Professor Paul Griffith is one of the world’s first Management Professor to lead a team that launched a rocket to spcae twenty years ago. As Professor of Practice at Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School, Paul works with hundreds of executives and organisations in strategy, innovation, digital transformation and customer-centricity. He has led a range of custom programmes for national and global organisations in the private (including aerospace, financial services, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, retail, technology, telecoms, energy sectors) and public sector. Before joining the Ashridge team, he held leadership roles in product management, marketing, business development and corporate strategy for global enterprises, start-up and turnaround businesses including BT, FirstMark and was CMO at Datapoint. In addition, Paul has extensive international experience leading cross-cultural teams and global programmes serving the enterprise and SME markets. Professor Paul Griffith shares insights into why Strategic Leadership is needed to succeed in turbulent times. He also explains why executives should attend TEXEM, UK’s forthcoming programme, which he and Ambassador Dr Rachel Aron and Ambassador Charles Crawford would deliver and is slated to hold between August 16-19 in this interview.
Why should executives attend the TEXEM, UK programme on Strategic Leadership for Success in unknown tomorrow?
All organisations find their stakeholder requirements are changing from their customers’ needs to the competitive landscape, regulatory oversight, to employee needs. These are defining signals that demonstrate threats and opportunities that could make or mar any organisation. To consistently win irrespective of the challenging present and future requires distinct capabilities in; strategic leadership, an intrepreneurial culture and pedigree in optimising decisions which this programme would cover. TEXEM’s approach of using a range of learning tools comprising discussion, role play, presentations, company visits, short videos, and games improve; interpersonal skills, stakeholder engagement credentials, decision-making capabilities, communication, leadership quotient and team spirit. TEXEM’s tested and proven methodology comprising of case studies will be deployed during the programme to encourage participants to enhance their cognitive skills, improve their analytical rigour, evaluation skills, and assist them in managing ambiguity better. Also, the programme would be delivered by highly experienced London Business School and Oxbridge trained faculties. They consistently share valuable insights that help hundreds of leaders and their organisations to thrive. These eminent faculties such as Ambassador Charles Crawford and Ambassador Rachel Aron would utilise; coaching, audio-visuals, role-play, and relevant examples to stimulate self-reflection, encourage personal development plans and inspire a growth mindset to consistently win irrespective of the turbulent operating context. Through this TEXEM capacity development programme on Strategic Leadership for Success scheduled to hold between 16-19 August 2021, executives would enhance their social capital by networking and steepening their learning curve by challenging assumptions.
Why is strategic leadership of utmost importance in a challenging future? Strategic leadership determines the future of any organisation. Clarity about guiding the organisation through uncertainty and unforeseen circumstances is vital to the organisation’s long-term success.
How can you optimise performance in an unknown tomorrow? Creating strategy in uncertain times is one of the critical capabilities of any organisation in an increasingly fast-paced and volatile business environment. Getting clarity on creating value for stakeholders, generating a series of options and remaining flexible and agile in responding to the marketplace are all critical drivers of strategic success. Inspiring your team by emphasising the silver lining, communicating hope, celebrating progress, facilitating collaboration and teamwork and empowering all to participate in decision-making. The TEXEM programme on Strategic Leadership for Success in an Unknown tomorrow is scheduled to hold face to face between 16-19 August at Birmingham and via hybrid. For the benefit of organisations and individuals who are unable to go off-shore due to the COVID-19 restrictions, TEXEM, UK, is offering a one-day live session at Radisson Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on the first day. The participants will join via zoom for the remaining three days from day two in a Hybrid version of (face-to-face and virtual live sessions).
How can strategic leadership change the trajectory of an organisation? A ‘good’ strategy often involves understanding and solving a problem differently from other organisations – that is, the ability to create value for their stakeholders distinctly and differently. There are many examples of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ strategies – for example, when Steve Jobs came back to Apple in the late nineties, he inherited a failing company. Still, the next strategy he introduced changed the organisation’s fate, saving it from bankruptcy to become one of the most successful organisations in the 21st Century. During this programme, Strategic Leadership for Success in an Unknown tomorrow, we examine examples of failed strategies and those that have worked and lessons.
How does strategic leadership enhance a leader’s clarity of purpose? All organisations need to start with their ‘purpose’ – the reason they exist and their value to society and all their stakeholders. This is the foundation for building strategy.
What’s the difference between the clarity of purpose and the clarity of strategy? The purpose is the starting point for any strategy. However, the strategy requires other elements – for example, clarity about where to play (e.g. which markets, which products etc.) and how to win (e.g. through innovation) and a defined execution plan.
What capabilities are evident in a strategic leader? The ability to think broadly about the context and business environment for the organisation now and looking forward over the longer term. Ultimately strategy is about ‘choice’, action and position – so strategic leaders are able to assess their position, understand and be curious about the broad perspective and then make choices for their organisation. These themes will be covered in this forthcoming TEXEM programme, Strategic Leadership for Success in an Unknown. Please apply through https://texem.co.uk/strategic-leadership-for-success-in-an-unknown-tomorrow/ or call +447425 883791 or email [email protected]. For a one minute video about the programme, please visit https://youtu.be/CwYhXD9QgFc
