Navigating Uncertainty: How Global Business Leaders Are Adapting to Disruption and Complexity

In an era marked by disruption and economic uncertainty, global business leaders are grappling with the complexities of modern leadership. A new report from Odgers Berndtson highlights five strategies executives are adopting to navigate these challenges and enhance their organizations' resilience in an unpredictable landscape.

October 21, 2024 – A Protiviti and North Carolina State University study of over 1,300 board leaders and C-suite executives from around the world, found disruption and ongoing economic uncertainty are among the top concerns of global business leaders today. The study shows that these external forces add to the growing complexity of business leadership. In addition, a report from Boardroom Insiders shows new leadership duties have made the CEO role far more complex and unpredictable than it once was.

From AI and supply chain disruption to new workplace norms and governance requirements, leaders must navigate a growing number of external and internal headwinds, according to a just released report from Odgers Berndtson’s Tom Mutch and Mark O’Donnell. So how do executive leaders make decisive and impactful decisions in this uncertain environment, and how do they ensure their organizations also possess this capability?

Odgers Berndtson offers five methods that they are seeing executive leaders implement to enhance their own and their organization’s capacity to navigate uncertainty.

1. Leveraging Gen AI for Enhanced Decision-Making.

Executives have for some time now, relied on data analytics and predictive modeling to inform their decision-making, derive insights from trends, and better anticipate potential challenges and opportunities, according to the Odgers Berndtson report.

“However, we are increasingly seeing executive leaders across the C-suite combine this with Gen AI,” the search firm said. “In particular, they are using Gen AI as a strategic-level assistant to solve complex problems and advise on decisions.” This is so prevalent that Gartner found nearly half of CEOs used Chat GPT in their jobs last year, with increased intelligence and analysis cited among the top three benefits.

“Despite some risks, executive leaders are increasingly using Gen AI to react to disruption at pace and increase certainty in decision-making,” Odgers Berndtson said. According to IBM, 43 percent of CEOs now use Gen AI to guide their strategic decisions, reflecting a growing reliance on this technology to navigate uncertainty and maintain agility in a rapidly changing business environment.

2. Building Agility with Empowered Teams.

Executive leaders foster agility by empowering teams to make rapid decisions and maintaining flexible strategies, enabling quick responses to changing conditions, the Odgers Berndtson report explains.

Related: The Critical Role of Executive Leadership in Navigating Change

“Executive leaders empower teams by communicating a clear vision and goals, providing autonomy in decision-making, and offering support through opportunities for professional growth while encouraging collaboration and innovation to solve problems and drive success,” the firm said. “This creates a sense of ownership and accountability, enabling teams across the organization to make quick decisions without waiting for top-down directives.”

In addition to organizational agility, higher employee engagement typically results in 21 percent higher profitability, better retention, and increased productivity, according to a Gallop report.

3. Adopting a Framework for Collaborative Decision-Making.

Odgers Berndtson notes that alongside AI-informed decision-making, collaborative decision-making enables executive leaders to embed checks and balances when making strategic decisions. “Done correctly, this approach ensures thorough risk-mitigation and provides certainty in uncertain situations,” the search firm said. “Executive leaders face challenges that require collaborative decision-making, which, if not done correctly, can lead to consensus rather than diverse insights. By adopting a systematic approach to collaborative decision making, executive leaders can release creative thinking and diverse debate, creating more certainty in their strategic decisions.”


Key Traits for Navigating a Crisis

The concept of leadership is going through a profound transformation. Traditional leadership paradigms, which tend to emphasize stability and incremental progress, aren’t adaptable enough to address the complexities of a more volatile work-life-community dynamic and global marketplace, according to a recent report from Signium. The study says that organizations are now confronted with much bigger challenges: global pandemics, economic uncertainties, climate change, geopolitical tension and massive societal shifts. At the helm of these organizations, leaders are expected to navigate uncharted waters with agility and discernment.


This model involves scoping the problem, voicing hypotheses, and defining outcomes clearly whilst identifying the data and consultations required to inform the decision.

4. Embedding Adaptability Through Succession.

Boards and executive leaders are increasingly focusing on succession planning in response to talent shortages and to drive leadership resilience throughout organizations, according to the Odgers Berndtson report. “By focusing on talent retention, upskilling, and preparing future leaders who are adaptable and aligned with the company’s purpose, executive leaders can secure long-term stability and resilience in the face of changing market dynamics,” the study said.

Odgers Berndtson explains that robust succession plans, particularly those with both technical and managerial leadership tracks, provide leaders with a greater selection of skills and abilities when making new appointments. “This means they possess the internal talent and skills to meet new challenges as and when they appear,” the firm said.

5. Setting a Clear Organizational Purpose.

A well-defined purpose serves as a ‘North Star,’ guiding decision-making and priorities when conditions are uncertain, the Odgers Berndtson report explains. The firm says that it helps executive leaders and teams stay focused on long-term goals rather than reacting impulsively and without direction to short-term fluctuations.

Related: 4 Lessons on Leading Through a Crisis

“In uncertain times, this clarity helps allocate resources effectively, ensuring efforts align with core values and mission,” the report said. “What’s more, a strong sense of purpose can foster resilience among employees, keeping morale high during challenging periods. When individuals understand how their work contributes to the organization’s overarching mission, they are more likely to stay engaged and committed, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks.”

“Finally, a clear purpose helps cut through complexity,” the Odgers Berndtson report said. “During uncertainty, organizations face a flood of choices. Having a strong purpose allows executive leaders to evaluate options quickly and choose paths that align with the organization’s mission and values, reducing indecision.”

Odgers Berndtson delivers executive search, leadership assessment, and development strategies to organizations globally. The firm’s 250-plus partners cover more than 50 sectors and operate out of 59 offices in 29 countries.

Dr. Mutch is partner, global board practice, public sector and sport at Odgers. He has over two decades experience in search, specializing in board, C-suite and senior management appointments across the APAC region. Dr. Mutch has worked with a multitude of global and domestic clients across the private and public sectors, and he prides himself on being open, insightful and candid. He has led board searches for global member-owned organizations, subsidiaries of multinationals, billion-dollar public and private infrastructure assets, hospitals and financial institutions. Dr. Mutch has also overseen the searches for university chancellors, chairs of PE-backed entities as well as Federal and State government Directors across the education, community, sport and treasury portfolios. He is particularly proud of being part of the team delivering the board and CEO for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mr. O’Donnell is managing partner of Odgers Berndtson in Ireland. He specializes in high-level executive searches and appointments of senior management appointments from head of function to board level across a range of industries and functions. Mr. O’Donnell is particularly focused on assisting clients in the consumer, financial services, technology, arts and sports sectors. He is considered a leading consultant in the recruitment of all C-suite positions in particular CEO, CFO, HRD, marketing and commercial directors. Additionally, he leads Odgers’ assessment practice where he is passionate about assisting clients to assess and develop their talent.

Related: Leadership Traits That Matter in Times of Crisis

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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