When we first spoke with more than two dozen CEOs and their closest advisors, it was Spring 2020. The initial shock of COVID-19 still resonated, but they were clear-eyed about their priorities moving forward and spoke of strategies for survival – even growth.
Many people find it hard to make virtual (or hybrid) workshops as much fun as they were when we could all get together.
Over the past six months, most of us adopted more new behaviors than we ever thought possible. Some – like the Covid haircut – we are eager to leave behind. But others will endure to define the pillars of the “next normal.”
We interviewed more than two dozen executive leaders about the future – after Covid. In those conversations, and many more that followed, 10 “pain point” themes emerged. As long as they persist, they will continue to drive innovation.
Within a few months after the first Covid-19 diagnosis in the US, there were millions of Americans living in some form of lock-down. Now as we brace for a resurgence, a new study, based on more than two dozen in-depth interviews, details the perspectives of global CEO’s and their executive teams.
For many years I have led brand transformation efforts – for companies ranging from Fortune 100 corporations to smaller non-profits. Often with large teams, across global markets, but never from an ivory tower. I’ve always stayed close to the work, close to the process and close to the target.
Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.