What's Quietly Eroding Confidence?
Over the past few weeks I’ve been reflecting on something which I think is largely unspoken.
What we hear on the surface doesn’t always accurately describe the underlying tension.
In this article, I’ll share what I’m hearing. Then what I sense beneath the surface and finally some suggestions.
Here’s what I hear.
Every week, I speak to senior leadership teams both in briefing calls to understand what pressures they are experiencing and what outcome they want, and then at events where I meet the teams in person.
The themes are remarkably similar.
How do we navigate change, especially when it’s so fast and driven by AI? How do we lead ourselves and others through uncertainty? What’s the collaboration and teamwork we need?
Everyone is looking for inspiration and practical ideas they can use immediately.
They want fresh thinking and a different perspective from outside their sector brought to life in memorable and impactful ways.
That’s the brief.
I think though there’s an important unspoken issue sitting deeper than this.
It’s seldom named, especially at senior leader level as that’s not a word usually associated at that level.
Just because we don't name it doesn't mean it isn't there
I think it points in part to confidence.
All the people I meet are trying their hardest - they are well intentioned, and working incredibly hard to fix the challenges in front of them. They are stressful challenges which carry existential threats for their organisations if they can’t find good solutions to them.
And there is the growing recognition that we need to think and act differently.
That we need to challenge the very playbook that made us successful in the first place.
One of the ideas I often share is that the thinking which created today's results won't be the thinking that creates tomorrow's.
I believe that more strongly than ever.
The world is changing too quickly for us to stand still.
But I've started wondering whether there's an unintended consequence.
It's easy to hear "the playbook needs to change"...
...and accidentally begin to doubt ourselves.
So where does this leave us?
I think the answer is to give ourselves permission to lower the bar, especially when the stakes feel so high.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the size of the challenge and think we need to solve all the issues at once.
We don’t.
When we rounded Cape Horn during my first circumnavigation, we hit our first massive storms and faced waves the size large buildings.
I remember the feeling of fear and all I could think of was they next 40 days we needed to sail across the Southern Ocean to get to Australia.
I shared how I felt with my good friend Ian.
His advice was simple, yet incredibly impactful.
"Caspar, don't think about the next forty days. Just think about the next 4 hour watch."
Yes you know where you need to get to, but for now just focus on the next 4 hours.
Nothing changed about the destination.
We still had thousands of miles to sail.
What it did change was how I approached it.
I wonder whether the same is true for the challenges we face today.
It's easy to look at AI, changing markets, new ways of working and feel we have to master it all.
Perhaps we don't.
Perhaps we simply need to give ourselves permission to lower the bar.
What's the next conversation?
What's the next experiment?
What's the next small step that moves you forward?
I think the small steps and what we learn on the way are the fuel for bigger actions as we iterate forwards.
It starts small though.
One watch at a time.
Before you know it, you’ll have sailed an ocean and tackled your biggest challenge.
Here are three experiments to play with around this idea:
Two Minute Experiment
Think about the biggest challenge you're facing right now.
Ask: "Why must I solve this challenge?”
Five Minute Experiment
Think of that thorniest challenge.
Find one thing you can do to move it forward. Do it now.
Fifteen Minute Experiment
Remember about a big challenge you've nailed in the past.
Ask yourself: "What was it that enabled me to do it?”
Find your own version of “One Watch at a time”
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