A successful return to a new world

As the balance shifts, from managing, to leading change in 2021, the gaps between companies that are nimble vs. those that succumb to inertia will become even more pronounced.  In trading, the best traders and algorithms rejoice at volatility. Similarly, the design of business and organizations will remain unfrozen this year creating immense opportunities for organizations capable of changing and transforming to take advantage of those opportunities. First, winning organizations will come from the healthy mindset of seeing  brutal facts and remaining determined, more than being unmeasured optimists. Second, is that the most successful businesses will be deeply connected to their purpose and make bold business moves through “all in” transformation, business model, and M&A efforts. What strikes us as new is that successful businesses in 2021 are placing renewed attention on wellbeing to finally create initiatives that have an real impact on employees. Gartner Research has indicated that 45% of new wellbeing expenditure is being spent on supporting mental health and two thirds of organizations have instituted at least one new wellbeing initiative. This is deeply needed where the number of people reporting very poor mental health was up 3x in 2020. Last, we are seeing interest in leader wellbeing that will set the tone for the entire organization. Paying close attention to both being bold as a business and supporting it with an organizational and individual wellbeing strategy will define the businesses that emerge in 2021 as the most capable of future success.