By Gretchen McLaurin
VUCA: Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. This term was initially used by the US Military in the late 90’s to address planning and leadership for the post-Cold War era.
Developed to explain a fast-paced, increasingly unstable and rapidly changing world, the concept has since migrated into business schools and corporate boardrooms to frame strategy and leadership development in the 21st century.
Because VUCA is a leadership model, we can look to the leaders of companies for insights in how to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world. There are several characteristics common to those who are best able to navigate a VUCA world: Individuals should be lifelong learners with the ability to flip problems into advantages. They see connections where others don’t and learn from nature, striving for balance. They understand rapid prototyping and smart mob organising, making it fun and easy for teams to achieve success. They are motivated by significant emotional events, whether personal or global. And they have a sense for nurturing shared assets and knowing how to bring resources together.
With hindsight we will look back at the technologic, economic and demographic factors that fostered some of the most profound media disruptions in the last decade and see whether VUCA principles could or should have helped leaders anticipate them.
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