Ripple September 2024

We cannot resolve the V.U.C.A. world but we can transcend it. The first step away from a V.U.C.A world is taking a look at our own thinking. A W.I.S.E. worldview begins by accepting and embracing V.U.C.A. without fear. Leaving the V.U.C.A. mindset filled with fear of the future behind, enables a W.I.S.E mindset to emerge. Ths white paper describes the W.I.S.E. World and its importance for today's leaders and their organizations.

True change comes from within

Leading the current transition The RIPPLE Reflections on Network Leadership and Effective Collaboration

Edition September 2024

Table of Contents

Introducing our unique Network Leadership Learning Journey Page 2 What leaders and acupuncturists have in common Pages 3 - 6 How to radically transform an organization Pages 7 - 9 Bolstering employee engagement is easier than you think Pages 10 - 14 Why cultivating energy should be at the forefront of your organization’s strategy Pages 15 - 17 We are an Enabling Company: How we can co-create with your business Page 19 Ensemble Enabler @ the Future Forward Leadership Summit in USA Page 18

Lead Differently. Champion Optimal Performance. Realize Innovative Results. Become a Network Leader

Take a look at the viewpoint of this unique leadership journey https://cli.re/Become-a-Network-Leader

Your opportunity to become a Network Leader is coming this Fall 2024 and again in January 2025. Leadership powered by networks is a novel and different approach to leading effectively in an increasingly perplexing business environment.

Your journey towards clarity and focus awaits you.

How related are effective leaders to acupuncturists? Believe it or not, the similarities are striking. Leadership and acupuncture both wield influence with finesse by shaping outcomes through strategic interventions. An ACUPUNCTURIST delicately places needles to stimulate the body’s energy flow, promoting health and balance. Effective LEADERS strategically guide individuals and teams thereby inspiring action and fostering cohesion towards shared objectives.

B2 y

Similarities between acupuncturists and leaders are fascinating

Both practices require a nua- nced understanding of their respective domains – whether it is the body’s meridians or organizational dynamics. Just as an acupuncturist diagnoses and adapts an approach to each patient’s unique needs, leaders tailor their strategies to the orga- nizational context and the individuals whom they lead. Both endeavors require patience, empathy and a keen sense of timing. Whether it is the restora- tion of health or the achievement of organizational goals, both yield transformative results. In ACUPUNCTURE , the focus is on the flow of Qi. This is the vital energy which circulates through- out the body along the meridians. Acupuncturists aim to balance and enhance the energy flow to promote both physical and emotional well-being.

The focus on energy and its flow is fundamental

B2 y

Patience, empathy and sense of timing are vital for leadership

LEADERSHIP on the other hand, focuses on the collective energy of individuals within a group or organization. Effective leaders harness this energy in order to achieve opti- mal outcomes. These leaders inspire and empower others which generates a positive and productive atmosphere. This working environment serves as a catalyst to encourage innovation, progress and well- being.

Effective LEADERS may achieve ambitious goals with limited resources

Both practices believe in minimal invasiveness.

In ACUPUNCTURE , practitioners use nominal

resources – in most cases thin needles - to stimulate specific points on the body’s meridians. Similarly, LEADERS may achieve ambitious goals with limited resources. Practices such as the articulation of a clear purpose,

B2 y

Say good-bye to V.U.C.A The future is W.I.S.E

precise communication and strategic decision-making serve to stimulate the achievements of people throughout the orga- nization. Do your organization’s leaders engage and influence with the precision of an acupuncturist, or do they just leave everyone feeling rather uncomfortably pricked instead?

Network Leadership

A mindset for a W.I.S.E. world.

What does it take to radically transform an organization? The Danish company DONG (Danish Oil and Natural Gas) transformed itself from a fossil fuel company into a renewable energy company. As part of its transformation, it changed its name to Orsted to honor the Danish scientist Hans Christian Orsted who discovered electro- magnetism. Orsted is currently the world’s largest offshore windfarm company. It is one of the first companies completely transform from “black” (fossil fuels) to “green” renewable energy.

Transforming from a fossil fuel into a renewable energy company

According to the CEO Henrik Poulsen who accompanied this transformation, it would not have been possible without a “wholehearted commitment” to achieve this transition. The transformation of DONG to Orsted reminds us of the efforts of Chuck Yaeger, the air force combat pilot who broke the sound barrier. Many aviators in the 1940's believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound. They theorized that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. As an airplane approaches the speed of sound, the air around it begins to compress which increases drag and causes turbulence and vibra- tions in the aircraft.

What’s the connection between

breaking the sound barrier and an organizational transformation?

This phenomenon is visible in the above photo.

Radical transformation requires both courage + wholehearted commitment

Chuck Yaeger required courage to endure this turbulence and make it through the sound barrier in 1947. Once an aircraft is flying at a speed higher than the speed of sound, the transonic drag dis- appears. Radical transformation - whether through technological experiments or transformation of an organization - requires both courage and “wholehearted commitment”. How can the people in your organization develop this unique leadership capacity?

For the technically curious Transonic airspeeds see a rapid increase of drag from about Mach 0.8, and it is the fuel costs of

that drag that typically limits the airspeed

What percentage of people’s creativity actually flows into the workplace? According to a Gallup Poll on Employee Engagement, 79% of employees are not fully engaged. To the contrary, those companies which have higher levels of engagement show:

21% greater profitability and 17% greater productivity

To attain these levels, all leaders need to do is to bolster employee engagement … and it is easier than you may imagine!

