Innovation is the opposite of what people think it is; it’s messy and there’s nothing glamorous about it. Anyone who’s been in the trenches will tell you that they don’t really know what’s going to happen. That’s because experience is not a prerequisite for innovation; it’s not. What you gain from venturing out into the unknown and trying to figure out a way forward is grit; you get comfortable with ambiguity.
How has your company adapted to the ongoing pandemic? From big to small the pandemic accelerated technology adoption of many digital tools by every company on Earth, those that haven’t have either struggled to do business or seen their business disappear.
Taking a phone call, watching Netflix, cooking food, and caring for children are only some of the distractions remote workers deal with daily. And with the uncertainty of when they will be able to return to the office, many will continue juggling between different duties while working remotely.
Last week I had the pleasure of chatting with Stephanie Bermudez, founder and CEO of Startup Unidos. She is a game-changer, and I believe you will learn a lot from our conversation.
How do you determine who you choose to follow? What plays into your decision? Sure, likeability is one thing. But the main thing is trust. Trust is the starting point for leading others; trust and leadership go hand in hand.
Leadership is influence. Though that influence is constant, there comes a moment where every organization must disrupt itself to change the times or change with the times. When this moment comes, an organization’s culture is either a catalyst or a hidrance to change; most of the time it’s a hidrance.
Oftentimes the biggest obstacle to change is the leader her / himself. Yes, you are a blocker because you may not be up to the challenge to shift course for your company. For many, this is a hard pill to swallow because their ego will take a hit. I’ve heard it before, “I have loads of experience; I can’t fail”, “There’s a reason why we’ve gotten this far, we’ll double down on what we know and continue to succeed”.
