The Transformational Leader

4Adapting to the Evolving Leadership Dynamics

Leadership is an ever-evolving position.

—Mike Krzyzewski

NAVIGATING CHANGE AND adapting to the ever-evolving dynamics of leadership is never easy. But it's essential and more critical than ever. This brings me to an important point: Benjamin Franklin was incorrect. How does the revered founding father relate to evolving leadership dynamics? Let me explain.

In November 1789, Franklin wrote that only two things in life are certain: death and taxes. While both are unavoidable, the famous statesman neglected to mention something equally inevitable but far more common: change. How certain is the promise of constant change? So much so that Aristotle contended that time does not exist without it.

Despite its pervasive and omnipresent nature, leaders are often caught off guard when change disrupts their lives and organizations. That's the thing about change, it doesn't care if you're prepared. It simply appears unannounced, uninvited, and at the most inconvenient time. Today's leaders are more vulnerable to change than ever before.

As innovation and disruption quicken, we find ourselves in an accelerating whirlwind of transformation. PwC found that nearly 40% of CEOs worldwide believe their companies must undergo significant changes over the next decade to remain economically viable.¹ With so much change on the horizon, what type of leadership is needed?

Despite shifting dynamics, there's a possibility that those at the helm have the ...