The Big Reset

Monday Message from Jerry Houston, President and CEO of HPISolutions

THE BIG RESET

I know I have mentioned this before to all of you but one of my heroes in this world is Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn Ferry, one of the world’s predominant consulting firms.  Gary always seems to put his finger on the pulse of things… he is one of the great thinkers of our times.

Over the past few years, we have gone through the most traumatic time in the history of the world because of the pandemic.  People have completely rethought what they want from their work and their lives and it is playing out in all manner of actions such as The Great Resignation, Work From Home, Hybrid Work, and so on.  Gary has embraced all this as the BIG RESET.  We should all pay attention.  Here are Gary’s words:

Admittedly, over the last few years, it just feels like it’s been one thing after another … after another—with a few moments of respite in between. And, quite candidly, it can be exhausting for everyone. It’s a constant balance. Perform and transform. Results and resilience. Ambiguity and exactness. Accountability and compassion.

So, here’s what we know to be true: Times of great change can bring great opportunity. This calls for a leadership framework, where mindset meets the moment—and all calibrated around what to do and how to do it:

Anticipate—predicting what lies ahead. Sometimes it’s simply storm clouds. But when there’s turbulence, we need to anticipate where we can find clear skies … and different pathways to growth. It starts by accurately perceiving the reality of today—and knowing that anticipating is not just top-down, it’s bottom-up.

Navigate—course correcting in real time. Strategy is not just once a year, it’s many times a year. We need to continually adjust, knowing that what has worked over the last couple of years may not work over the next few years. Navigation—both direction and velocity—is the companion to anticipation. Together, they keep the organization forward-facing.

Communicate—continually. This is where leadership lives and breathes—and particularly during times of cloudier skies. We don’t just transmit information—we connect emotionally with others to elevate the horizon.

Listen—especially to what we don’t want to hear. As this reset button is hitting, we can’t manage from a spreadsheet. We need to be tuned in everywhere.

Learn—failing fast, learning faster. This takes mental agility, people agility, change agility, and strategic agility—all of which come together in learning agility, the No. 1 predictor of success.

Lead—being all in, all the time. Amid the massive change of the Big Reset, leaders look for the deeper reasons. They connect the here-and-now with the why and the how.

We cannot let ourselves become complacent, ignoring—intentionally or unintentionally—the skies around us. In cycles of life and in business the unexpected is always to be expected. Indeed, the Big Reset is all about constantly redefining, reassuring, and renewing.

Thank you, Gary.

Have a Great Week!