Moving Forward: Leading in a VUCA World

by Lisa Allgood, Executive Presbyter

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”                      – 1 Peter 5:7

Anyone feeling challenged yet as we step into the end of 2024?  Anyone feeling like you haven’t checked your lists of stuff to get done yet and then checked it twice, or developed the ideas that danced in your head at off hours during quiet evenings, or the AH-HA! Moments that encircled your head like a wreath…?

Oh, sorry – too soon? Yes, I know you’re planning for Advent already. While you’re trying to fend off the effects of social media, covid, elections…

Welcome to the world of VUCA.

Developed by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus and adopted into the U.S. Army War College curriculum after the Cold War and 9/11 – and subsequently by every corporate entity since then – VUCA is an acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.  It’s basically the world we live in, a trendy business-world, tear-out-your-hair euphemism for “OMG it’s crazy out there!”

It is. By the very nature of the words that make up “VUCA”, it’s immediately apparent that it’s not something you can prepare for.  Plan for, structure for, maybe, yes – but prepare for?  No.  And the words all represent different challenges that require different responses. 

One of the weirder assignments I had while at P&G was to do trends forecasting for technologies associated with one of our business units.  The 1-year trends were pretty easy.  The 5-year trends were full of guesswork.  The 20-year trends were pure crystal ball – but also the most fascinating and insightful (even if they don’t actually ever come true; I’ll know in about 2029).  To help with those last ones, I got to work with Bob Johansen, leader of Institute for the Future.  Those were literally some of the most fascinating conversations I’ve ever been involved with, and Bob remains one of two people of whom I’ve ever said, “I want his brain when he’s done with it”.

Bob adapted the concept of VUCA for business in his book “Leaders Make the Future”, published just after I started to work with him in 2009.  It’s easy to believe there’s no need for planning or a strategy if you’re controlled by the idea of a VUCA world.  After all, if unpredictability is what rules your thoughts, why bother?  So Bob described the correlate responses to VUCA that drive success and forward motion. He was the first to create the concept that these four VUCA situations call for four corresponding VUCA responses: Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility.

• When faced with Volatility, leaders respond by casting a clear Vision to help people see the “why” and a path forward.
• In response to Uncertainty, leaders bring Understanding of the consequences of issues and actions, so that moving forward is congruent with possibility and the vision.
• When faced with Complexity, leaders bring Clarity, letting people know what can and should be done.
• In response to Ambiguity, leaders demonstrate Agility, keeping a “pivot foot” and creating a nimble organizational response to prepare for alternative realities and challenges.

What does this practically mean, in a church world (works in the business world too)?

• Vision is about keeping the Main Thing the main thing.  The one element that doesn’t change for us is that the church is the means by which the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed in the world.
• Understand what’s going on around you by keeping your antennae up.  Be attuned to the changes in the community you serve, their changing needs and challenges, and focus on bringing Christ (the Main Thing) into their own VUCA world.
• Provide Clarity by moving from protecting information to democratization of information. Make communication clear and frictionless.  That creates responsibility and accountability and ownership across the entire congregation.
• Provide Agility by moving from hierarchy to self-organization. Church growth happens when the congregation grows the church (hint hint – the pastor doesn’t grow the church) so make it a priority that the congregation is equipped and empowered.
• And make Agility fun by speeding up experimentation as much as possible. In the VUCA age, speed matters more than perfection. What can you try now to spread the Gospel? How can you reach out, now?

Your methodology may change, but the message does not.  We are the Body of Christ, sent into the world to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.  That is our constant.

Set your Vision on building the Kingdom, following our Understanding of the command and commission of Christ, being Clear on where our Hope lies, and moving with Agility through a VUCA world while continuing to stay true to our Foundation.

Together – we can do this.