Writer’s Choice

respond to at least three (3) other students (75 words minimum each) by Saturday midnight
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE I WANT YOU TO RESPOND TO
1.by Edmund Sikorski – Tuesday, April 20, 2021, 1:04 PM

Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity make the acronym VUCA that is utilized in the business world to empower transformational leaders during times of distress or change.

Volatility would provide the flexibility needed during a period where there needs to be constant shifting of resources in order to reach the end goal.

Dealing with uncertainty means knowing what resources are valid and useful and predicting what you will need to know so that when the time comes to make a difficult decision, it will be an informed and holistic one.

Complexity is best dealt with open communication inter-departmentally and intra-departmentally. Having a diverse team will allow you to allocate resources effectively when restructuring the company to reflect the current business climate.

Ambiguity is also a function of knowledge and the ability to proactively approach challenges. Constantly progressing and trying new strategies will help the leader fine-tune their approach and process that best fits their business model and their unique team.

These are the ways in which I would approach organizing a business in a dynamic environment that is becoming more globalized and competitive over time.

An image that summarizes my style of transformative leadership is the lower half of the image. This shows a leader standing at the front, showing my team that I would never make them do anything I would not do myself, and by pointing forward, this image is depicting the leader providing a sense of clear direction to the others, showing them what the expectations and goals are. This image contrasts with the top image which also depicts the leader pointing in a clear direction but is not willing to put in the work that they expect from their team. This type of leadership does not yield the same level of respect and work ethic that the leader in the bottom image develops, in my opinion. Also, the leader’s facial expression in the bottom image describes the leader’s passion for the organization and their understanding that they need to work hard as a unit in order to make progress, while also taking into account the team’s opinions. Whereas the facial expression in the top image is reflective of an authoritative figure yelling out commands and expecting the team to blindly follow with no input.

https://www.15five.com/blog/new-leadership-paradigm/

2.by Eric Lively –

As a transformational leader, leading in the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world will take a myriad of efforts but I think the primary focus will be diligence. Diligence in not getting to a complacent state of leadership. So much of life is unpredictable. Among the many mantras I have for my life is “control what you can control.” In response to unexpected volatility within my organization then I will try to remain flexible in how I respond to said change. With rising uncertainty or a lack of knowledge on a given subject then I will ask questions and seek pertinent information to help fill that knowledge gap. When processes or situations arise that are complex to degrees I am not comfortable with then I can work with my team to reorganize or innovate new methods that work better for myself and my team. Leaders should implore themselves and their teams to not be afraid to fail and strive to take chances and aid in the innovation and hopefully betterment of the organization as a whole.

This picture shows how I view myself leading in a VUCA world. I love the informal nature of this meeting with a team. Everyone looks comfortable and being comfortable hopefully means empowering for everyone to use their voice. Flexibility, diligence, shared efforts in innovation from everyone not just the leader of the group or organization are great ways to combat many of the issues the VUCA world generates. The is entire class we have heard “lead by example.” This gentleman looks relaxed and ready to listen to his team. Those traits, as well as those previously listed will trickle down to the members of the organization and result in continued successes within the VUCA landscape.

3.by Odai Alhroub –

VUCA is a trendy acronym used these days. It stands for VOLATILITY, UNCERTAINTY, COMPLEXITY and AMBIGUITY. It refers to the challenging environment faced by the leaders and management and their response to these situations.

Leaders in the VUCA world must address the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. These words can be better understood below-

VOLATILITY- Unexpected, rapid challenges, which are usually for a short time but may last longer. These are mostly unstable but are easier to understand and tackle. Information regarding this is largely available. The most friendly example for this is the price fluctuations due to natural disasters, Government Laws, and other such factors. It can be battled by devoting adequate amount of resources to unexpected and unstable situations like these.

UNCERTAINTY- The information is surprising, vague and unknown, though the cause of the event is predictable. Handling uncertainties is a common part of a leader’s responsibility. Product launch of a competitor is an example of uncertainty. Investing time and money in gaining information regarding the surrounding business environment helps counter uncertainty.

COMPLEXITY- It involves multiple interconnected factors and variables. Information is largely available regarding the organization and its surroundings but the complexity and size hinders the smooth flow of business. Example- For a business operated in many countries, the information regarding the Local laws, Taxes and duties, Culture and local demand etc is available. But due to the operation in many countries, it becomes difficult for the leader to focus on the factors thereby complexity arises.

AMBIGUITY- It refers to the situation in which you face the unknown factors. The reality is hazy and not clear. Example for this situation is- Entering into new markets which is completely different from the primary line of business. Experimenting, testing, understanding the situation better can make it easy to pass ambiguity.

Business and community service has never been a smooth way. Every person faces their own sets of challenges in their own VUCA world. However, the leaders of today (referring the pandemic) have a lot more to learn than the leaders of the time with less challenging environment. I, as a transformational leader, must try to practice discipline and gain knowledge about the surroundings of the organization or community organization. Understanding the VUCA world, and learning how to solve the problems and challenges of the VUCA world is an area where the leaders should focus on.

Picture description-

The factors most important in making contribution as a transformational leader are: Discipline, Leadership, Teamwork and learning.

In the first picture (clockwise from top left) it shows the most important characteristic of a VUCA leader i.e.., business principles, discipline and ethical business environment. The second picture shows responsible leadership style i.e.., proper decision making, agility and proper delegation abilities. The third picture shows effective teamwork. And the last one shows learning and self awareness of the leader.