We live in a time of intertwined crises, on top of which 2020 brought us a global pandemic unseen in recent history. COVID is not only speeding up the process of rethinking our socio-economic systems, it also forces us to reinvent the way we work and interact with each other.
For too long, policy makers, CEOs and managers have been focusing mostly on short-term goals. The same shortermistic approach is often replicated by civil society organisations and grassroots movements.
COVID represents an opportunity for our society to understand that a mere focus on fixing symptoms will not solve the big crises we are living today. If we want to bend the direction of our increasingly divided and dysfunctional society, or tackle the unpleasant and inefficient settings we too often find ourselves in, we must start focusing on the root causes of the problems.
In the words of Marshall Ganz, leadership is about accepting responsibility for enabling others to achieve shared purpose, in the face of uncertainty.
We need leaders to be brave enough to make the leap from the old-fashioned concept of infallible strong leaders, to that of collaborative leadership. We need to create more leaders, who can empower co-workers to explore and test new ways of working. Who can inspire and instil a more sustainable, rewarding culture within their teams and organisations.
Committed to supporting organisations in this period of uncertainty, Ruben and I decided to launch Team&Space. Through a one-day workshop we tap into the collective intelligence of teams and organisations to find answers to new challenges. Indeed, a smooth transition towards a new normal calls for a collaborative approach, where no team member is left aside.
Let's work together to make this happen.
Federico Guerrieri
Your Sherpa for Social Innovation