Podcast Summary: Coaching for Leaders - Episode 722: Where to Start in Survival Mode, with Rebecca Hamkiss
Release Date: February 24, 2025
Host: Dave Stachowiak
Guest: Rebecca Hamkiss, High Growth Strategy Specialist, CEO, Executive Advisor, Lecturer at London Business School, Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, Advisor and Faculty at Boston Consulting Group, Author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times
1. Introduction to Survival Mode in Leadership
Timestamp: [00:00]
Dave Stachowiak opens the episode by addressing the prevalent uncertainty in today's organizational landscapes. He introduces the concept of "survival mode," a state many leaders find themselves in amidst rapid changes in context, regulations, policies, and market environments. The aim of the episode is to provide a roadmap for leaders navigating these turbulent times.
2. Reframing Uncertainty
Timestamp: [02:09] – [03:09]
Rebecca Hamkiss emphasizes the critical need to reframe uncertainty. She observes that leaders often perceive uncertainty negatively, which hampers decision-making and organizational setup.
Rebecca Hamkiss: "When leaders speak to each other about uncertainty, almost always asking, how are you handling uncertainty... We put this word before it that frames our brains. It's going to be bad."
[02:15]
She suggests viewing uncertainty not solely as a threat but as a series of potential opportunities, redefining how leaders approach future events.
3. The Survive, Reset, Thrive Model
Timestamp: [03:09] – [04:41]
Hamkiss introduces her model, Survive, Reset, Thrive, highlighting that organizations often mistakenly view "survive" and "thrive" as mutually exclusive. Instead, she proposes viewing growth as a continuous loop, where surviving momentary downturns is part of an ongoing growth trajectory.
Hamkiss: "Growth is a loop... you're always on this loop journey and all these different pieces connect to each other."
[03:42]
She underscores the importance of not letting fluctuating market conditions dictate the business model, advocating for inherent resilience within organizational structures.
4. Embracing a Growth Mindset
Timestamp: [04:41] – [06:20]
A pivotal aspect of navigating survival mode is adopting a growth mindset. Hamkiss differentiates between performance cultures, which focus on checklists and metrics, and growth cultures that embrace change and adaptability.
Hamkiss: "Growth mindset is absolutely critical... change is good. When the situation changes, we might need to change what we're doing."
[05:05]
She argues that relying solely on performance metrics can stifle breakthrough growth, advocating instead for flexibility and continuous strategic realignment.
5. Decision-Making Over Prediction
Timestamp: [06:20] – [09:48]
Hamkiss challenges the overconfidence leaders have in predicting the future, a point reinforced by studies she cites. Instead of striving to predict, she emphasizes the importance of decision-making capabilities.
Hamkiss: "Focus on making great decisions, even though we can't make great predictions."
[09:02]
She advises building a leadership team adept at making informed decisions based on evolving beliefs rather than rigid forecasts, thereby enhancing organizational agility.
6. Avoiding Cognitive Traps: Anchoring and Recency Bias
Timestamp: [09:48] – [11:49]
Highlighting common psychological pitfalls, Hamkiss discusses anchoring and recency bias, which can skew leaders' perceptions and strategies during uncertain times.
Hamkiss: "Our brains were formed to not be strategic... framing does a lot of great things, but it leads to traps like recency bias and anchoring."
[10:28]
She advocates for governance processes that distinguish between observable trends, underlying beliefs, and actionable implications to mitigate these biases.
7. Aligned Speed: The Competitive Edge
Timestamp: [15:27] – [16:08]
Introducing the concept of aligned speed, Hamkiss explains that combining alignment with swift decision-making provides a substantial competitive advantage.
Hamkiss: "Alignment without speed is too slow... speed without alignment is chaos. We need them both."
[15:27]
She stresses that achieving this balance requires intentional effort from leadership teams to build both coherence and agility.
8. Preparing vs. Planning
Timestamp: [16:08] – [19:41]
Hamkiss differentiates between planning and preparing, advocating for a shift towards the latter during periods of volatility. While operational plans remain essential, strategic growth initiatives benefit more from preparation, which is adaptive and responsive to real-time changes.
Hamkiss: "Strategy is the living, breathing document... shift from planning to preparing."
[16:31]
She recommends starting strategic conversations with beliefs about evolving situations rather than predefined aspirations, enabling more flexible and responsive planning.
9. Leveraging Uncertainty for Organizational Growth
Timestamp: [22:26] – [24:39]
Hamkiss posits that uncertainty is an optimal time for growth because it accelerates learning. Organizations that proactively engage in learning during uncertain times gain clearer insights into customer needs, partner relationships, and talent requirements.
Hamkiss: "Growth is a capability... Organizations that learn faster are organizations that grow faster."
[23:05]
She underscores that embracing uncertainty as a learning opportunity fosters resilience and positions organizations for sustained growth.
10. Kickers and Killers: Identifying Opportunities and Threats
Timestamp: [25:01] – [26:56]
Introducing the framework of kickers and killers, Hamkiss advises leaders to shift their focus from merely identifying potential threats (killers) to actively seeking out opportunities (kickers).
Hamkiss: "Give me 10 or 15 kickers... it's where it needs the time."
[26:56]
This approach encourages organizations to explore and act upon opportunities that can propel them forward, fostering a proactive rather than reactive stance in uncertain environments.
11. Growth as an Active Capability
Timestamp: [27:42] – [29:20]
Hamkiss concludes by emphasizing that growth is not automatic; it requires deliberate cultivation. Leaders must actively invest in developing the capabilities of their teams to lead growth, moving beyond a passive expectation that growth will occur naturally.
Hamkiss: "Growth is a capability... you have to invest in this capability."
[28:09]
She warns that without this investment, organizations cannot sustain a thriving state, regardless of their efforts to survive and reset.
Key Takeaways
- Reframe Uncertainty: View uncertainty as a set of potential opportunities rather than inherent threats.
- Survive, Reset, Thrive: Adopt a continuous growth loop that integrates survival and thriving through strategic resets.
- Growth Mindset: Prioritize adaptability and flexibility over rigid performance metrics.
- Decision-Making Over Prediction: Focus on enhancing decision-making capabilities rather than attempting to predict the future.
- Aligned Speed: Achieve a balance between alignment and agility to maintain competitive advantage.
- Preparing vs. Planning: Shift strategic focus from fixed plans to adaptable preparations based on evolving beliefs.
- Kickers and Killers: Actively seek opportunities (kickers) while identifying and mitigating threats (killers).
- Growth as a Capability: Invest in developing growth-oriented capabilities within leadership teams.
Notable Quotes
- Rebecca Hamkiss:
- "When leaders speak to each other about uncertainty... it's going to be bad."
[02:15] - "Growth is a loop... you're always on this loop journey."
[03:42] - "Focus on making great decisions, even though we can't make great predictions."
[09:02] - "Growth is a capability... you have to invest in this capability."
[28:09]
- "When leaders speak to each other about uncertainty... it's going to be bad."
This episode offers invaluable insights for leaders navigating through volatile times, emphasizing adaptability, strategic reset, and the cultivation of growth capabilities to not only survive but thrive amidst uncertainty.