In business, agility is defined by the desire to change, capability to change and the liveliness to adapt quickly.
More specifically defined by continuous learning, decisiveness and critical thinking in a professional setting, agility will define the future of business, and technology in particular.
The future is agile
In today’s highly-competitive world, it is virtually impossible to maintain a competitive advantage simply through a product or service. Adaptable people and innovation are key to competitiveness. To be able to innovate, companies need agile thinkers, and leaders.
The rules of doing business are shifting to coalesce around innovations in products and services. With Baby Boomers entering into retirement as more sophisticated technology and globalization become more prevalent, a new type of business leader is becoming more essential, yet more difficult to find.
This emerging type of executive has the ability and agility to learn, as well as the desire to learn. This person is continuously focused on seeking out chances to learn something and proactively seeks better approaches to business; all for the benefit of their organization and team members.
Furthermore, technology and media platforms permit the free flow of information and those who can rapidly and effectively process information to act decisively are effective leaders now, and in the future.
Agility in an organization
Businesses which can be agile prioritize trust, employee empowerment, perseverance, decisiveness and efforts toward improvement. These companies have managers who lead by example and are committed to improvement through sensible risk-taking. These companies also support a culture that blends people and ideas from various professions and industries.
On the other hand, companies defined by hierarchy and structure do not act swiftly enough to benefit from rising and changing market opportunities. These companies may be able to survive short-term, but their out-of-date approach will catch up to them down the road.
Agility in an individual
People who exhibit professional agility have an appetite for learning, desire to take on major challenges, embrace risk and are solutions-oriented.
Leaders with professional agility are able to uncover, explore and adapt to emerging opportunities. For these individuals, learning is the means to an end. The effective use of novel concepts is the important thing to being agile, and often as a result of this, even more learning becomes necessary.
Recognition has long been associated with reaching linear goals, as opposed to developing cutting-edge ideas and opportunities. This is sadly the ecosystem that today’s leaders came up in, and therefore, locating those who with a background in agility often calls for going beyond the normal recruitment strategies.
When leaders and companies encounter economic struggles and political complications, the tendency is to work with a defensive mindset. Conversely, agility brings the confidence to make tough choices.
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