BONUS: Unlocking High-Performance in Agile Organizations, with Rebecca Homkes
In this BONUS episode, strategy expert Rebecca Homkes delves into the core themes of her book Survive Reset Thrive: Leading breakthrough growth strategy in volatile times. With a wealth of experience advising CEOs and serving as a Lecturer at London Business School, Rebecca shares practical advice on how leaders can navigate uncertainty, cultivate internal predictability, and create adaptive, high-performing teams. Whether you're in the software industry or any other fast-paced environment, this conversation offers invaluable insights into leading through change and driving sustainable growth.
Reframing Our Response to Uncertainty for Agile Organizations
“Uncertainty is the new certainty. Let’s not make change bigger than it needs to be.”
Rebecca opens with a key premise from her book: the need to reframe our natural response to uncertainty. She challenges the common association between uncertainty and negativity, urging leaders to embrace it as an opportunity for growth. She explains how software industry leaders can guide their teams to view change as a pathway to innovation, rather than a setback. Uncertainty, after all, is a constant, and thriving in volatile times requires a mindset shift towards flexibility and resilience.
"Leaders should embrace uncertainty as an opportunity, not a setback. It’s about changing the narrative and leading your team to thrive amidst change."
Planning for the Future in Agile Contexts
“Shift from planning to preparing. Build capabilities to seize opportunities as they emerge.”
Rebecca advises against over-reliance on rigid strategic plans. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of building flexibility into long-term strategies—especially in fast-moving industries like software development. Leaders should focus on preparation, enabling their teams to adapt quickly to new opportunities as they arise. She highlights the value of testing beliefs, making small, incremental bets, and staying agile when strategic assumptions change.
"Stop focusing on rigid plans. Build preparation into your strategy and be ready to capitalize on unexpected opportunities."
Building Internal Predictability
“Internal predictability enables teams to navigate chaos. Clarity in decision-making is key.”
While adaptability is crucial, Rebecca highlights the importance of internal predictability to create a stable foundation for teams to thrive. This means establishing clear decision-making processes and aligning team goals, so that despite external chaos, there is an internal structure that teams can rely on. She underscores the need for "aligned speed"—the ability to make quick, effective decisions with clarity on who is responsible for each choice.
"Adaptability doesn’t mean chaos. Build internal predictability by codifying decision-making processes, enabling faster, clearer decisions."
The 9 Power Moves in the Agile Framework
"Surviving crises requires discipline in execution. The 9 Power Moves provide a playbook."
Rebecca shares insights into her "9 Power Moves," a framework designed to help organizations navigate crises. She explains how these moves can be adapted by software companies facing market shifts or project setbacks. Each move offers a practical step leaders can implement to ensure their teams remain agile, focused, and ready to turn challenges into growth opportunities.
"To thrive in a crisis, you need a disciplined approach. The 9 Power Moves give leaders a clear playbook for turning adversity into success."
Celebrating Experimentation in the Software Industry
“If you learn faster, you grow faster. Experimentation is about learning, not failure.”
Rebecca emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture that celebrates experimentation, especially in industries like software where innovation drives success. Experimentation is not about failure but about quickly testing assumptions that could impact the company's success. She encourages leaders to create an environment where experimentation is seen as a discipline, supported by clear processes to test new ideas rapidly and cheaply.
"Experimentation is about fast learning, not failure. Create a culture where testing assumptions is celebrated as a path to growth."
Fostering Shared Context for Cohesive Agile Teams
“Communication is not the same as understanding. Focus on simplicity and shared context.”
One of the key insights Rebecca shares is the idea that more communication does not necessarily lead to better results. Instead, she stresses the need for shared context among team members. In agile environments, leaders should focus on simplicity, ensuring everyone understands what the organization is trying to achieve and how each person’s work ties into that vision. This approach helps maintain alignment and efficiency, especially in cross-functional teams.
"More communication doesn’t equal better teamwork. Focus on building a shared context to ensure everyone is aligned on goals."
Overcoming Leadership Obstacles in Agile Transformation
“Take a pause and reassess your beliefs. Don’t let past success create blind spots.”
Rebecca identifies common leadership traps during Agile transformations, such as overconfidence in past successes. She advises leaders to regularly reassess their beliefs and strategies to avoid stagnation. She also stresses the importance of creating space for strategic conversations, so teams feel aligned and empowered to execute their work within the broader organizational goals.
"Avoid leadership traps by regularly reassessing your beliefs. Don't let past success blind you to new realities."
Learning from Real-Life Case Studies in Agile Environments
“High-performing teams act on beliefs, not just facts. Track your beliefs to learn and adapt faster.”
Drawing from real-life case studies from companies like Spotify and Dell, Rebecca shares key lessons for building high-performing teams. She emphasizes the importance of acting on well-tested beliefs and using these as the foundation for strategic decisions. To support this, she suggests using a "belief tracker" to monitor and adapt strategies based on real-time learning and experimentation.
"Successful teams don’t just rely on facts—they act on beliefs. Use belief trackers to stay agile and learn faster."
About Rebecca Homkes
Rebecca Homkes is a strategy expert, advising CEOs and serving as a Lecturer at London Business School. With roles at Duke, BCG University, and as a London School of Economics fellow, she is also a keynote speaker and YPO Faculty Director. Leading fintech accelerators and serving on company boards, she holds a doctorate from LSE and resides in Miami, San Francisco, and London. Rebecca is the author of Survive Reset Thrive: Leading breakthrough growth strategy in volatile times.
You can link with Rebecca Homkes on LinkedIn.
