Government and business leadership no longer a role, but a practice

South African leaders might be uniquely skilled at navigating volatility and complexity, but today’s barrage of economic and political pressures, institutional breakdowns, corruption scandals and digital disruption has created a leadership environment where playing it safe and tweaking what we have often feels like the only viable survival option in a sea of change. 

It’s confidence in this ambiguity that leaders need to embody, and excellent leaders already know that success is becoming less about clarity and control, and more about confidently choosing change. Meaningfully driving growth and trust in our organisations, economy and society, will require confrontation, perhaps through our upcoming National Dialogue, with a few hard truths.

First, we need to reframe failure as curiosity at work. Not reckless failure, not ethical lapses, but bold, intelligent experimentation that pushes us out of stagnation. We should all be asking ourselves and one another: where are we experimenting meaningfully? What are we willing to try, even if (especially if) we don't know the outcome? How are we measuring all potential value?

Second, ruling through fear kills innovation, because people stop sharing, second-guess themselves, and default to safe and familiar. They don’t stop thinking, but stop questioning established ways of thinking and doing. In too many public institutions and private entities, fear is the silent director of culture: fear of losing jobs, reputations, budgets or political capital. Building high-trust environments is essential as we face ongoing polycrises.

Finally, panicking to an acceptable middle zone, a fictional and mediocre place where the good enough can get by, will not grow jobs, restore trust, increase competition, nor repair our fragile society.

Contemporary leadership is now more than a performance role, but a personal practice of tolerating discomfort, adaptation and holding your nerve when others are hedging theirs.

To create momentum and rebuild trust, each of us must work to forge a leadership culture that rewards intelligent, curious risk and demands excellence. The time for waiting for someone else to lead this quest is over. 

Adam Craker

CEO, iqbusiness