Good leadership in a 'VUCA' world demands agility

VUCA - 'Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous' - was a term coined by the American military to describe the extreme conditions in conflict zones such as Afghanistan that forced a shift from traditional command and control military structures. The acronym has become mainstream business speak with increasing resonance for business leaders dealing with today's constantly shifting landscape, where global issues in political, economic and societal arenas can impact on how we do business.

Engaging with uncertainty demands greater agility and being a good leader in a VUCA world requires a new style of leadership - but the challenge is perhaps less about getting new ideas in, and more about getting the old ones out.

Relationships are more complex and nuanced, and require greater collaboration both inside and outside the organisation, with reputation a more important consideration than ever. In this mix, it's vital to recognise the power of employees as influencers and broadcasters, critics and ambassadors.

This was a key take-away from the two keynote speakers at LawNet's recent annual conference, who each gave their expert perspective on how we can unleash the potential of our people.

It's vital when research tells us that more than half of staff in the legal sector plan on moving jobs within a year, and that the legal sector as a whole is the most vulnerable to staff movement.1

Lucy Adams, former BBC HR director, spoke from hard-won experience of the shifting dynamics in the workplace. She oversaw some of the biggest changes for staff within the broadcasting colossus, where relationships shifted dramatically, as the world moved from passive reception of media to one where every individual is a potential broadcaster.

Translating that to the change we currently face in the legal sector, she points to the need for a new style of leadership, particularly in employee relationships. We need to move from a position of implicit distrust where processes are designed to stop behaviour, to one where we enable people to build on their strengths.

Over recent years, we have all been working hard to get to grips with viewing clients as 'consumers', but it's equally important to treat employees as consumers, as one size does not fit all. A more creative approach for the VUCA world is to design jobs around an individual's attributes, recognising there are different personality types, and acknowledging that building on what someone is good at will be more effective than proposing remedial training to force someone to become mediocre at something else.

Our other keynote speaker was Dr Paul Redmond of Manchester University, an authority in the study of generational issues, who emphasised the importance of responding appropriately to the four different generations in our workplace. There are still some of the idealist Boomers around, although the majority of leaders and senior staff are now represented by Generation X. Up and coming are Generation Y, born in the 1980s and 90s, with the Millennials hard on their heels.

Generation Y and Millennials will make up the majority of the global workforce by 2020. These up and coming generations want competitive pay and benefits, and to be proud of the organisation they work for, and are switched off by rigid hierarchy and traditional management styles. Research also suggests that 40% of solicitors under 35 believe they don't receive the right kind of support to develop their careers.2

It makes the annual staff appraisal ripe for change. The words 'can I give you some feedback' are said to have the same effect as someone approaching you from behind in a dark alley: they shut down the receptors you want to ignite. Regular, informal talks, and rewarding group or individual success, are likely to generate better results.

Feedback also shows that the main motivation for staff leaving a firm is lack of opportunity, and that solicitors who lack input to the strategic direction of their organisation are almost twice as likely to leave.3 It all points to a need for a different style of leadership.

Mid-size independent firms have a real opportunity here. Although recruitment of high quality people is cited as a cause for concern by many regional firms,4 I believe that the nimbler independent has the potential to respond to change with greater immediacy and effectiveness.

A number of our member firms are embracing these issues. Ashton KCJ in the East of England has caught headlines in the sector by adopting an unrestricted approach to holiday leave, echoing corporates such as Virgin and Netflix. The policy is still in its infancy but they're reporting positive feedback so far. And employee engagement programmes are delivering exceptional results at member firms like Buckles in Peterborough, Gardner Leader in Berkshire, and Verisona Law in Hampshire. Each has its own individual style, but there are common themes of helping to deliver excellent client service and achieve strategic objectives by encouraging staff to take ownership.

Essential qualities for a VUCA leader include resilience, the ability to engage people and spot opportunities, and a curiosity to keep on learning. But perhaps most importantly, according to Lucy Adams, it is through humility and a recognition that simply by being more human that we can make a difference.

Chris Marston is chief executive of LawNet (www.lawnet.co.uk)

References

1. Hays Legal, December 2015

2. Crowe Clark Whitehall Law Firm Benchmarking Survey 2015

3. PwC Millennials at Work 2011

4. Crowe Clark Whitehall Law Firm Benchmarking Survey 2015 and Hays Legal December 2015