In this news:
Leadership today requires a bold recalibration. The traditional reliance on exhaustive strategic plans—linear, rigid, and often myopic—has lulled organizations into a dangerous comfort zone. Being planned is orderly and logical; it maps out a tidy roadmap. But when the inevitable chaos strikes, that roadmap is little more than a souvenir of what could have been. Being prepared, however, is dynamic, creative, and resilient—a strategy for thriving when the unthinkable happens.
Want to be prepared in the face of chaos? Empower your team to be fearless and ready for anything.
Planned vs. Prepared: A Critical Leadership Distinction
The best-laid plans are systematically flawed because they assume a controllable future. In reality, the pace of disruption demands not just foresight, but flexibility. “To succeed, we must explore multiple possible futures during strategic planning. Our goal is to be prepared for the future so we can drive change, not just react to it,” comments Taneli Ruda, Chief Strategy Officer at Thomson Reuters.
McKinsey’s research highlights the need for flexibility, describing today’s environment as a permacrisis—a prolonged period of instability that requires leaders to respond to challenges faster than ever before (McKinsey Global Institute). If you’re just planned, you’re vulnerable. Preparedness, on the other hand, builds agility. It’s about having options—Plan A, B, C, or Z—and the creative mindset to pivot between them seamlessly.
Prepared leaders ask the right questions in real time:
What’s happening now?
What’s possible with the resources I have?
Who can help me adapt?
This ability to connect the dots between unexpected variables is what fuels true resilience.