Engaging people throughout a company cultivates creativity

Take the example of Ray Anderson, the former CEO of Interface. He had a vision that his company had to realize net zero carbon emissions.

But how could net zero carbon emissions be accomplished?

He realized that by engaging every employee and stakeholder in the company that this remarkable goal could be realized.

What are the key questions which an organization need to answer?

So what did he do?

He asked a simple question:

How do we cut emissions to reach our net-zero target?

He didn’t have the answer at hand. However he knew that this was the question which needed to be answered in order to attain the company’s ambitious goal.

Anderson’s Engagement Catalyst Question unleashed creative potential

Anderson invited everyone in the company to make suggestions about how to answer this question. In addition, he offered forums where employees could gather together and explore this crucial question together. What was the result of these efforts to engage employees to reach this ambitious goal? Novel ideas and solutions flowed in from employees throughout orga- nization. Together they identified the path forward.

Novel ideas and solutions flowed in

from employees throughout the organization

Interface became a net zero company in 2019 .

Anderson used the powerful tool of an Engagement Catalyst Question to engage all of his employees to attain Mission Zero success for the company and members of its business ecosystems.

The powerful mix of an Engagement Catalyst Question and Collective ntelligence

Formulating this question and inviting employees to discover answers was the first step. Anderson provided forums for collective discovery and discussion to build on this momentum of motivation and engagement. As the Interface experience demonstrates, it is the unique combination of the use of Engagement Catalyst Questions combined with cultivating an inclusive environment for collective intelligence to emerge which promotes innovative solution solving for even the toughest challenges. Through their deep engagement with the net-zero goal, the entire workforce was motivated to identify answers to this challenge.

Employee engagement cultivates motivation to solve tough challenges

Advancing to a carbon negative enterprise by 2040

Their next Engagement Catalyst Questions will undoubtedly focus on how to become a carbon negative enterprise by 2040 and how to decrease the negative environmental and health impacts of their product life cycle by realiz- ing a circular economy.

There is no force more powerful than human creativity.

Connecting people is what drives innovation

Knowing how to unleash this engagement and reveal the hidden potential of employees opens a portal of novel possibilities and innovation which are needed in today’s world.

As a leader, you have certainly collaborated with colleagues to envision a compelling purpose and an exciting vision. What critical factor should be at the forefront of your strategy? ENERGY It’s intangible yet unmistakable. We all recognize energy when we see it: ✨ It’s an energized team which is dynamic, joyful, supportive and driven. ✨ It’s a high-performance team which is brimming with energy.

Leaders transform their strategy’s potential by energizing their people

Imagine if leaders focused on what energizes people instead of focusing on their skill gaps. MorningStar, a tomato processing plant in California, adopted this approach. Their policy allows employees to contribute anyplace they believe their skills would add the most value to the company.

How can both superior

The results are compelling.

Employees at MorningStar embrace more extensive and complex roles than the typical industry standard. MorningStar has become a leader in its field consistently achieving “demonstrably superior productivity

productivity and personal happiness be nurtured?

and personal happiness” as compared to its competitors.

Everyone throughout an organization posesses individual strengths

Strengthscope® is an assessment tool which has identified 24 individ- ual strengths. Ensemble Enabler uses the results of this unique assessment tool to provide leaders with valuable insights about what fuels enthu- siasm and productivity throughout their organization. Want to establish high- performance teams?

Who are the energizers in your organization?

Look for ENERGY

Identifying the strengths and energizers of an organization’s people and, by so doing, provide key information which will promote any business to thrive.

Ensemble Enabler @ ILA FUTURE FORWARD Leadership Summit in USA

The International Leadership Association held a FUTURE FORWARD Leadership Summit to initiate an exploration into the future of leadership in the next 25 years.

According to the ILA, “This pioneering summit was conceived to be a beacon of insight — fostering dialogue, and encouraging collaborative efforts among leaders and experts, ultimately reshaping the narrative and practice of leadership on a global scale.” Jeffrey Beeson, Chief Enabling Officer of Ensemble Enabler and prior Board member of the ILA attended the FUTURE FORWARD Leadership Summit which was hosted by Dr. Stephanie Johnson of the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. He created two short videos to provide an overview of his reflections on the key notes and in-depth discussions among leadership professionals: Insights from a bibliometric analysis of the last 25 years of leadership research: https://cli.re/FutureForward-LeadershipSummit-LeadershipResearch Reflections of leadership professionals on sustainability and leadership development : https://cli.re/FutureForward-LeadershipSummit-Discussions Jeffrey is looking forward to continuing this compelling exploration of the future of leadership at the 26th ILA Global Conference in Chicago this fall. “ We stand at the cusp of a transformative era in leadership. ILA’s commitment to uniting the brightest minds and practitioners is integral to effectively steering the course for leadership excellence and innovation for the years to come.” Cynthia Cherrey , CEO, International Leadership Association

We are an Enabling Company

ENABLING is a unique network driven approach aimed to

Enhance effective collaboration at all levels of an organization

Nurture the capacity in organizations to advance a network mindset

Deliver optimal business solutions with speed and effectiveness

We offer solutions and create results COURSES both online and onsite LABS to find network solutions TOOLS to map the network landscape ENABLING SERVICES to provide customized network solutions for company of all sizes

Contact

Ensemble Enabler Danklstrasse 30 81371 Munich , Germany +49 89 72 93 97 23 www.ensembleenabler.com value@ensembleenabler.com

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21

www.ensembleenabler.com

Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software