Month: December 2024

The most employable skillsets in the next decade will be creativity, intuition, curiosity, and imagination, predicted Duncan Wardle, the former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney.

Why? Because these skills are the hardest to program, and the most difficult for AI to replace.

Renowned speaker and best-selling author behind The 5 Second Rule, Mel Robbins, thinks it will be empathy.

Wardle and Robbins addressed some of the biggest challenges leaders face today in connecting with their teams and fostering a culture of innovation and creativity.

Sharing what he learnt from his decades with Disney, Wardle highlighted some of his best tools to foster design thinking and spark creativity by finding ways to make innovation less intimidating and more approachable.

Creativity is the ability to have an idea. Innovation is the ability to get it done.

Duncan Wardle

Let’s look at five useful takeaways from Duncan Wardle and Mel Robbins:

1. Be Consumer-led

One of the biggest barriers to innovation is that companies are led by quarterly results, instead of consumers and clients. This often leads to ideas getting stuck, diluted, or killed as they move through the approval process. If team leaders and decision-makers approach innovation with the mindset of satisfying only quarterly results, they set themselves up for disappointment.

Wardle notes that one way to foster innovation is to be consumer or client-led when problem-solving, troubleshooting, or brainstorming. Noting that this is the mindset that led Disney to introduce some of their highest revenue-generating ideas such as their MagicBands which guests can use to make purchases, reservations, orders, and move around seamlessly. This improved customer experience which, in turn, led to record revenue growth.

Wardle notes that a key to being consumer-led in mindset is to retain a child-like curiosity and to always ask ‘why?’

2. Engage in Creative Behaviors

Innovation relies on creativity. However, the current definition of creativity, which means to come up with big new ideas, can be limiting. Instead, Wardle recommends redefining ‘creativity’ to mean the habit of continually doing things in new ways to make a positive difference in our working lives.

As leaders, there are certain behaviors that can be adopted to create such an environment in a professional setting, starting by Signaling or creating physical signals that you are there to nurture ideas. Some examples include delivering a presentation outside of the boardroom instead of behind a conference table.

Another behavior leaders can adopt is to nurture ideas. Wardle emphasized the importance of nurturing contributions from team members during the ideation stage. The point is to grow the idea, not approve it. One way to do this is adopt the ‘Yes, and’ technique during brainstorming sessions to build upon ideas instead of judging them or shooting them down.

As for how leaders can set the stage for creative thinking among their team members, Wardle notes that playfulness and mindfulness go together. Usually at work, people are focused on accomplishing active tasks, or they are bogged down by urgent matters. Wardle calls this the river of thinking. It is when the conscious brain is in charge.

To tap into the subconscious part of the brain where creativity lies, he recommends starting a session with fun and energetic exercises. The goal is to bring out laughter. Creativity can flow better once a person is relaxed enough to access playfulness.

3. Use tools to foster innovative thinking

 During his talk, Wardle presented several tools that leaders can use to get people out of their river of thinking and foster innovation. The chief among them is asking “What if?” This is especially useful for leaders in a heavily regulated industry or surrounded by people who are stuck with tradition and ‘how things are always done’. A simple way to practice this is to write down the rules of the challenge or issue that is being worked on without judgment. After that, simply pick one and propose solutions by asking “what if…”. The more audacious the solution, the better.

Wardle also suggests involving naïve experts in every brainstorming session. A naïve expert is someone who does not work in the same field but is an expert in their own field. The reason for this is that they tend to be more comfortable asking seemingly silly questions that others in the room may be too embarrassed to ask. A naïve expert is there to suggest audacious ideas ungoverned by your river of thinking and to move you out of your river entirely.

Noting that “diversity is innovation”, Wardle emphasized that if someone doesn’t look like you, they can help you think differently. After all, their silly questions and audacious suggestions may end up sparking a truly ingenious idea in someone else.

