Self-leadership the key to being future-ready

At HP, our goal for the coming year is to prepare ourselves, our partners and our customers to be future-ready. That means being primed for change, ready to act on opportunity and trained to execute with efficiency. This ideal state of readiness requires us to have clarity in vision. For business leaders, the perennial challenge is to look ahead without being clouded by the fog of uncertainty.

One thing that has become clear to me in the last two years is that increasingly we must find our own path to succeeding and thriving in this evolving hybrid world. To drive clarity from uncertainty requires us to act with more self-leadership and intentionality.

This involves challenging past sacred cows, playing the long-game and being adept at operating at the edge of discomfort. Principles that I’ve mentioned before but worth stressing again. Only by being comfortable with change can we act with more confidence, clarity and certainty.

One theme that has never been more clear is the fundamental role of technology in our growth as businesses and as individuals. Research firm IDC stated recently that: “higher digital technology spending establishes a foundation for resilient digital businesses to react with agility to storms and disruptions.” IDC’s latest tech predictions for 2023 project spending on digital technology by Asia/Pacific organizations will grow 3.5x the economy in 2023.

I see three major digital trends shaping the way we lead and the way we work in the coming year and beyond:

Tech Trend 1 – The rise of “Phygital”

If we take a simple meeting, there is a large difference between meeting online and offline.

Let me give a personal example of how this has affected my leadership. Prior to the pandemic, when I travelled a lot more, much of my work would be done before or around the meeting. I’d find areas of agreement, use moments to persuade, so that when I entered the meeting, I was fairly confident my point would be addressed. In online meetings today being laser-focused is critical. The strongest argument is the one that usually prevails so we need to be clearer and more structured when meeting online as compared to offline.

We’re now seeing the rise of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality as well as advances in remote working technology that bridge the gap and create a truly phygital reality. Early examples include the medical field, where operations can be conducted remotely. At HP we use Virtual Reality to train our engineers. This will move more and more into business, especially in the areas of communication and collaboration.

As leaders and employees, we need to be looking at technologies and ways we can bridge the gap to enhance the human experience felt in a digital world. I expect the phygital trend to increasingly impact the way we engage and interact across more and more aspects of our lives.

Technology Trend 2 – Data driven applications and services

The moment you finish the latest Netflix series, you’re immediately prompted by “because you watched” suggestions for your next potential viewing. Data-driven applications, services and inevitably data-driven decision making will become a seamless way of life. Take payroll processing companies,  who use their data to help their clients with strategic workforce planning, so they can anticipate the skills they will need in the future, and then take proactive steps to recruit, train, and retain the required workers. 

As leaders we face daily decisions, sometimes large, sometimes small. Each of those decisions will have a cascading effect. By using data driven applications and services those decisions can be eased. This is especially pertinent when it comes to DE&I. We all have unconscious biases based on our experience. It means that while it’s clear more diverse boards perform better, a majority of FORTUNE 500 boards are still dominated by men.

We recently launched our channel partner program – HP Amplify. Within this broad program aimed at merging information between ourselves and our partners, is a large data analytics operation that sifts through purchasing behaviour to help our partners predict when to engage with customers. For example, past purchasing behaviour based on the life cycle of equipment can help our partners reach out and engage with customers proactively. Another is our Instant Ink program, a subscription model that not only means your ink is delivered before you run out, it’s also sustainable in terms of meaning you don’t have to drive out to buy it.

Expect to see applications that monitor your workflow, creating efficiencies in how you manage your days activities, or even tell you to take a rest based on biometrics.

Technology 3 - The 4th Industrial Revolution

Every industrial revolution comes with great change in the workforce. The coming of 4IR, advanced robotics, artificial intelligence, connected devices and systems will be no different. We know we need new workforce skills for jobs that are still being defined or not yet even created yet. This will involve strong collaboration between government, institutions and business to ensure our emerging new workforce is equipped with not just skills, but the mindset to operate at the edge of discomfort.

Change also brings opportunity. In combination with the first two trends I covered, it will allow us to focus on higher value, more creative and impactful work. Such technologies can also help with the pressing concern for the planet. For example, at our Printhead manufacturing plant here in Singapore, we explore the creation and improvement of parts in our factory using 3D, or additive, manufacturing. This means we use less materials and parts to create a replacement part, but also save on transport and storage given we can print on-demand. The 4th Industrial Revolution needs to go hand-in-hand with building a more sustainable future.

Throughout these three trends, there is opportunity to deliver a more seamless and engaging work experience, more efficient decision making, plus a little more certainty in the path we’re taking to move forward.