What does it mean to be an effective leader in an environment characterized by increasing digital disruption?
To address this question, the DBT Center undertook a major study along with specialist HR Consultancy metaBeratung. Data was collected from two sources: a survey of 1,042 executives, and in-depth interviews with nineteen digital leaders, all conducted between October 2016 and January 2017.
The research revealed that leadership effectiveness in disruptive environments shared many of the same characteristics as leadership in more stable environments, but with a few notable differences. We were able to identify a number of key competencies and business behaviors of Agile Leaders who thrive in this type of environment.
Agile leaders
Four characteristics distinguish agile from non-agile leaders. Agile leaders are:
- Humble: They are able to accept feedback and acknowledge that others know more than they do.
- Adaptable: They accept that change is constant and that changing their minds based on new information is a strength rather than a weakness.
- Visionary: They have a clear sense of long-term direction, even in the face of short-term uncertainly.
- Engaged: They have a willingness to listen, interact, and communicate with internal and external stakeholders combined with a strong sense of interest and curiosity in emerging trends.
Agile Leader Image
n addition, we found that Agile Leaders exhibited three key behaviors helping them to successfully navigate disruptive environments. They are:
- Hyperawareness: They are constantly scanning internal and external environments for opportunities and threats.
- Making Informed Decisions: They make use of data and information to make evidence-based decisions.
- Executing at Speed: They are able to move quickly, often valuing speed over perfection.
We found that Agile Leaders, those leaders who rated highly on the competencies and behaviors mentioned above, tended to significantly out-perform other leaders on measures such as work engagement and leadership effectiveness.
How disruption is redefining leadership
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Imagine that you are an executive overseeing retail banking at a large financial services company. In addition to the normal challenges you face as...
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Redefining leadership for a digital age
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The research revealed that leadership effectiveness in disruptive environments shared many of the same characteristics as leadership in more stable...
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©2017
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Trump Policy - Navigating The Fog - A Near Term Guide
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Once again, Donald Trump has promised bold yet unspecified moves that will add to the uncertainty facing executives. Business leaders must cut through the "policy fog" by focusing on what the re-elected President can actually control, comprehensiv...
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Women must play leading role in era of ‘fair AI for all’
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The ability of women to empathize and act ethically makes them ideally placed to lead us into a future where AI benefits all society, not just the wealthy.
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AllSaints: Balancing the heart and head for sustainable results
Summary
While retail company AllSaints had delivered a great performance in 2022 – with revenues of £470 million – it faced multiple challenges. First, keeping stores open was a fundamental strategy for the company to connect to customers and deliver a better employer proposition, but foot traffic had not returned to pre-pandemic levels and stores were not profitable. Second, the customer service department had experienced increased calls due to the digital channel and had requested more staff. However, it experienced a high turnover. Finally, the management team had agreed in mid-2021 to transition the customer service role away from the central team and toward stores but nothing had happened yet, resulting in a heavy customer workload on Black Friday. The case explores how AllSaints CEO Pete Wood examined and worked to resolve these issues.
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IMD-7-2463
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©2024
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Organization
AllSaints
Industry
Consumer Services, Retail
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English
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Navigating Geopolitical Rivalry - Geopolitical Radar
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The mention of geopolitics leads many to ask how company strategies are being reformulated to capitalize on what's left of globalization. But this overlooks a critical prior question: what's the best way for firms to track and assess geopolitical ...
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The five types of negotiators: Understanding diverse negotiator styles
Summary
This note, designed for use in sessions and programs on negotiation, explores five distinct negotiator types: competitor, collaborator, strategist, innovator and problem solver. Each type has unique characteristics, strengths and weaknesses that come into play in negotiation scenarios. The competitor is assertive and results-focused, excelling in crises but potentially struggling with long-term relationships. The collaborator seeks win-win outcomes and thrives in complex negotiations. The strategist is analytical and methodical, focusing on long-term outcomes. The innovator is adaptable and creative, finding unique solutions in dynamic environments. The problem solver is practical and efficient, focusing on workable solutions. The note provides detailed profiles of each type, including their approach, assumptions, strengths and weaknesses, and it also makes recommendations for improvement. It offers guidance on identifying these types and suggests strategies for effectively negotiating with each one. A comparative analysis explores how the types differ in primary focus, approach to conflict, and risk tolerance. The framework builds upon previous negotiation models while offering a more comprehensive and actionable categorization. It also discusses cultural considerations in negotiation styles and includes a self-assessment tool to help readers identify their own negotiation style.
