Published: 19th April 2018 Author: Anish Gupta, Director The Leadership Gallery recently conducted a survey of CEOs and C-Suite executives to understand how they viewed the implications of Brexit for their organisations. The results are in, and they provide an interesting insight into organisations’ priority areas of concern. The majority of respondents (74%) indicate they are already planning for the possible consequences of Brexit, and across the sample, about two thirds of respondents believe that Brexit will not pose a significant threat to their business strategy. While this sounds like a resounding vote of confidence in UK industry’s ability to deal with life after Brexit, a closer analysis of the responses shows there are sharp differences of opinion depending on sector. At a headline level, the UK appears to be confident that the threats posed by Brexit are not huge. However, this masks serious concerns within certain sectors. Let’s take a look at each of the issues polled separately. Threats to revenue 76% of respondents feel that threats to revenue are limited or not serious. However, in the finance and...Read More
Published: 2nd March 2018 Author: Malcolm Lambell, Chairman at The Leadership Gallery “Digital transformation is something new, and something many businesses haven’t done before.” I am not so sure… When people ask me what my first digital transformation was, I’d say 18 years ago, when Internet banking, digital TV and WAP phones were becoming the norm. I was the IT Director behind one of the first online banking services in the UK, and I would argue that Digital Transformation isn’t actually that new. Sure, you need know a bit about the tools; artificial intelligence, apps, blockchain, virtual reality, the Internet of Things, etc. But that’s made easier if you suspend the belief that they are some kind of magic bullet for your business that will change everything overnight. They are just tools that either can or cannot be applied to your business model to improve the way you do business. Maybe they won’t be game changers, but if they can be applied correctly they will add significant value. That’s not to say I don’t see the opportunity in the new tools...Read More
Published: 4th February, 2018 Author: Rob Shorrick, CEO at The Leadership Gallery The culture of your business is often front-of-mind if you’re a senior leader; however, it remains a challenge to understand how to effectively influence it. Good culture is a key pillar of business success; it allows strategy to remain relatable to staff and espouses a set of behaviours for those working within the business. It’s understandable, then, that boards wish to know whether their organisational culture is fit for purpose, and many may even have identified specific areas that they wish to change. However, attempts to affect culture in isolation will often fail to be effective. Culture is the result of many contributory factors, and therefore, business leaders should view it as an 'output' of those factors. Understanding the Contributory factors Vision and purpose A key task for business leaders is maintaining a clear view of the vision, purpose, ethics, values and degree of individual empowerment they wish to see within their organisations when making decisions. If you’re a senior decision maker, consider whether you are able to: Articulate...Read More
Published: 24th January 2018 Authors: Rob Shorrick, CEO at The Leadership Gallery, Jerry Williams and Caroline Pearce-Browne, both Directors at Reps Ltd Successful strategy implementation will only occur when it is carefully constructed, communicated and enabled throughout an organisation. The real estate situation of a company is an integral component of this – ensuring your company’s facilities are set up to allow it to deliver on its goals is key to the success of the wider corporate strategy. Embarking on a significant property project – a wholesale review, consolidation, expansion or upgrade – can be a challenge. To employees, the environment you create for them can be seen as the physical embodiment of the strategy in practice, and a working environment that is fit for purpose has a positive effect on how well structures, capabilities, processes and systems are understood or utilised throughout the business. So, what are typical scenarios we see in success or failure when it comes to real estate strategy? 1. The purpose of the business is inadequately conveyed or understood throughout the company Without clarity over the purpose...Read More
Published: 12th January 2018 Author: Anish Gupta There is a deluge of articles and broadcasts about Brexit. Often, they reflect contradictory points of view. The only consistent thread is the inability of anyone to predict what the outcomes will be. That’s not very useful for businesses who, unlike many commentators, have to prepare for this uncertain future. Every business is unique in some ways, so there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution that applies to all. The actual impact of Brexit will not kick in fully until March 2019. Given the prevailing confusion, this could tempt businesses to adopt a ‘wait-and-watch’ policy. Our advice to all businesses is that they simply cannot afford to wait and watch, because there are a few possible implications which are already visible, and measures to deal with these cannot be taken overnight. It is essential for organisations to look objectively at possible scenarios, assess what the impacts could be, and initiate preparatory actions now. There are four areas that we recommend businesses should look at: 1. Revenue 60% of UK exports currently go...Read More
Published: 20th December 2017 Author: Rob Shorrick The strategy and future direction of your business should always be front-of-mind if you’re a senior leader. In an increasingly unpredictable climate, however, it is a constant challenge to ensure that a strategy is robust, and that all the required components are aligned and working together. Technology and automation, new methods of consumer interaction, political volatility, and directives such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mean organisations must scan a far more uncertain horizon than ever before when approaching strategy implementation. How can leaders ensure that their organisations have the right capabilities in place to find opportunities in these issues, as well as reacting to the conditions of their respective sectors, in order to attain and sustain success? Here, we highlight some key areas that organisations should consider when (or before) determining their strategy or undertaking business change. Purpose Keeping in mind the organisation’s reason for being is vital to decision making. Before defining strategy and reviewing processes and policies, an organisation should ensure it understands its purpose, and that it is referenced...Read More