You must adapt to ride the storm

Frank Dillon

The Sunday Times

31 January 2010

Challenges can turn out to be opportunities for the best leaders, according to an article in The Sunday Times, Ireland edition.   PA’s Mark Thomas, author of The zombie economy: leadership in uncertain times, contributed to the debate on how today’s business leaders face an unprecedented series of challenges, with little established guidance for leadership.   

Commenting on the personal attributes needed for leaders in this environment Mark says: “There’s no manual you can turn to because of these unprecedented times… so what’s needed is strength of character,” he said. “Leaders need to be determined but they need to be flexible and agile too, and that’s a difficult balancing act.” 

Commenting on the need for honesty and connecting with people in the organisation, Mark says: “You might need to go before a workforce that has been cut by 15% and say there is no guarantee that another 15 % won’t be cut over the next year, but add, if people work together there’s a good chance that we can get out of this crisis and be stronger at the other end,” he said.