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The evolving landscape of leadership in turbulent times

Leading Off

Open up ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
Leading Off

Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Axel Karlsson, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms

Welcome to the latest edition of Leading Off. We hope you find our insights useful. Let us know what you think at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Axel_Karlsson@McKinsey.com.

—Alex and Axel

Welcome to the 200th edition of Leading Off. We launched this newsletter in November 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was reshaping so many aspects of our lives and livelihoods—including the skills that leaders need to successfully navigate the challenges and opportunities of the day. Since then, Leading Off has examined enduring themes (such as effective leadership approaches, problem-solving, and purpose) as well as the topics that continue to transform business and redefine what it takes to lead well. This week, we look at leadership during unpredictable times—and highlight some of our best thinking from the past few years, based on the articles and topics that resonated most with you, our Leading Off readers.

Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or subscribed more recently, thank you for reading. We encourage you to explore past issues to see how the conversation about leadership has evolved.
An image linking to the web page “New leadership for a new era of thriving organizations” on McKinsey.com.

Modern organizations are facing constant disruptions, from geopolitical tensions to rapid technological advances to major demographic shifts among their workforces. According to McKinsey’s Aaron De Smet, Arne Gast, and Johanne Lavoie, the most effective leaders will take a more open, adaptable, and inclusive approach to guiding their companies through the turbulence. “We are moving from an era of individual leaders to an era of networked leadership teams that steer the organization,” the authors say. “The old hierarchical model of leadership is increasingly seen as an obstacle to meeting the complex demands facing today’s organizations.” To deliver sustainable growth, leaders can embrace five critical shifts in mindsets and ways of working—including moving beyond profit to impact and beyond control to collaboration. “This new model has a clear purpose and focus: to benefit all stakeholders by enabling people to work and learn together to build and operate a continually evolving system for creating value,” they say.
An image linking to the web page “How to master the seven-step problem-solving process” on McKinsey.com.

Taking a structured approach to problem-solving does not mean being inflexible. Quite the opposite, says Monograph Capital Founder Charles Conn. In his book, Bulletproof Problem Solving: The One Skill That Changes Everything, Conn outlines a seven-step problem-solving process. “It’s actually to give you the scope for creativity, which often doesn’t exist when your problem-solving is muddled,” he says. Conn, who cowrote the book with fellow McKinsey alumnus Rob McLean, recommends starting the process by defining the problem at hand—then using “logic trees” to break down the problem into parts and prioritizing the most important elements (or “branches”) to address to achieve the desired outcome. “People spend a lot of time arguing about branches that are either not important or that none of us can change,” Conn says.
An image linking to the web page “Five Fifty: Jerk factors” on McKinsey.com.

The best leaders blend the attributes that fit their individual styles with the needs of their organizations—which could mean being collaborative and curious, visionary and inspirational, or self-reflective and resilient. But there’s one approach that everyone can agree on: Don’t be a jerk. Stanford University professor Robert Sutton identifies some triggers that could cause ugly behavior in the workplace, including wielding power over others, being too competitive, and always being in a hurry. Sutton says that bullying or rude bosses can undermine employees’ decision-making skills, productivity, and creativity. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor at Columbia University and University College London and author of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It), notes that good bosses control their temper, show empathy, and connect with employees on a human level. “If you’re managing people,” he says, “it’s important that you also manage yourself.”

Lead by adapting to the moment.

— Edited by Eric Quiñones, senior editor, New York

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by "McKinsey Leading Off" <publishing@email.mckinsey.com> - 04:22 - 17 Feb 2025