Leading with versatility

Business Recorder

2 days ago

Turbulence. Volatile. Uncertainty. Unrest. Upheaval. Up and down. Disruptive. These are the times that were the exception to the rule. These were the times that were supposed to be part of the contingency plans. These are norms today. The world has become fragmented and unsure. Economies are under duress.
Businesses are in a spin. And it is not just a phase. This has made the text book rules look archaic. These have made business laws irrelevant. In this world of shifting sands; how to be steady, how to be stable and how to be sustainable is a tough ask. Leaders are being questioned.
Despite all, leadership is still the key. There is no set of answers that can settle this debate. There are no new rules that can anchor the leader 'ship'. Having said that, the rise of a new type of leader is mostly with the fall of the stable type of environments.
The old fables of the rise of leaders from ashes are dramatic but symbolically true. From Henry Ford who said that 'Any customer can have a car painted any colour as long as it is black' to Jack Welch who said, 'Change before you have to'; there have been rules that have worked.
Leadership theories have evolved over time. The Great Man Theory gave way to the leadership trait theories. Then came the McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory. They all have made contribution to understanding what works and what does not work.
Many critics feel that in today's world we need a different approach.
Many argue that what has happened and is happening today all across the world is unprecedented. Others feel that the gap between theory and practice is widening. All these thoughts have validity. Thus, there's the need to explore more and discover more. COVID was not just a health pandemic, it was a human revelation.
An exposé of what an illusion prosperity is. A reminder of how shallow the leadership reserves of the world are. A reminder of how deceptive the pretence of stability is.
Ripped off the mask of development, the post-COVID world has been even more stormy. COVID was a human tragedy and was supposed to make the world leadership reflect and focus on the healing process. To the shock of all, the world has gone into more geopolitical strife.
Europe is facing the never ending Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East is facing the horrors of Israel war on Palestine. That is why the word 'VUCA' has emerged to describe the complexity businesses are facing. VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
The combination of these four words means that the human brain is being subject the very feelings it abhors, i.e., fear of the unknown and lack of clarity- classic causes of stress and breakdown. In these times, a readiness and preparedness approach would require leaders to have agility and versatility. As one size does not fit all, one style does not fit all. Let us look at the various styles that the leader needs to learn and practice in these disruptive times:
Leading from the front— The most repeated and revered style mantra is that leaders lead from the front. The image is of the one man leaping ahead, setting the direction and making it easier for people to follow. That is true. It is especially true when the business is in early days. It is also needed when business is old but goes through extreme uncertainty and disruption. With things being hazy the vision of the top man provides the light in the tunnel. That is why names like Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are synonymous with leading to the next frontier in IT. COVID was a big test of VUCA and many companies and countries failed in it. Surprisingly, Pakistan fared much better than the US, Europe and India. The reason was that it led from the front with refusing to follow the complete lockdown strategy of the world and chose to practice the smart lockdown strategy. In the beginning everybody criticized it, but later case studies by the WHO were written on it to appreciate this leading from the front and not blindly following other country strategies. However, every situation is not dire, and every team is not paralysed. When a leader is used to marching in front, he or she is likely to miss out on the team potential. Most startups are the brainchild of the whizz kids who take the industry by storm with leading ahead of their competition. Many a time we have seen with startups that they come in grow quickly only to slow and stall. The ability to manage and sustain growth needs a different approach that many leaders could not adopt.
Leading from the side— The wise leader also needs to know when to step aside. Leadership is not just the Pied Piper way. Sometimes you have to let people join the leading march. This is not easy for the leaders who enjoy the spot-light on themselves when they are the ones leading from the front. This is a different approach. This involves letting others shine. In times when either you need to grow quickly or change substantially it is best to involve and engage people in the process. Make people change champions. Let them come up with ideas. Pick up the good ideas. Let them implement them. This will create ownership and excitement. Then celebrate their success together. Be there to hand hold the slow ones. Do not abdicate. Take ownership of any risks. This of course requires a team maturity that has a mix of initiators and laggards.
Leading from the behind— This is another approach that is needed when the talent pool of the leadership team is strong. In such teams if the leader keeps on leading from the front, the talent will find growth elsewhere. The focus has to be on developing other leaders. In family-owned businesses in Pakistan the major reason of growth not sustaining is that the family members stifle the talent of people in the lead. Wherever the family has stepped back and given the driving seat to the leadership team results have transformed.
More than style, leadership is about principles. If the leaders have integrity and wisdom, they will have a versatility of approach that adapts to the maturity of its team and the requirement of the situation. When you sow the seeds of integrity and capability you harvest the fruits of versatility.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025