Leaders Reinvent Continuously: Agile Leaders

At Chick-fil-A we use a Leadership Model Called SERVE. Every letter is an acronym for a leadership trait that our organization views as essential to being a leader within Chick-fil-A.

The “R” stands for Reinvent Continuously.  It’s pretty self explanatory that we need to be self starters… learners… always exploring new options. We should purposefully seek out opportunities to grow or change. Forbes posted a very good blog post on Tuesday called Agility: The Ingredient That Will Define Next Generation Leadership – Forbes. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the article. In my mind the term “agility” is the same as our Chick-fil-A principle of “Reinventing.”

“Today’s organizational leaders are facing accelerating rates of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, all of which are showing no signs of slowing down. Whether it is the continuing digital revolution or expanding global markets, our current environment requires a constant state of innovation. For companies to continue succeeding, next generation leaders must be able to handle any curve ball thrown their way. Leading through this new business environment requires the capability to sense and respond to changes in the business environment with actions that are focused, fast and flexible.  The best way to put it: next generation leaders have to be agile.”

and

“We believe that with the guidance of top executives, agile leaders can be developed internally. By identifying and developing high-potential talent, businesses can improve responsiveness to company and marketplace shifts and thereby their ability to deliver strategic priorities.   Having an agile leader on the team takes the company from good to great. These individuals are focused, confident and driven to lead. While they may be hard to come by, taking the time to seek them out is worth your while.”

Here is a matrix to help identify “Agile Leaders” in your organization.

Check out the full article: Agility: The Ingredient That Will Define Next Generation Leadership (via Forbes) or click the image below.