This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
As I reflect on the current state of the world, I am reminded of the novels of James Hadley Chase, which were known for their thrilling stories of intrigue, wealth, and power. The title of one of his novels, The Way the Cookie Crumbles, aptly describes the situation we find ourselves in today.
With the pandemic causing widespread disruptions, many concepts and ideas that were once considered brilliant have become worthless. Airlines are grounded, tourism has come to a standstill, hotels are shut, and movie theaters are empty. Restaurants are only doing home deliveries, churches are closed, and sporting events have been canceled. It's a world unlike anything we've seen before.
Looking back at my book, Metal Independence, written in 2014, I realize that it was a prophetic warning of a day when what made us brilliant would no longer be enough. The book discussed the great disruption that would come from innovation, but little did I know that it would be an unseen enemy like Covid-19 that would bring about such change.
As Robert Greene wrote in 33 Strategies of War, 'The greatest generals, the most creative strategists, stand out not because they have more knowledge but because they are able, when necessary, to drop preconceived notions and focus intensely on the present moment.' This is a lesson that managers need to learn in order to navigate the current crisis.
As General Ulysses Grant, the 18th President of the United States, once said, 'If men make war in slavish observance to rules, they will fail. War is progressive.' We are at war with Covid-19, and we need to adapt our thinking to overcome it. We cannot rely on the thinking of the past, but rather, we need to develop the boldness to enter into the 'no man's land' sphere of thinking.
It's time for managers to beef up their training on creative thinking, as it will take a different way of thinking to navigate these waters. A manager who is used to sitting at a desk and managing people they can see and summon is now faced with a new reality of remote managing of teams.
— Wale Akinyemi is the Chief Transformation Officer at PowerTalks
