I am sure you may have seen the funny post on social media that read: “Who led your digital transformation?” and underneath the question was three options:

1. CEO 

2. CIO

3. COVID-19.

Obviously, answer 3, COVID-19 has accelerated our digital capabilities. 

This has compelled many organizations to change the way they interface with their customers. Indeed, many have introduced digital channels to stay connected to their customers and this has improved customer’s buying experience and eventually endangered growth.

As individuals, some of us have also learned to use applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and others to stay connected.

Before we go into the details… let us first understand what led to the declaration of COVID-19.

In December 2019, an infectious disease caused by a virus was first identified in Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei provinces. The disease was said to be causing severe or acute respiratory syndrome. It was later named as “2019-nCoV” coronavirus 2 (that is SARS-CoV-2) by Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) one week into 2020. The virus started as an Endemic, became an Outbreak, Epidemic, and now a Pandemic. On March 11, 2020, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic, and its impact is expected to be with us for the next 2 years.

Now what is the Great Reset?

The Great Reset: “How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity” was a book published in April 2010 by Richard Florida, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

The book puts into context Florida’s urban development theories with the recession, to describe the future of our cities. The Great Reset looks at the economic incentives which has driven American society in the past. Florida compares the 2008–2012 global recession to two similar periods in recent history, the 1870s, and the 1930s.  The book suggested a reset. The book is divided into three parts, how past resets have shaped development, how different cities are positioned, and what trends will emerge from the reset. Source: Wikipedia.

In June 2020, The World Economic Forum propagated the need for a Great Reset. The Forum made the point that there was an urgent need for global stakeholders to cooperate in simultaneously managing the direct consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. 

To improve the state of the world, the World Economic Forum started The Great Reset initiative.

Context:” The Covid-19 crisis, and the political, economic, and social disruptions it has caused, is fundamentally changing the traditional context for decision-making. The inconsistencies, inadequacies, and contradictions of multiple systems – from health and finance to energy and education – are more exposed than ever amidst a global context of concern for lives, livelihoods, and the planet. Leaders find themselves at a historic crossroads, managing short-term pressures against medium- and long-term uncertainties.”

Opportunity:” As we enter a unique window of opportunity to shape the recovery, this initiative will offer insights to help inform all those determining the future state of global relations, the direction of national economies, the priorities of societies, the nature of business models and the management of a global commons. Drawing from the vision and vast expertise of the leaders engaged across the Forum’s communities, the Great Reset initiative has a set of dimensions to build a new social contract that honors the dignity of every human being.” Source: The World Economic Forum.

From the above, it is crystal clear that the year 2020, has brought with it a paradigm shift. A shift where we need to Reset by Re-imagining, Reinventing and Recreating the way we live as individuals and in the organization we work for or run because our normal ways are past and gone. 

Indeed, new normal requires us to understand the change that has befallen us. Changes like where and how we work. In other words, companies are drifting more towards working from home and remote working. Also, how and when we travel has changed. That is, international travels have tremendously declined. How and where we get entertained has changed. We are hearing of drive through concerts/ movies, virtual concerts and others.

We virtually are in the epitome of VUCA. An acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. The acronym was first used in the 1987, drawing on the leadership theories of Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus – to describe or to reflect on the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions and situations. The U.S. Army War College introduced the concept of VUCA to describe the more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous multilateral world perceived as resulting from the end of the Cold War. 

Discussion of the term “VUCA” began and become more dominant in 2002 and It has subsequently taken root in emerging ideas in strategic management and leadership that apply in a wide range of organizations.

V = Volatility: the nature and dynamics of change, and the nature and speed of change forces and change catalysts.

U = Uncertainty: the lack of predictability, the prospects for surprise, and the sense of awareness and understanding of issues and events.

C = Complexity: the multiplex of forces, the confounding of issues, no cause-and-effect chain and confusion that surrounds organization.

A = Ambiguity: the haziness of reality, the potential for misreads, and the mixed meanings of conditions; cause-and-effect confusion. Source: Wikipedia.

To create a VUCA proof path towards the future, individuals and organizational leaders will need to let go of the conventional approach to strategic planning and consider what Jim Collins calls “Preserve the Core/Stimulate Progress”. This is a concept developed in the book Built to Last.

Enduring great organizations exhibit a dynamic duality. On the one hand, they have a set of timeless core values and purposes that remain constant over time. On the other hand, they also have a relentless drive for progress, change, improvement, innovation, and renewal.

Great organizations keep clear the difference between their core values (which never change), and operating strategies and cultural practices (which endlessly adapt to a changing world).

In conclusion, COVID-19 has led and sped our transformation towards digital. Due to the inequalities in the distribution of the resources (man, machine and money) and the benefits of technology, the world economic forum proposes a great reset for all.

At this point in the lives of humans, VUCA has befallen us and as an individual and also for organizations, in order to sail, we will need to have a mindset of “Preserving the Core whiles Stimulating Progress”. That is preserving the good things about the old normal while stimulating progress into the new normal. 

Practically speaking, to achieve this, we would need to start with;

1. Ingenuity – the quality of being clever, original, and inventive, often in the process of applying ideas to solve problems or meet challenges. Source: Wikipedia 

2. Collaboration/Co creation – Collaboration is the process of two or more people or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Source: Wikipedia

Whiles co-creating is the collaborative development of new value (concepts, solutions, products and services) together with experts and/or stakeholders (such as customers, suppliers etc.). Co-creation is a form of collaborative innovation: ideas are shared and improved together, rather than kept to oneself. Source: Fronteer

3. Experimentation – The act, process, or practice of testing of an idea.

Credit: This article was written with the inspiration and content from

* World Economic Forum

* Futurist and Author of Technology vs Human, Gerd Leohard.

* Author of Built to last and Consultant Jim Collins

* Wikipedia 

* Fronteer