08/30/2021

Leaders Must Adapt to New Era of Uncertainty

A disconnect between leaders and employees exists over how work gets done

In 1977, the still-fledgling running shoe company Nike ran a print ad campaign with this signature line: “There is No Finish Line.” The message was simple: Hard as it may seem, winning a single race in a single moment isn’t the point. It’s the long game, and therefore the bigger picture that matter.

While intended to sell shoes, the ad was incredibly popular in part because it was perceived as a metaphor for any undertaking in which one hopes to be in the lead. It’s a timeless lesson, one today’s leaders appear to need to be reminded of.

Over the last few months, as organizations have grappled with the challenges of what a post-pandemic return to the office should look like, management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. conducted a study. It was designed to gauge the views of both leaders and those they lead about the uncertain terrain before them. McKinsey asked participants questions ranging from how they felt about returning to the physical office or the prospect of hybrid options for doing so, all the way down to specifics like how many days a week each felt they needed to be face-to-face to be effective.

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