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IMD-7-2596
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©2024
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IMD Copyright
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English
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Sheng Siong Supermarket in Singapore: A unique values-based advantage?
Summary
Founded by Lim Hock Chee in 1985, Sheng Siong has evolved from a humble grocery store into a leading supermarket chain in Singapore, renowned for its cost-effective pricing and commitment to customer satisfaction. Mr Lim’s unique philosophy, which emphasizes self-cultivation, perseverance and positivity, has been instrumental in shaping Sheng Siong’s culture and driving its success. Under his guidance, Sheng Siong has grown to over 74 stores, expanded into China and embraced digital innovation while staying true to its heartland roots. However, with evolving consumer behavior and increasing competition from online platforms, Sheng Siong faces new challenges. Can Mr Lim’s philosophy continue to inspire innovation and guide Sheng Siong toward sustained growth and success in the future?
Reference
IMD-7-2589
Copyright
©2025
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IMD Copyright
Organization
Sheng Siong Group
Industry
Consumer Services, Retail
Available Languages
English
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SURFing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times
Summary
This technical note introduces two powerful frameworks for navigating complex, rapidly changing business environments: TSUNAMI and SURF. The TSUNAMI framework provides a comprehensive tool for assessing external challenges across seven dimensions: technological disruption, socio-economic shifts, upheaval potential, network vulnerability, accelerating climate impacts, market transformation, and impact intensity. The SURF framework complements this by focusing on developing adaptive organizational capabilities: strategic thinking, unified ecosystem leadership, resilient organization and flexible tenacity. The note offers detailed explanations of each framework, practical assessment tools and guidance on their application. It serves as a standalone resource for leaders and organizations seeking to enhance their ability to thrive in turbulent times. Additionally, it provides the theoretical foundation for the GreenGro case series (A) and (B) (IMD-7-2627 and IMD-7-2628), which illustrates the practical application of these frameworks in a real-world scenario. Whether used independently or in conjunction with the GreenGro cases, this technical note equips readers with valuable tools for systematic analysis of complex business environments and development of adaptive organizational capabilities. It is designed to be relevant across various industries and applicable to different levels of management education, from advanced undergraduates to executive education participants.
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IMD-7-2629
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©2024
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IMD Copyright
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English
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The ‘responsibility paradox’ in era of sharecropper capitalism
Summary
Many new businesses have emerged in recent years with few employees, no roots in the community, and heavily reliant on Big Tech for survival.
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GreenGro (A): Cultivating a future
Summary
The GreenGro (A) case explores the challenges faced by GreenGro, a mid-sized agricultural technology company, as it navigates a rapidly changing industry landscape. CEO Sarah Chen and her leadership team are confronting issues ranging from technological disruption and shifting customer demographics to climate change impacts and supply chain vulnerabilities. The case provides a rich context for applying the TSUNAMI framework to diagnose multifaceted challenges and the SURF framework to develop critical organizational capabilities. These two frameworks are summarized in a technical note: “Surfing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times” (IMD-7-2629). The case presents students with the opportunity to analyze complex business situations, develop strategic responses and understand the interconnected nature of external challenges and internal adaptive capabilities. A follow-up case, “GreenGro (B): SURFing the TSUNAMI” (IMD-7-2628), is available to showcase how the company applied these frameworks to navigate its challenges. It provides students with insights into the practical application of the TSUNAMI and SURF frameworks in a real-world scenario.
Reference
IMD-7-2627
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©2024
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IMD Copyright
Organization
GreenGro (Fictionalized)
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English
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GreenGro (B): SURFing the TSUNAMI
Summary
The GreenGro (B) case study is a follow-up to GreenGro (A) and details how the company applied the TSUNAMI and SURF frameworks to address its complex challenges. The case illustrates the practical implementation of these frameworks, introduced in the technical note “Surfing the TSUNAMI: A framework for assessing and adapting in turbulent times” (IMD-7-2629). The case details how GreenGro's leadership team systematically analyzed their external environment using the TSUNAMI framework, identifying key challenges in areas such as technological disruption, socio-economic shifts and climate impacts. It then showcases how the company focused on developing its internal adaptive capabilities using the SURF framework, focusing on strategic thinking, unified ecosystem leadership, resilient organization and flexible tenacity. By presenting GreenGro’s strategic responses and the outcomes of its decisions, this case provides students with a real-world example of how organizations can navigate turbulent business environments. It offers insights into the process of translating framework-based analysis into actionable strategies and the challenges of implementing significant organizational changes.
Reference
IMD-7-2628
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©2024
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IMD Copyright
Organization
GreenGro (Fictionalized)
Available Languages
English
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