ambidextrous leadership

When we manage a product or service, and things are going well, we typically stick to our proven recipe for success. We may be unaware of our bias towards the status quo and resistant to testing new alternatives. This phenomenon is often illustrated using well-known cases such as Kodak, Blockbuster, and Nokia. It’s only when we face the clear consequences of inaction that we realise that we should have changed course sooner. It’s a valuable learning experience but with a hefty price.

Business simulations allow us to mimic these challenges and get the benefit of learning without the damaging cost. Participants get to practice a skillset known as “ambidextrous leadership”. It is the art of balancing exploration and exploitation, enabling a business to innovate and adapt while maintaining operational excellence.

• exploration is about innovation, risk-taking, and embracing change.

• exploitation is about operational efficiency, process refinement, and delivering consistent results.

What is critical to business success is that we make choices that are appropriate for the environmental context. We need to develop the ability to listen and appropriately respond to signals of change.  

How do you ensure your leaders have the necessary skill set to navigate constant change and uncertainty? How important is ambidextrous leadership to your organisation?