Embracing change: Crucial to success in a VUCA world

Jawed Zia, Country President, Novartis India, advises pharma leaders to constantly evaluate their skills and course correct to tackle the challenges in a VUCA world.

Two years ago HarvardBusiness Review called VUCA a trendy managerial acronym: short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. One thing is certain: we live in a VUCA world where there is increasing ambiguity, the political uncertainties and economic scenario means everything is volatile and increasing technology has meant greater complexity rather than simplicity in some ways. Change certainly is the only constant in life.

It seems as though everything is in a constant state of motion and everything needs to happen in the now. Demographics are changing the way the world view is and with greater awareness aspirations are rising. Tomorrow almost seems like a distant word.

Given this environment there will be new paradigms that will emerge and leaders will need to constantly evaluate their skills and course correct. There is no one size fits all model for them to adopt but rather some skills which they should look to hone and qualities which they should look to adopt. Key among these qualities are:

Be a visionary. This means being able to look beyond what is there in the now and project that to what it could be in the future. It is the ability to see the big picture and convey that message to not only one’s employees but also to one’s business partners. Success means taking the team with you and equipping them to handle a volatile environment.

Set aside some “me time” to “think”. This becomes even more important when everything around you is uncertain and ambiguous. It means being able to free the mind of clutter and focus on charting the best course by looking ahead. Look at how the company can innovate and deliver on its goals.