In our Thought Leadership paper “Leading NGOs in the VUCA world”, Sharon (Turnbull) describes why today’s world is changing faster than ever, and why the challenges we face are becoming even more complex than those we have faced in the past (click here to read the paper).
One potential response is to become what Joseph Bower, a Professor at Harvard, calls a Velcro organisation! This is one that can be arranged and rearranged rapidly to meet multiple changing needs and opportunities. Velcro organisations have ‘permeable boundaries, see and implement novel configurations with others, take risks and lead their sectors’. Their leadership style is ‘bold, courageous, restless, far-sighted and proactive’.
Like a garment held together by Velcro, they operate effectively in one configuration but can be pulled apart and rearranged to a very different shape ‘when the sun comes out, or a hailstorm arrives’. This may sound unsettling and demanding but there are great rewards as well.
Our new climate change initiative involves existing people that we know as well as developing new relationships. For instance, we’re very pleased and appreciative to be extending our long term collaborative relationship with Co2 Balance. This has led to Caplor Horizons being carbon neutral as part of their ‘carbon zero programme’.