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FROM A SURVEY OF 2,000 SENIOR MANAGERS AND EXECUTIVES AT COMPANIES OF ALL SIZES AROUND THE WORLD , WE FOUND THAT ONLY 15 % WERE CONFIDENT IN THEIR LEADERSHIP TEAMS ’ ABILITY TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE A WORLD OF INCREASING CHANGE .
growing expectation for digital technology to play a greater role in the business . While a positive in some respects , CIOs will need to manage these new expectations and ensure Digital Transformation is aligned to the business strategy and not carried out for the sake of it .
Adopt newly defined leadership traits
Shortly before the pandemic , Odgers Berndtson undertook a global study to investigate the nature of leadership in a world of accelerating disruption . From a survey of 2,000 senior managers and executives at companies of all sizes around the world , we found that only 15 % were confident in their leadership teams ’ ability to successfully navigate a world of increasing change . Importantly , from those 15 % we also identified the specific attributes leaders needed to overcome disruption . When Coronavirus upended every aspect of socioeconomic life , we saw these leadership traits exemplified in those C-suite leaders successfully navigating their organisations through the pandemic . The best demonstrated a desire to communicate consistently and to convey a message of ‘ we ’ re all in this together ’. They used compassion , empathy and humility to connect with their teams and displayed genuine authenticity when managing the most distressing aspects of the virus ’ impact . What ’ s more , they were able to make brave decisions at speed , without hesitating and are now either building upon or adapting their organisation ’ s cultural identity to instil a sense of purpose in the workplace . For CIOs , who are now playing such a central role in the future of their organisations , adopting these traits will be paramount .
Navigate a redefined geopolitical landscape
The post-pandemic world is likely to look very different from the one we knew . There will be new geopolitical constraints that impact supply chains , cloud residency and where talent can be sourced from . Already , many companies have nearshored or onshored aspects of their supply chains , affecting the technology portfolio that underpins these operations . Local lockdowns and new country-specific rules about employment will affect multinational organisations and the digital infrastructure it chooses to deploy , while new data legislation may impact where data can be stored and sourced from . It ’ s too early to know the exact shape the geopolitical landscape will take , but its change in the wake of the pandemic will pose new challenges for IT infrastructure , data management and IT employment .
The post-pandemic playbook for CIOs is far from being set in stone , however , there are a clear set of emerging challenges that CIOs are likely to face . Overcoming these will mean making remote working a long-term success , helping to drive digital resilience throughout the organisation , ensuring Digital Transformation aligns to business recovery and adopting new leadership attributes for the new environment of work . Finally , they should remain adaptable to the fallout of the pandemic – something that will be with us for some time . •
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