Old models of leadership are no longer fit for purpose. We’re in an age of extreme and rapid change and many leaders are unequipped to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving business, political and environmental landscape.
Welcome to ACE, The T– Leadership Framework, based on our work with 1000’s of of CEO’s, founders and senior leaders, combined with the collective brilliance of The Change Makers, it is designed to enable leaders to respond to, and thrive in, an ever shifting context.
According to our research, fewer than 1 in 5 leaders have the capability to navigate disruptive change*
75% of organisations say their leadership development programs were not very effective**.
*The Disruptive Leadership Report, Research of 120+ organisations
**McKinsey, The State of Organisations, 2023
To thrive in a disruptive world you need to develop a deep understanding of yourself and your impact on other people. The ability to be aware and intentional in both your mindset and your behaviours is critical to unlocking the potential of yourself, and those around you. Leaders that thrive in disruption are aware of their strengths & blind spots. And can harness the energy in themselves and those around them.
They are deeply aware of how their nervous system works so can build resilience and the capacity to deal with whatever challenges are thrown at them. They can recognise and reconfigure their own inner beliefs, ensuring they have the appropriate level of confidence to boldly shape an uncertain future.
Everything in the world today is designed to take our attention away from ourselves. Between our phones, our email, notifications and work meetings, we’re constantly having our attention pulled away from ourselves in different directions.
We often complain that we are busy and that ‘we don’t have enough time’, and yet we manage to spend an average of 3 and a quarter hours a day staring at our mobile phone screens. Awareness is a muscle. If we could instead spend these 3 hours a day being intentional with our awareness, we really would give ourselves the chance of becoming the leaders we know deep down we could be.
No one leads alone. Every leader is part of a collective or wider system which we must lead within. To thrive in a time of disruption, leaders must recognise the context and the opportunities available to them to create change. We call this taking a systems approach to leadership.
Every system and every individual also has an impact on the environment. And a role to play in addressing the environmental emergency. Sustainable growth relies on it. We need to get clear on our impact and our purpose, and lead with why in order to galvanise others and achieve the impact we want.
Leaders must also be able to translate ambition to action, and galvanise others by telling convincing stories. When a personal sense of purpose is aligned with that of a wider collective, magic happens.
Leadership without clarity of ambition lacks spark. Lacks conviction. Lacks influence and ultimately lacks impact. Time spent here is the groundwork for the next decade.
Some teams, whether in sports or business, consistently produce results greater than the sum of their parts, outperforming groups of more talented, but less connected individuals. To unlock this potential, leaders must start by creating the psychological safety for people to share their ideas, to be themselves, and to create the conditions for people to be at their best.
By developing awareness of bias and being intentional in how they signal and lead inclusively for marginalised groups, leaders can create an environment where everyone is actively welcomed. By focusing on building trust, leaders forge lasting relationships that are the foundation of effective teamwork.
Through developing a coaching culture, leaders can bring out the brilliance of others with a people positive, growth based approach to development. These modules provide the foundations for leading high performing teams, with an additional focus on trust and communication required when leading remotely.
Leaders in uncertain environments need to develop an experimentation mindset, rather than using traditional management ideas, which rely on predictability and stability to deliver results.
Leaders need to have the knowledge and discipline of how to design experiments that generate continuous learning. As well as know how and when to challenge conventions through creativity and disruptive thinking.
Finding the balance between trying new things and simply getting the right things done well isn’t easy. Leaders, in all positions, need the ability to execute through others. To make things happen fast. And navigate through change when the goalposts inevitably shift.
This framework includes the mindset, skills and capabilities your leaders need to grow and thrive. To make the most of the opportunities that disruption presents.
