We Live in a VUCA World

I had the chance to do some research today and by accident came across a new thought; to me anyway. It is the idea that we live in a VUCA world. For those that don’t know, VUCA is term that comes from military vocabulary, appearing in the 1990s it has since been introduced into the realm of strategic leadership and adopted by corporations worldwide.

A VUCA world is one defined by:

• Volatility: change is guaranteed, our world is fast paced, dynamic, catalytic
• Uncertainty: a lack of predictability, the potential for surprise, and a sense of awareness
• Complexity: describes the innumerable ideas, confounding issues, chaos and confusion
• Ambiguity: reflects the haziness of truth or reality, the mixed meanings, the potential for misreading

These elements present a worldview from which organisations build their management, vision, purpose and strategy. But you would have to agree that whilst it may be realistic it is also pretty discouraging. If that is the world leaders see and respond to, it is no wonder that leadership is often defensive, controlling, manipulative and reactionary.

Kevin Roberts, (CEO of Saachi & Saachi) envisions a different superVUCA world. He redefines the elements and suggests what I think is a much more positive, exciting and empowering worldview, and one that challenges leaders to be creative. (His labels, my definitions.)

• Vibrant: an exciting mosaic of energetic, animated, multi-cultural and multi-sensory overload
• Unreal: ‘real’ is contextually defined, it is informed (only in part) by instant information and imagination, it is incredible and weird
• Crazy: unstructured, flexi-bounded, messy, chaotic, fun, foolish and wild
• Astounding: surprising, joyful, amazing and wonderful

Our job as leaders is to expand and celebrate the impossible with truth, joy and inclusion. Robert’s suggests that to be a superVUCA leader requires that we forget about the NEW and we embrace the NOW. “Welcome to the Age of NOW” he says, “the time of power to the people, of 6.8 billion “screenagers” who are always-on, instantly-demanding, immediately-sharing, if we feel loved!”

The superVUCA world demands leaders understand that the age of the Modern, the NEW, is gone. NOW is the era that must inform our leadership. (The following table (adapted from Roberts) contrasts the characteristics that define the different leaders.) We need NOW leaders – please. 

 

ERA OF NEW	AGE OF NOW
Attention	Participation
Inform	Inspire
Interruption	Interaction
Return on Investment	Return on Involvement
Local	Global
Counting Numbers	Creating Movements

“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour – his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear – 

is that moment when he has to work his heart out in a good cause.” 

(Vince Lombardi: ESPN Coach of the Century)