722: Where to Start in Survival Mode, with Rebecca Homkes
Feb 24, 2025
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Rebecca Homkes, a high-growth strategy specialist and CEO, dives into navigating organizational survival mode amidst rising uncertainty. She challenges the misconception that uncertainty is solely detrimental and discusses the dangers of executive overconfidence in predictions. Homkes emphasizes the need to shift from rigid planning to adaptive strategies, encouraging leaders to ask critical questions that promote growth. She highlights the honesty often found in survival mode, which can lead to valuable learning opportunities and better decision-making.
Redefining uncertainty allows organizations to explore growth opportunities instead of merely responding defensively to challenges.
Emphasizing a culture of adaptive decision-making helps leaders pivot strategies effectively, turning unpredictable situations into learning moments.
Deep dives
Redefining Uncertainty
Leaders often perceive uncertainty solely as a negative force, impacting decision-making and organizational setup. This pervasive framing can lead to a restrictive mindset, limiting the exploration of potential opportunities that uncertainty can bring. By redefining uncertainty as a series of possible future events, organizations can shift their focus from merely surviving to thriving, recognizing the potential for growth within volatile conditions. Embracing this reframe encourages leaders to explore innovative strategies and seize unforeseen opportunities rather than defaulting to a protective response.
The Myths of Surviving and Thriving
Many leaders view surviving and thriving as opposite ends of a spectrum, often oscillating between excessive caution in downturns and reckless ambition in favorable times. This binary thinking can result in mismanagement of resources and prevent organizations from maintaining a balanced approach to growth. It’s essential to understand that survival is part of a continuous growth cycle, rather than a finite state to escape from. Organizations must cultivate a mindset that accepts both survival and growth as interconnected aspects of their ongoing journey, adaptable to changing market conditions.
Decision-Making in Uncertainty
Successful navigation through uncertainty hinges on an organization's ability to make informed decisions rather than overly relying on predictions. Leaders must cultivate a culture that prioritizes adaptive decision-making frameworks, where the focus shifts from merely sticking to preconceived plans to reassessing strategies based on evolving circumstances. By articulating beliefs and clearly defining implications rather than following rigid guidelines, organizations can enhance their capacity to pivot swiftly when faced with unforeseen challenges. This proactive approach fosters a resilient decision-making environment that embraces change and mitigates the risks associated with inflexible planning.
Harnessing Learning in Volatile Times
Periods of uncertainty are opportune moments for organizations to accelerate their learning and innovation. During such times, organizations can gain clearer insights from customers, partners, and the market, facilitating more honest dialogues around needs and expectations. This environment fosters a culture of transparency that enables teams to identify immediate opportunities and adapt strategies dynamically. Leaders who emphasize learning during turbulence can transform crises into catalysts for growth and reinforce their competitive edge in the ever-evolving market landscape.
Rebecca Homkes is a high-growth strategy specialist and CEO and executive advisor. She is a Lecturer at the London Business School, Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, and Advisor and Faculty at the Boston Consulting Group focused on AI and Climate and Sustainability. She is the author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times*.
Uncertainty seems to be more and more the norm. Sometimes, that leads an organization into survival mode. If that’s where you are now, this conversation is the roadmap for what to do next.
Key Points
We default to the assumption that uncertainty is unequivocally bad.
Executives are often overconfident in their ability to predict the future and get tied into patterns that reward following the plan.
We tend to adopt the first explanation we hear that makes sense instead of examining our beliefs.
Make good decisions even when you cannot make good predictions.
Avoid attempting to predict the end state. Stop planning and start preparing.
People are often most honest when in survival mode, opening up opportunity for learning and growth.
Ask these two questions: What could break us? What could make us?