When the Qantas Think live-interview event was held at Melbourne restaurant Alfred Place in early March, the coronavirus pandemic was only just on the radar in Australia. Dr Catriona Wallce offered insights and learnings that have direct application for corporate leaders now plotting the course through this year of unpredictability.

Never Waste a Crisis

Leading Through Uncertainty, Change and Disruption

COVID-19 is an example of an entirely predictable disaster. Serious, novel pathogens emerge regularly. None of this minimises or plays down the effects of the current pandemic but it does illustrate that this should be an occurrence that that precisely no one finds surprising. Not only was it bound to happen sometime, evolution tells us it is certain to happen again, too, So how do we lead our teams in times of change and massive disruption?

COVID-19 is an example of an entirely predictable disaster. Yes, its effects will likely be economically devastating (and in some cases personally devastating for those affected in the individual sense), but nonetheless it is still absolutely predictable. Serious, novel pathogens emerge regularly. In the last 20 years, we’ve seen things like H1N1, H5N1 and SARS all emerge, as well as outbreaks and epidemics of older viruses such as Zika and Ebola. None of this minimises or plays down the effects of the current pandemic (which many experts predict may well be worse than all of the above); but it does illustrate that this should be an occurrence that that precisely no one finds surprising. Not only was it bound to happen sometime, evolution tells us it is certain to happen again, too, 

But there is no doubt – predictable or not – that many of us have found ourselves blindsided by just how far-reaching the effects of this pandemic have been. I, myself, have been dealing with my own form of crisis management – I have a team of over 50 people delivering programs in around 4,000 schools a year – including hundreds in the next few months. So you can imagine what operational planning has looked like in my office for the last few days!

Crucially, we cannot allow ourselves to be sucked into thinking purely reactively. We must resist the temptation to be pulled purely into the day-to-day of managing what is right in front of us, and find ways to keep ourselves thinking strategically and learning the lessons we can from this that will help us manage the highly predictable reality of crises, uncertainty and disruption that we will continue to face into the future.

So in this future-focused, provocative and instructive session, we will:

• Look at the curious reality of just how ‘predictable’ most surprises in the marketplace actually are, and look at what the current events should teach us about strategic, scenario and contingency planning
• Unpack the ‘physics’ of disruption; how it moves through markets, and how various sources (technological, demographic, geopolitical, consumer and – yes – even biological!) combine to create an ‘edge’ of disruption in every market 
• Examine the four mindsets of the change-ready leader, and how we can arm ourselves with an approach that makes us more resilient to external shock

With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 virus growing, Keith Ferrazzi is coaching the executive teams of the world's largest organizations virtually. Companies like Delta, GM, & Verizon have pivoted from traditional avenues of engagement and into the virtual world to keep up. You can too.

Speaker, executive advisor and Founder of Switch Learning + Development Phill Nosworthy chats with Ode Managements Leanne Christie about the need to for a shift in management style in times of crisis, such as those that we face right now.

COVID-19 is an example of an entirely predictable disaster. Serious, novel pathogens emerge regularly. None of this minimises or plays down the effects of the current pandemic but it does illustrate that this should be an occurrence that that precisely no one finds surprising. Not only was it bound to happen sometime, evolution tells us it is certain to happen again, too, So how do we lead our teams in times of change and massive disruption?

Dr Catriona Wallace is speaking for the NSW Government in conjunction with IWD and Women’s Week on a panel at the Talking Women Business Leaders Panel in Sydney.

In this motivational speech technology futurist Shara Evans shares her inspiring personal story of how she became a business leader and globally renowned futurist — whilst overcoming personal challenges that would have been viewed as impossible barriers by most.

In a fast-moving world, our ability to connect with ourselves and others in a meaningful way is getting more and more difficult. Sitting right at the heart of the challenge is our own relationship with technology. No one would deny that our favourite gadgets and devices enable us to do incredible things at work and in our own lives, but without acknowledging the potential downsides of always being switched on and plugged in, we risk running headfirst into poor mental and physical health, along with weak and chaotic real-world connections.

One of the biggest challenges for any start-up is finding the right talent. In big cities, they must compete with large, well known or global organisations that are appealing to job seekers due to their competitive salaries and bonuses. This can be intimidating and present challenges in the recruitment process. However, there are distinguishable career rewards that set start-ups apart from the big guns when it comes to employment offerings, giving you a different currency to play with. Highlighting these incentives is key through the recruitment process to ensure that top talent gravitates your way instantly.