Some other useful tools to foster innovation according to Wardle is to re-express a challenge from a consumer’s perspective, to tap into empathy, to dig into data and challenge it while being guided by your intuition, and to ensure that team members have time to gather inspiration, stimulus, and fresh ideas.

4. Flip negatives into positives

Mel Robbins introduced her highly popular 5-second rule as a tool to help leaders turn thoughts into action. Explaining the mechanism of it, Robbins notes that counting backwards from 5 interrupts the autopilot loop of your subconscious mind and activates your prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is essential in creating behavioral changes and allowing you to think strategically. Leaders who tend to overthink may benefit most from this method.

Crucially, Robbins noted that once an old pattern of overthinking or old behavior is interrupted, it must be replaced with a new one. Here is where the negative ‘what ifs’ should be flipped into positives instead. Thinking about all the ways an idea might fail is a thought pattern led by anxiety and uncertainty. Flipping into a positive mindset paves the way for more fruitful and productive thought processes, which is essential in fostering creativity and innovation.

<H2>5. Leaders must be self-aware

Robbins also stressed that the most important skillset in a leader right now is empathy, according to a McKinsey study on leadership. This is critical given the current state of the workforce – as well as the Great Resignation and Great Reshuffle – in which most employees are burnt out, stressed out, and feeling the weight of uncertainty.

However, for leaders to be empathetic, they must first have a sense of self-awareness. Robbins defines this as a leader’s ability to remain clear about an organization’s direction, confident, and manage their own anxiety and stress. If leaders are not able to manage their own stress, they will not be able to empathize with their employee’s stressors in these uncertain times.

Your ability to be effective in leadership is directly impacted by whether you’re ok with yourself. Your own self-awareness.

Mel Robbins

Robbins also mentioned trickle-down appreciation and a leader’s ability to create a safe and encouraging space for people to speak up and feel like they belong. Here, she noted the importance of identifying the unique needs of different team members. Some may feel comfortable contributing in a big meeting, others may need to a smaller crowd to feel comfortable voicing their ideas.

Either way, it is up to the leader to find ways to model to their team that everyone is appreciated, heard, and welcomed. This then trickles down to the entire team, fostering an environment that is more motivating and inviting to new ideas.

Decision-making is a critical component of leadership. It’s a skill that continuously needs to be sharpened to lead in an increasingly complex and uncertain business environment. In this exclusive interview, we speak with risk & decision analysis expert Mona Riabacke on the intricacies of decision-making in business, overcoming the top challenges in decision-making, what a good decision looks like, and more.  

Mona Riabacke, PhD in Risk & Decision Analysis, has a background as a researcher both in Sweden and internationally. She also worked as a consultant and project manager before starting Riabacke & Co. together with her husband in 2011. She gives speeches, holds workshops, and runs the popular business podcast Beslutspodden. In 2013, her book, Beslutspyramiden – Stegen till bättre beslut, was released and has been published in several languages.  

What was the inspiration behind your book, Beslutspyramiden – Stegen till bättre beslut (Freestyle Decision Making – Surfing the Wave of Information)?

I wrote the book together with my husband and we both have PhDs in Risk & Decision Analysis. After we finished, we started giving speeches about decision-making. I often get the impression that people believe that this knowledge is only beneficial if you’re a business leader. 

We are all leaders of ourselves in one sense, and there is basic knowledge that we can all benefit from when it comes to decision-making. Most books on the market were quite complex and only appealed to managers and business leaders. So, we wanted to write about this topic that we believe is extremely important for everyone in a fashion that is easily accessible.  

A PhD thesis in Sweden is read by a handful of people at best and that’s not how the modern world commonly accesses knowledge. We spent a lot of time thinking about how to present this knowledge in a way that could be read by anyone. When we published our book, one of our daughters who was 9 or 10 at the time read it. Each section is around three pages and has many images so it’s easy to read. Many people have said it’s a good book to read while commuting to work too. 

What is the most common question you get when it comes to decision-making?

The most common question is “How do we make the best decisions?”  

