward. Leaders are not doing this to be friendly people. They must do this to stay relevant and build and grow their businesses. Change and growth start by looking in the mirror and honestly assessing the current state.

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It has never been more urgent for leaders at all levels, primarily the executive level, first to improve their communications and connectedness capabilities. Here are a few suggestions for strengthening trust, communications, and connectedness: 

• Listen to hear and learn and not explain and defend, perhaps even asking what questions you should be asking.
• Prioritize building trust up/down and across the connected enterprise. 
• Reach out to a broader scope of voices, especially the voices with whom you disagree or least understand.
• Demonstrate the purpose and values of the business and be adept at flowing this message from strategy to execution so the staff can understand how their particular work is directly related and essential.
• Recognize that continuous learning in today’s world is not just for new employees but everyone.
• Consider apprenticeships to help develop people as well as effective communication and connectedness.
• Consider buddy systems and reverse mentoring as a standard practice. The newer people learn about the business and its past growth, and the more     experienced people gain effective cross-generational communications and capabilities.
• Formal leadership development is essential for business leaders. They may or may not have the title, but they are leaders, nonetheless.

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Past lessons are an excellent foundation as businesses navigate a rapidly changing business, economic, social, and global environment. However, continued growth is a function of standing in the moment, embracing the future, and helping all of us lift the tide!

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Helping raise the tide for everyone requires not only developing an attuned sense of what to do but also learning what to stop doing-and then stopping doing it, even if it has been successful in the past. 

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Demonstrating the honesty and humility to share that we need to change, and we may not have all of the answers right now, can be incredibly motivating if everybody feels like part of the team working together to move forward in a positive growth direction.  

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Please take a few moments to consider the following two questions.

• How will you use newly gained insights if you see something useful? 
• If it offended you in some way, why?  How are you going to use that information?

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