For many 2020 has been a year of finding themselves, digging deep within, and searching for who we are at the core. For others it is about responding to change. And for many others it was just a year of confusion and questioning.

And industry-wise there are the clear profiteers due to the pandemic related services that they provide but there are also some standouts beyond hygiene products, medical supplies, retail and grocery suppliers with delivery, and of course the big names like Amazon.

Technology products and services are soaring but not the ones you may think. Appie saw a dip in sales of iPhones while companies like Zoom grew so fast they couldn’t manage the demands of security and infrastructure. But the real winners are the small operations that found their niche in the mobility, productivity, and services applications that helped people transition to a new way of working.

And outside of technology other industries held on or increased their profit margins according to Just Business. Construction, online retail, finance and insurance, manufacturing especially if they pivoted to 2020 demands, professional, scientific, and technical services all saw increases in profits. And utilities, waste management, administrative and remediation services saw an increase in employees to meet the demands of more people at home and a change in how everyone structured their days.

But no matter whether you saw a boom or suffered losses or if you just don’t know what happened in this surreal year, some clear winners (and losers) have emerged in our corporate and political leaders. But don’t take my word for it. For our final blog of 2020, I asked those on the ground to give me their thoughts on what 2020 has taught us about Leadership and Agility.

If I had to pick a word for 2020, it would be agile.

The need for rapid change forced people, businesses, and governments to adjust and achieve things that would have taken years to accomplish during normal times. Leaders quickly stood out from the crowd as those capable of functioning under pressure in the face of the unknown. At the same time, many sat paralyzed on the sidelines waiting for life to return to ‘normal.’ ~ Heidi Medina of Talk to Heidi

Designate Tasks and Develop a Strong Team with Open Communication

In 2020, I have learned the importance of designating tasks to others, developing a strong team with open communication and offering a variety of services within your career. For example, as a social media manager, it’s important that I offer a variety of options to my potential clients. Each client and business is different in their needs. I have also learned how important it is to constantly keep learning and learn new skills to expand your mind as an individual. This applies to many areas of business as well as life! Even if we are facing difficulties or slow periods in our business, by expanding one's portfolio and skill set, one is always able to find work. ~ Natalie Butka of Butka Creative

Be able to roll with the punches

If 2020 taught us anything about agility and leadership, it's that you need to be ready for changes and be able to roll with the punches.  This is especially true in the travel industry.  Since March of this past year, I seriously had to do some rethinking, re-planning, and pivoting.  As the founder of my business and the leader of a large Facebook travel community, I was constantly having to carefully and delicately steer everything into the direction I wanted to go, while so much was unknown.  ~ Karen Rosenblum of Spain Less Traveled

Being agile and able to adapt helps us when crisis knocks at the door

The enforced remote setup has waved the fear of many companies afraid to experiment with distributed and remote setup. Letting their employees be flexible about where they work from, will potentially boost their productivity in the coming years.

The most agile companies could adjust their business models to the new normal. Of course, a lot of products will never get released, but isn't it for the better that they switched to something that is proven to bring value? ~ Yuliia Pieskova, Scrum Master & Agile Coach

When faced with the unexpected, it is possible to think creatively

The events of the year 2020 have shown us that, when faced with very unexpected changes in circumstances over which we have little or no control, it is often possible to think creatively and act with agility to continue making progress toward our goals. Many organizations, large and small, have found that people can still be productive working remotely and flexibly. This may have been the moment we finally began to shed what I call the ‘Model T Mentality’ of requiring everyone to work in the same building at the same time for fear the production line might have to stop — we have proven otherwise. ~ Andrew Merkle, IT Consultant/Advisor

The only thing we can control is ourselves

2020 has been full of uncertainty with many external factors beyond our control. It has taught us that the only thing we can control is oneself. In this way, self-leadership is essential to both ourselves and to those we can lead by example. Our attitude, how we show up in the world, our emotional intelligence and communication are just a few of the many self-leadership qualities we can control and develop to allow us to change problems into challenges and transform them into opportunities. ~ Lindsay Nixon of Lindsay Nixon Coaching

2020 has forced leaders to understand what agility actually means

I think 2020 has forced leaders to understand what agility actually means. A lot of execs who thought their company was Agile suddenly found themselves confronted with organizations that couldn't adapt fast enough. 2020 has caused them to change their mindset more than the frameworks or processes that they thought defined Agile. ~ JF Unson, Agile Coach and Consultant