Everyone wants a universal method that applies to all decisions. But I relate that to going to a physician and just asking, “What’s the best medicine for me?” without letting the physician examine me first. Decision-making is more complex than just having one universal rule. We want quick fixes that will make us better decision-makers, but it’s not that easy.  

I think it’s important to ask yourself what your most important decisions are. For those decisions, why are you making them and what do you want to optimize? Also, depending on who’s making the decision, the context is important. For example, is the decision profit-related? Do you need to make the decision quickly? What criteria do you need to prioritize? 

What is the hardest part about decision-making?

Many decisions are one-time decisions. The context and the decision itself are not the same if you could go back and do it again. The world changes all the time so we can’t go back and replicate the decision to see whether another option would have been better. 

This brings the question of what a good decision is. Many people instinctively think a good decision leads to profit or good results. A good decision is one where you are as aware as possible of what you’re doing and why, and you have a method to go about it. It’s easier to know what information you need and who to ask for expert advice. However, people often start at the wrong end. They start with alternatives and analyze them. It’s important to be aware of what you’re doing because most of our decisions are made at a subconscious level. 

Emotions also affect how we perceive things. We don’t have an objective view of the world. We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we ourselves are. Depending on my education, my experiences, and my needs, I will look at the world from one point of view, and you look at it from another. Combining different perspectives is good when you want to make a more competent, objective decision.  

Is the process of combining different perspectives challenging in a business context?

It can be. Many leaders I’ve interviewed said that a number of decisions they face are very complex. The most common method to make complex decisions is to gather people with different perspectives and views. But they also say trying to combine different perspectives is harder than making a decision with people who think the same way you do. In the end, the result is more rational because you have different views. Also, it’s important to be clear about what roles people have in the decision-making process. For example, be clear If their role in the group is to be experts, and whose responsibility it is to make the final decision.   

Decision-making in business is a balancing act of being data-driven and instinctive. Is one more important than the other?

It depends on the decision. Data can be very useful, especially in sales and studying people’s behaviors. However, you may not have all the data to make certain decisions. Depending on how important the decision is, perhaps you have to look at some data but also use your experience. The world is constantly changing and there’s a lot of uncertainty, so we can never be 100% sure. That’s why we have to rely on our gut as well. The combination of being data-driven and instinctive is effective. 

In my research, I also found that the more complex the decision, the more we rely on our hunch. You must understand yourself better because we all have biases when we make decisions. For instance, if you don’t like uncertainty, you might subconsciously avoid all the alternatives where there’s a lot of uncertainty. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and having self-awareness are important.  

Do you find that male and female leaders approach decision-making differently?

It’s hard to distinguish between male and female decision-making. There’s no approach that applies to everyone. However, when faced with hard decisions, my impression is that women often care more about being judged than men do. They consider how people will accept their decisions and what they think to a greater extent. Many women feel that they are questioned more than male leaders, or risk being questioned.  

Generally, men are perceived as bigger risk-takers, and women as more risk-averse, but I’m not sure this is correct. There are several studies of the risk behavior of men and women, often in gambling situations, but how accurate this is in reality is hard to say. I think it’s more of a stereotype, but we seem to react a bit differently under stress and pressure and therefore, again, I think we need both. Personally, I think many women have a broader view when they approach decisions and often take the feelings of others into consideration, especially if it’s a hard decision that not everyone will be happy with.  

However, going back to group decisions, combining people with different perspectives is the best approach regardless of gender. But we need to look at facts at the same time. There are much fewer women in leadership positions compared to men. Why is that? The question is quite complex, but I think many women feel they have to make sacrifices they’re not happy with. But there’s also a shift in how today’s women see themselves compared to women in my generation. So, I hope to see more female leaders in the future.  

*The interview answers have been edited for length and clarity. 

