Professor Paul Griffith is one of the world’s first Management Professors to lead a team that launched a rocket to space, 20 years ago. As Professor of Practice at Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School, Paul works with hundreds of executives and organisations in strategy, innovation, digital transformation and customer-centricity. In this interview, he shares insights on why executives should attend TEXEM UK’s forthcoming programme on Turning Organisational Challenges into Strategic Opportunities for Sustainable Success in Volatile Times which he would help deliver between 1st and 2nd of December.
To what extent can organisational challenges be turned into opportunities?
Every challenge provides the option to explore new approaches and create new solutions. This may help stimulate innovation and the development of a unique competitive advantage by creating different capabilities within the organisation or providing various types of solutions to customers. Essentially the challenge offers a fresh perspective and a driving force to re-examine what we take for granted. This forthcoming TEXEM programme on the 1st and 2nd of December at Wheatbaker, Ikoyi, Lagos would offer actionable insights that will equip you to turn challenges into opportunities.
What’s the relationship between strategic opportunities and sustainable success?
Great strategic opportunities provide for the creation of significant value for an organisation and its stakeholders. To maximise the potential value creation, we strive to make our strategic initiatives scalable and sustainable – that is, we ensure they continue to be difficult to replicate by our competitors and continually offer valuable utility to our diverse stakeholders.
How can an organisation be successful in volatile times?
Volatile times provide a continuous stream of new market opportunities. Therefore, new strategic options will continually open up. Successful organisations can understand and respond effectively to these opportunities. Identification of new opportunities, speed of response and flexibility are all foundations for organisations to maximise their potential in volatile times.
Can leadership quotient be enhanced in uncertain Volatile times?
Leadership is a multi-faceted capability. For an organisation, it covers not just ‘what’ it does but ‘how’ it does it. The combination of processes, values, culture, competencies, and skills in an organisation contributes to this leadership quotient. Responding strategically to the volatile and uncertain environment will force the organisation to examine and strengthen these aspects of its ‘leadership’. This forthcoming TEXEM programme, Turning Organizational Challenges Into Strategic Opportunities For Sustainable Success In Volatile Times, will equip executives with the requisite skill sets to enhance their strategic leadership in challenging times.
What processes can be put in place to avert the dangers of business volatility?
Strategic processes such as ‘horizon scanning’, scenario planning and generating multiple options are all valuable tools in dealing with the volatile environment. Other specific insights would be shared during the forthcoming TEXEM programme.
How essential are executive development programmes for organisations in challenging times?
Organisations need to avoid being ‘blinkered’ – old solutions will not work in the future. Instead, executives need to learn to thrive in challenging times continually. Learning faster is key to survival. Development programs help executives see new possibilities, break out of outdated approaches, share new ideas, tools and concepts and are inspired to lead their organisation to sustained success.
Why should leaders attend this programme?
The operating context has never been as volatile and uncertain – we are all working in a fast-paced environment, and it will never be as slow as this again! Rather than survive, organisations with the right thinking and best practices create an excellent opportunity for thriving. Leave the competition behind; build strong, profitable growth and organisational core competence using the tools and techniques we will share on this programme.
Who is the programme for?
This TEXEM programme, ‘Turning Organisational Challenges into Strategic Opportunities’ is for leaders in government, oil and gas, telecommunication, banking, insurance, pension, manufacturing, and the third sector. This programme is for any leader who is looking to find solutions to the many challenges that they face, such as:
The negative consequences of the unprecedented worldwide pandemic occasioned by the novel coronavirus that has affected every country on earth. Likely fiscal and monetary policy change and the potential implications. The high level of insecurity and high level of inflation in the country. Some more include supply chain disruption, new cybersecurity threats, failing organisational models, and how to inspire a remote workforce effectively. The others are low national cohesion, dramatic forex fluctuations, negative GDP and, by extension, low customer demand, dwindling government and business revenue, higher costs, low morale of the citizens, diminishing productivity and high talent