Building Relationships Needs to Underpin Everything We Do

I’ve re-learnt the truth that we are all connected, and how building relationships needs to underpin everything we do if we are to succeed. I’ve learnt how much it means to others if you are willing to make space for them, to empower them to make choices, and to be there with love regardless of outcome. Building things with others, and giving service is simply more fulfilling then doing anything alone (serotonin beats dopamine every time). ~ Kyle Richardson, Software Development Manager

2020 - The Year of Clear Vision

20/20 -The year of clear vision. However, what no one seemed to be really prepared for, was the overwhelming lack of human foresight, that became visible on so many levels globally, all at the same time. ~ Amanda Jane Grenville, Above the Mark Coaching

Look at the same issue from different angles with an open mind

Those (leaders) who were agile…were more successful in providing quick solutions. Leaders who responded with assertiveness, flexibility and empathy were able to navigate the unprecedented situation better than those who stayed set in their ways. Looking at the same issue from different angles, with an open mind has been key in developing and implementing transitional solutions to stay in business. Creativity, once again, offers a wider scope to find solutions than constricted frameworks with no space for flexibility.

Being a proactive leader who listens and watches and responds empathetically yet firmly has been a lifesaver for many companies and organizations. ~ Melanie Falvey, Founder of Expert Channel TV

In what seemed like minutes, the What, How, and Why Changed

The year started as many other previous years. Companies had plans. They knew the What, How, and Why of their businesses. Then COVID-19 hit followed by lockdowns, restrictions, and economic collapse for many. This totally changed the setting and the narrative. We had to totally review the WHAT for the next few weeks/months, then the WHY, which was the ultimate driver, changed. Within a twinkle of an eye, largely all our plans (though short term), became invalid just after we put them down. Our priorities changed, our market changed, our HOW totally changed. We were left with just one choice, change or become extinct. Move or be pushed away. ~ Bola Adesope, Scrum Master and Agile Coach

What has this year taught us about agility and leadership?

If we look back, it has taught us the following and much, much more, and I thank Bola Adesope for his additional thoughts that have been incorporated as part of the closing.

1. Adaptation Speed Matters: There has never been a time where the words of Rupert Murdock have been this real. “The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.” We saw it as big organizations began to crumble. Organizations that had survived for decades all of a sudden started shutting down whereas small organizations pivoted and adapted. The very definition of agility is being flexible, able to adapt, and to change quickly.

2. Build to Adapt vs Build to Last: We have had several strategies that had sustained organizations for a very long time. We called those strategies that last. However during 2020, we witnessed what on the surface was a well thought out plan becoming invalid for quickly as it was not adaptable; strategies expected to last for a long time. We also had processes and policies that were built in stone that began to crumble. We had to very quickly change for the organization to be able to progress. The way it was always done was not going to work.

3. Involve Everyone: Everyone matters. Involve them all the way down. There is not much value in hierarchy anymore. Transparency and a healthy corporate culture are requirements. A deep understanding of how teams work and practiced collaboration and communication not only ensure productivity but higher performance.

4. Go Digital: “There is no more distance in the new future”. While we realize that not all enterprises can be virtual, for many brick and mortar buildings are just that…brick and mortar…materials They do not define who a company is or what they can do. If the walls are required to prop up a company that can thrive without them, it will fall. There are still companies 9 months later fighting distribution and remote work. These are the ones we will say farewell to while others will excel.

5. Lead from the Front (and by example): The stand out leaders of 2020 are those who understood and embraced their own vulnerability. Those who knew they couldn’t go it alone without the rest of the company to join in the charge. Those who realized that the best or most innovative ideas come from within when everyone has a voice to be heard. And that some days those experiments or ideas just aren’t going to work and collectively the organization needs to pick itself up and start again. A true leader joins in the fight and doesn’t abdicate its responsibility to others.

Here at Agility for All, we recognize the severe magnitude of what many have gone through in 2020 and we admire those who hit the ground running in new directions with new ideas. I personally found inspiration in many things that happened even when I had my own moments of insecurity about whether or not I was doing the right thing at the right time. I am grateful for what 2020 has shown us, those who supported each other on the dark days, and what heights many were able to reach despite the odds by being the best agile leaders they could be. And most of all, I was inspired by the leaders among us who emerged and I look forward to seeing what 2021 brings.

Happy New Year!

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INDRA A. BOOKS

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