Today’s C-levels and senior leadership not only need to have business acumen and technical prowess but also strong networking skills to build connections both inside and outside the organization. In this exclusive interview, media and communications expert and accomplished public speaker Rob Holub shares observations and insights from his extensive career working with business leaders from large companies on the challenges of building connections, the importance of self-reflection, and steps to create meaningful relationships.  

We know you’re passionate about human connection and that it’s a focal point in your keynote speeches. What are the key things business leaders should think about before building connections with others?

Connection is a very broad word and field to talk about. The important questions to ask are: Why do you need to connect and with whom? What kind of connections are you looking for as a business leader? Are you looking for a deeper connection? And if so, then why? Is it the superficial connections you’re looking for? Is it trustworthy, meaningful, or authentic connections? 

Generally, business leaders who prioritize connections set a positive tone for corporate culture and promote values like collaboration and empathy. In essence, connections for business leaders are the backbone of effective leadership and contribute to a positive work environment, foster innovation, and build a strong basis for success as well. Of course, that’s the goal of any business leader, to build a resilient organization that can foster long-term success.   

Based on your experience working with business leaders, what are their top challenges in building connections with their employees and peers?

I’m self-employed but I’ve worked for big corporations as well and have come across business leaders on different levels.  

One thing I would say is that business leaders with big responsibilities have time constraints. They often have packed schedules. It’s difficult to make time for networking and building relationships actively. Time constraints are a big challenge more than ever before in today’s digital world and overwhelming workloads. So, can you make the time to build connections? Because building connections, especially trustworthy ones, takes time and effort. I think a lot of business leaders don’t have that time or prioritize other matters.  

Authenticity is also a big challenge. From my personal experience working with business leaders, sometimes they were not accessible. As a colleague or employee, I was questioning why that is. To give access as a business leader and have access as an employee or colleague to the business leader is also very important. That can also be a challenge because you think at a certain point on the corporate ladder you don’t necessarily allow that access. But I think in today’s world where hierarchies are questioned and flattened out more, that access should be given in both ways. That connection allows a business leader to be more authentic because they don’t have to pretend to be somebody different just because they meet different people in different contexts.  

And maybe there’s a fear of rejection as well. When you are afraid to get rejected or not be well-received, that can hinder business leaders from actively seeking new connections because they have a certain identity as a business leader, and maybe want to portray or protect their identity in that way.  

The last challenge is digital overload in today’s world. Social media can help you connect and build connections. On the other hand, it can hinder you from connecting again in a more quality way with people as you are just reaching out to the whole world constantly. You’re overloaded and overwhelmed with digital content. I think there’s a risk there to distract yourself as well, and not build connections that are fruitful for your company.  

In a nutshell, I think every business leader should be mindful of their time and energy. In the end, try to leverage your existing network for introductions and referrals as well. Also, practice being present for your colleagues and co-business leaders. This is to ensure meaningful connections, not just quick and superficial ones. That takes presence, time, and energy. 

Does being present become more difficult the higher you are on the corporate ladder?

If you’re working for a big company with 1,000+ employees, even if each of these employees wants to connect with the CEO, it’s impossible for the CEO to connect with all 1,000+ employees. The question will be, again, which connections are important to build or to maintain? I agree that because of the responsibility and working a lot on strategic decision-making levels, it will be a question of how much time you have available to do so. So yes, working higher on the corporate ladder will probably be more difficult for you to allow yourself to invest enough time to do so, that could be true for any employee who struggles to find enough time to finish their jobs each day.  

There are also the expectations of authority. Business leaders are expected to exude authority and confidence. This expectation can create a barrier and make it challenging to approach informal conversations with other people and build networks. If you think that’s true, it limits your sense of self. So, a bit of self-reflection and cracking down on some limiting beliefs will help each individual business leader open up. That’s another experience I’ve had many times in my life, in my 20+ years of experience in the professional world where I think I could not access the business leader. So, because they thought they were an authority, they were not allowed to be available.  

One other aspect is isolation. I think that comes with that authority. For example, maybe they have their own office, and they don’t like to keep their doors open, they isolate themselves. That can also hinder the process of building connections. But that is influenced by the whole organizational culture and work ethic.  

