Digital Leadership in Uncertain Times
Just as conferences moved online, Alex talked with Glenn Wallis at his Success ID Club. She quickly changed her presentation and discusses how leaders can adapt themselves, and help their teams adjust, to the “new normal”.
Just as conferences moved online, Alex talked with Glenn Wallis at his Success ID Club. She quickly changed her presentation and discusses how leaders can adapt themselves, and help their teams adjust, to the “new normal”. It’s a great discussion, full of provocations, good questions and interesting approaches to working in digital teams. Alex covers acknowledging grief, signalling, digital responsibility and taking breaks.
“As we all head into uncharted waters with the current global pandemic (as at March 2020) it was both re-assuring and enlightening to have Alex Mecklenburg come and share her experience and expertise in the space of Digital Leadership, mindful of the current backdrop. ”
City Hall Digital Leadership
Alex has been hard at work with DotEveryone and London City Hall on their digital leadership programme. She's having a fantastic time working with people who really care about leading with digital understanding and responsibility.
“City Hall has been piloting a digital leadership programme, starting with senior teams, in partnership with @doteveryoneuk ”
Alex has been hard at work with DotEveryone and London City Hall on their digital leadership programme. She's having a fantastic time working with people who really care about leading with digital understanding and responsibility. New cohorts start in September 2018.
“👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼 great work @petite_a who’s leading this programme for us at @doteveryoneuk - building understanding of digital and responsible leadership across the senior team at the GLA - it would be great to see more Mayoral teams do this.”
We can't wait to see how the programme goes from strength to strength.
Female Founders Program at PwC
Alex was recently a coach and speaker at PwC's first Female Founders Programme. Partnering with Blooming Founders its designed to help startups scale in the B2B space.
Image: Kinga Incze
Our very own Alex (fifth from the right) was a coach and speaker at PwC's first Female Founders Programme.
Partnering with Blooming Founders, its designed to help startups scale in the B2B space.
“It was an excellent day - so much energy, dedication, authenticity and openness. Made my week. So many shared stories and shared ambition.”
Innovation obstacles and their simple solutions
What are the most common barriers to innovation in large companies? According to a survey of 270 corporate leaders they are: politics, turf wars, and a lack of alignment; cultural issues; inability to act on signals crucial to the future of the business; lack of budget; and lack of the right strategy or vision — in that order.
Scott Kirsner writes in the Harvard Business Review about a study done for Innovation Leader about the obstacles innovation faces in large businesses.
On one hand CEO's are happily not to blame, but on the other internal politics, turf wars and a lack of alignment are a monster cited by 55% of the study.
Three things got my attention in the study and the feelings of the respondents.
Firstly, it was the simple inability of large businesses to react to market changes. Large businesses can lack structures or processes to test or attempt effective action. It means innovation never moves past the knowledge that something needs to be done, or a well-meaning strategic PowerPoint presentation.
“...what mechanisms exist to set up collaborations with outside vendors or startups, or run a quick pilot test with a function or business unit? Too many companies wait for the annual strategic off-site to roll around before they address the changing dynamics of their market.”
Then the need to influence corporate culture and create an inclusive innovation story can't be underestimated. 45% of respondents blamed cultural issues for a lack of innovation which is remarkable for such a poorly defined aspect of our working lives.
I'd argue that it's a side-effect of positive innovation actions that failed or were dropped too quickly after people invested their reputations or energy into them. Few things reinforce a feeling of inertia more than I-told-you-so disappointment.
Few things infuse a culture with self-belief better than turning ideas into reality, even if they aren't perfect every time. Start-ups disrupt with action, not perfection.
Kirsner's final point cuts to the chase and is brilliantly simple, "long-term commitment is essential".
“Corporate cultures reject many new initiatives if people believe they are the flavor-of-the-month. When CEOs and other leaders talk about innovation, they need to make it clear it will be more like a daily exercise regimen — part of the way things are done here, from now on — than a magical incantation that delivers instant results.”