Where to Start in Survival Mode, with Rebecca Homkes

Rebecca Homkes: Survive, Reset, Thrive

Rebecca Homkes is a high-growth strategy specialist and CEO and executive advisor. She is a Lecturer at the London Business School, Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, and Advisor and Faculty at the Boston Consulting Group focused on AI and Climate and Sustainability. She is the author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times*.

Uncertainty seems to be more and more the norm. Sometimes, that leads an organization into survival mode. If that’s where you are now, this conversation is the roadmap for what to do next.

Key Points

We default to the assumption that uncertainty is unequivocally bad. Executives are often overconfident in their ability to predict the future and get tied into patterns that reward following the plan. We tend to adopt the first explanation we hear that makes sense instead of examining our beliefs. Make good decisions even when you cannot make good predictions. Avoid attempting to predict the end state. Stop planning and start preparing. People are often most honest when in survival mode, opening up opportunity for learning and growth. Ask these two questions: What could break us? What could make us?

Resources Mentioned

Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times* by Rebecca Homkes

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

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