Leadership can create a competitive environment; it’s challenging for business leaders to receive feedback. Maybe people working with them or for them don’t necessarily give enough feedback. Employees need feedback from business leaders and vice versa. So, it’s a question of balancing. The business leader is not a business leader without their employees. It always takes both sides, and both can contribute. I would also say never separate those two entities. Always look at them as a connected field of energy. 

Does joining a business network like Aurora Live alleviate those challenges?

100%! If you ask me what the tools are for building new connections for business leaders, one of the first things I would say is attending networking events and actively participating in industry events, conferences, and seminars. On the other hand, it’s a good opportunity to meet new people and expand your professional network, as well as share your struggles and challenges with other business leaders. However, do not overdo it because that itself can be a risk to lose yourself and get networking fatigue. 

When building connections, why is self-reflection an important skill for business leaders to have?

It goes back to human nature that we probably tend to blame the outside world for the things that are happening around us or to us. That can be the same for a business. So, the topic of self-reflection or introspection is valuable in any field of life, personal or professional. In addition, business leaders need to take responsibility and accountability for their actions. And to take responsibility means to stand up for yourself in good and bad times. I don’t want to generalize, but I think in certain corporate environments, business leaders don’t necessarily take accountability for their mistakes. It takes courage, authenticity, and self-reflection because maybe they think that it’s not their fault. And that’s your job, you need to take that responsibility because your employees can’t.  

When you do that, you become vulnerable. But through your vulnerability, people will see that you have done some self-reflection. It’s not so much about the business leader as a person but that they’re representing a certain vision and values of their organization. Employees need that and if you don’t have that, then it becomes difficult, and it can fall apart. So, that process of self-reflection is very necessary. It makes you more approachable, human, and credible because nobody’s perfect.  

I think just as much as employees want to get appreciation; you need to show it. So, express that gratitude with a simple Thank You note or email, and be a good listener. Listen to your employees, it’s not just up to them to listen to the business leader. So, you need to live up to these human qualities of communication that are effective for your success in your organization.  

Can you share a few practical ways to practice self-reflection, especially if you are a busy business leader?

It starts with being mindful, meaning that you observe yourself. You don’t need to take half an hour to do that, it has a lot to do with awareness. Observe yourself as a business leader. How do you communicate with people when you get certain feedback? If you get rejections, don’t blame the other person but ask yourself whether you have communicated appropriately. That’s already a part of self-reflection.  

When I say self-reflection and becoming mindful, I’m not talking about meditation. A good way to start the day with gratitude is a ritual where you thank your employees for contributing to the success of your company. Maybe 10 years ago, people would have said, “This is spiritual crap.” Nowadays, I think people have gained more access to these tools because they are burning out. Employees and business leaders are burning out not because they work too many hours a day. It’s because they’re not getting appreciation, and they are not giving themselves appreciation. They think they need to perform better and that they’re not good enough.  

Self-reflection has a lot to do with self-love. Don’t crucify yourself for certain things. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Again, it starts with exercises of awareness because we always have certain patterns that we repeat in relationships, both personal and business. And we keep asking ourselves why these things are repeating. If you don’t self-reflect and ask yourself why, you will constantly attract the same problems in life. It takes a lot of effort but it’s very rewarding, because once you start to do that and grow, your environment starts to grow the people around you, and you start to change by looking at things from different perspectives.  

It’s also important to keep a certain lightness in your life. We were all children at one point and then we lost the child within us. So maybe remind yourself that you’ve been this child, full of curiosity and loving everything around you, and to bring back that child in you rather than be a tough businessperson who must be perfect. I think that will help you to be more human and accessible to whoever you work with. Be an empathetic leader. I think there are old schools of business leadership thinking that now are getting questioned or washed away with some new schools with self-reflection and self-awareness.  

*The interview answers have been edited for length and clarity.