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O P I N I O N
The redefinition of winning
B eing a leader is about constantly looking for problems to solve and opportunities to realize – but which ones are the right ones, which ones have the greatest return on investment, and in what order should we pursue them? Most of us have been taught to believe in projects and profits, but do we also believe in people and purpose?
To know for sure, we need to see both the big picture and what’s happening on the ground within our firms and the marketplace. THE BIG PICTURE. I see the patterns. I see them because I look for them. And I know the stress and the tension of needing to better understand, synthesize, and act because I’ve been a principal and major owner. As part of my work these days, I purposely look for meaningful patterns of issues and opportunities that express themselves in leadership teams throughout the industry, across the country, and in both smaller and larger firms as a means to help. And to this end, I see eight great challenges changing our industry in real time: 1)The post-pandemic reality. The gap between great
firms and less-than-great firms in the eyes of their employees continues to widen. 2)Use of technology and the rise of “digital natives.” We’re only scratching the surface of technology at a time when we’ve been unable (or unwilling) to truly engage those who are best positioned to lead us forward. 3)The amped-up “war for talent.” This has taken on a much more aggressive and creative form after only a slight pause in the early months of COVID. 4)The still distant “silver tsunami.” This should be a great thing, but in some cases it’s delaying needed transitions and adding to frustrations. 5)Outside money. Particularly the influence of private equity and other investment fueling consolidation and changing the nature of ownership.
Peter Atherton
See PETER ATHERTON, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER OCTOBER 4, 2021, ISSUE 1411
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