Graham Winter On Being Nimble

Here are my key takeaways about being nimble:

‘Business is a team game, and most importantly, it’s about organisation full of clever, nimble teams that connect and create better value, faster.

Watch a team of nimble mountain climbers. When they move they are fast and efficient, But what they don’t do is fill every moment with movement. If they did, they’d be hanging from a rope or something worse.’

‘No-one can tell you exactly what style of leadership is most successful. It depends on the situation. However, if there is one capability more than any other that increases the chances of success it is emotional intelligence.’

‘Change readiness and resilience won’t come from stop-start change management. If you want to infuse the capability for change (transition) into yourself and your organization, then stop being absorbed by the search for vision and urgency, and start thinking about how you can implicate people in innovating their own way through difficulties.’

‘The moment that someone is appointed leader of a team, division or whole business, they lead by example. It is that example which shows others what they accept in terms of standards of behaviour and performance. No matter what they say, people will follow that example and ultimately that’s what will be achieved.’

‘A nimble person or team is constantly innovating, which means leaving things behind and testing new ideas and opportunities.’

‘Without a strong and demonstrating commitment by leaders to collaborate, the division or gulf between functions, sites and levels of hierarchy inevitably widens.’

‘To become more nimble, we need leaders to show that nothing is sacred, because then the organisation will be far better positioned to spend time on things that produce impact, not just busyness.’

‘When teams develop the confidence and trust to let go of protective and defensive behaviours, it’s like releasing the block from under the accelerator.’

‘To survive and thrive in the turbulence of business it’s vital to understand and attend to your own resilience anchors, and to be mindful that others in your team might not be as resilient as you are.’

‘If you want a values-based culture, it has to be an unequivocal commitment to put the values at the centre of everything you do.’

‘In conditions of increasing change, ambiguity and uncertainty it is essential to establish the flex points that will enable you and your team to bend but not break in turbulent conditions.’

‘When organisations avoid conflict or see the squirm as a sign to pull back from tackling the difficult issues, they stifle their development and growth.’

Source

Graham Winter (2012). First Be Nimble: A Story About How to Adapt, Innovate and Perform in a Volatile Business World