THE NEED FOR REINVENTION. THE CHALLENGE FACING CEOs.
I have been reflecting a bit over the last few weeks about the focus of leadership for 2025, and what is required to lead effectively. One of the key areas I have been pondering comes out of, amongst a variety of research, PWC’s Annual Global CEO survey for 2025.
A couple of years ago, in 2023, it was clear that a significant proportion of CEOs, over 40%, believed that in order for them to be leading a relevant and sustainable business, that business needed to change within the next 10 years. They responded that if they did not lead change within the next 10 years, they would not have a commercially viable business.
Reading the 2025 Annual Global CEO survey, this concept has developed quite significantly. Now what we see is that 45% of CEOs globally believe they need to reinvent their business and organisation within the next decade in order to survive.
This is a big progression in the thinking.
What is equally interesting is that the reported pace of reinvention is slow. Slower than needed in order to fulfil the concept of reinvention within the decade.
If you put these ideas together, CEOs face a critical challenge.
What I have been reflecting on is if we recognise, and CEOs recognise, that this reinvention is critical, then why isn’t reinvention happening at pace?
Here are my thoughts.
When I am out speaking with CEOs, senior leaders and executives, what I hear is ‘we are really busy’. ‘We’ve got a lot on.’ I see and hear a lot of reactivity. And even when I’m seeing proactivity, it is often proactive in terms of what we need to be doing now.
I believe there is something missing.
Deliberate big leadership thinking. Future creation.
What do I mean?
What is reinvention? It is invention again.
To invent is to create, design, devise, originate, innovate. So reinvention is all of this…. again.
“
Invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”
– Thomas Alva Edison
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For reinvention to happen, this requires creativity, innovation, thinking in different ways, exploring, putting different ideas together. And fundamentally, I do not observe CEOs and their leaders having the space and time to do this enough.
I do not see sufficient proactive sponsoring of their own creativity or the creativity of their key leaders and thought leaders in their organisations.
Everyone is so busy with what is happening now, just keeping the organisation going, that the focus and the time and the effort and the investment to creating the future, reinventing themselves and their organisations, is not happening at the level required. This is simply not getting the airtime that it needs to make the difference that is required, at the pace that is necessary to lead reinvention to happen within the decade.
Leaders need to create the space for reinvention thinking. This might be time spent in conversations with your people, time learning about other industries, ideas or technology, research, ‘what if’ brainstorming sessions, or quiet time for your thinking to roam. It might be new experiences and connections, to broaden your personal perspectives and ways of seeing and interpreting the world. You get the idea.
“
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
– Maya Angelou
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It starts with the big thinking, the creative, never before thought of thinking. The thinking that is about influence, significance, difference and impact, in terms of creating a future.
I want you to flourish, and I want your people and organisation to flourish, into the next decade. I want you to reinvent and create a future.
How are you creating the space and opportunity to lead the future, to foster this reinvention, to make the space to be creative, to innovate, to explore, and to optimise all of the incredible opportunities that are here and coming?
The number one thing I believe is required, is for leaders to deliberately make the space to lead reinvention.
I’d love to know your thoughts.
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