In 2018 I began to understand that something big was happening.
The news seemed full of more and larger “first-time ever” type of events, more surprises, more Disruptions. No specific day or event triggered my thinking, but clearly, something related to globalism and/or technology and/or the interconnectivity of things was driving change.
As I began to write and talk about this phenomenon, others shared their observations and perspectives on change. It became clear to me that VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) was having a major impact on all aspects of life.
Then in March 2020, the Mother of All Disruptions struck. With the onslaught of COVID-19, everyone agreed that the world had been disrupted like never before. Unfortunately, even though everyone understood that how we work, shop, travel, go to school, entertain and every aspect of lives changed, people still wanted to believe that post-COVID-19 would be a return to the old normal, or at least a steady-state new normal.
Well, as we all have seen, this is not the case. The new normal is permanent Disruption. My new book Insightful Leadership explains how and why these perpetual Disruptions often beget tipping points, which, in turn, often beget paradigm shifts. These paradigm shifts beget new Disruptions, thus the new normal is perpetual Disruptions. However, Insightful Leaders know that perpetual Disruption presents perpetual opportunities to gain competitive advantage over others who are less insightful.
As the feedback on the new book continues to grow, another Paradigm Shift is coming to the art and science of management, leadership, and how organizations do business. Organizations must transition from the old paradigm of Assumed Certainty to a new paradigm of Known Uncertainty. Consider the following characteristics of the two:
| Assumed Certainty | Known Uncertainty |
| Business as usual | Perpetual disruptions |
| Focus on verbs (learn, lead) | Focus on gerunds (learning, leading) |
| Focus on predictability | Focus on adaptability |
| Encourage conformity | Encourage innovation |
| Return on investment | Resilience and agility |
| Project management | Evolution and journey |
| Laser focus | Multitask |
| Going to to where the puck is | Going to where the puck is going to be |
Moving from Assumed Certainty to Known Uncertainty demands the deployment of Insightful Leadership. I know it would be easier to just keep doing what you have been doing for the last X years, but this option is no longer available. So, I encourage you to throw off the paradigm of Assumed Certainty, adopt the paradigm of Known Certainty and in so doing insightfully lead your organization forward to higher levels of success.
Jim Tompkins, Chairman of Tompkins Ventures, is an international authority on designing and implementing end-to-end supply chains. Over five decades, he has designed countless industrial facilities and supply chain solutions, enhancing the growth of numerous companies. He previously built Tompkins International from a backyard startup into an international consulting and implementation firm. Jim earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
