Our Leaders Got Lost in the Battle: A State of Leadership in a VUCA World
We’ve seen it. We’ve been there. We’ve met them. From corporate boardrooms to the snowy peaks of Davos, we’ve observed the so-called “elite” who are supposed to guide us through the chaos of the 21st century. And let’s be blunt: the majority of our political and business leaders are utterly LOST.
We’re entering a ‘VUCA 2.0 world’ — Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity on steroids. A world of cascading disruptions: climate crises, geopolitical shocks, technological upheavals, and societal fractures. The question isn’t ‘if’ these disruptions will happen, but ‘how’ we’ll survive them. And more importantly, ‘who’ will lead us through the fire.
The ‘when’ we know: its gonna be before 2030.
Let’s start with some ‘hard facts’:
- 75% of CEOs believe their current business models will be unsustainable by 2025 (source: IBM). → They know, but what do they do ???
- 85% of employees worldwide are disengaged at work, largely due to poor leadership (source: Gallup). → What can we do of value, with people who are disengaged ???
- Only 14% of global citizens trust their governments to do what’s right (source: Edelman Trust Barometer). → We are… well… pretty much scr.wed…
These numbers don’t lie. Our leaders are failing us. But why? Because they’re too busy falling into one (or more) of these ’10 categories of leadership dysfunction’:
1. The Soul-Sellers
They’ve traded their values for power, money, or political dogma. Whether it’s cozying up to Big Finance, pandering to extremist ideologies, or joining cult-like movements, they’ve lost their moral compass. And guess what? When the next crisis hits, they’ll be the first to abandon ship, or go mad.
2. The Fear-Driven Stressed
Anxiety is their fuel. They’re paralyzed by the fear of failure, public scrutiny, or losing their status. Stress has turned them into reactive, short-term thinkers. Spoiler alert: fear-based leadership doesn’t inspire innovation or resilience. And… it ends up with major mental disorder.
3. The Dark Manipulators
They’ve embraced shadows. Whether it’s blackmail, black magic, psychological manipulation, or gaslighting their own teams, they thrive on control. But darkness always consumes its creators.
4. The Medicated and Addicted
From prescription antidepression pills to psychedelic substances like coca..n, ayahuasca or microdosed LSD, they’re relying on chemical crutches to keep going, and/or alcohol. While some claim it’s for “enhanced creativity” or “mental clarity,” let’s call it what it is: a desperate attempt to cope with unsustainable pressure.
5. The Storytellers
They’re masters of spin, weaving narratives to distract from reality. Climate change? “It’s a hoax.” Economic collapse? “Just a temporary setback.” They’re clinging to outdated business models and beliefs, hoping no one notices the cracks in the foundation. They are good narrative tellers but will run when the sh.t hits the fan.
6. The Burned-Out
They’re running on empty. Exhausted, disillusioned, and emotionally drained, they’re just going through the motions. Burnout isn’t a badge of honor — it’s a sign of systemic failure.
7. The Liars, Thieves, and Corrupted
They’re siphoning money, lying to stakeholders, and rigging the system for personal gain. Corruption isn’t just unethical — it’s a ticking time bomb for societal collapse.
8. The Hold-Ons
They’ll do *anything* to keep their cushy jobs — even if it means sabotaging progress or betraying their teams. Their motto? “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.” And “Divide and conquer”.
9. The Delusional
They’re living in a bubble, completely disconnected from reality. Whether it’s denial of climate science or blind faith in outdated ideologies, they’re leading us straight off a cliff with bad decisions and wrong vision.
10. The Courageous
Finally, the rare few. They’re humble, self-aware, and collaborative. They question themselves, embrace collective and systemic intelligence, and are open to change. They’re the ones who might actually get us through the storms ahead.
Why the Courageous Are Our Only Hope
Let’s be real and pragmatic: the weak, the corrupt, and the delusional won’t survive the VUCA 2.0 world. They’re already crumbling under the weight of their own dysfunction. You can see it with the naked eye. The only leaders who stand a chance are the ‘courageous ones’ — those who can adapt, innovate, and inspire.
But here’s the kicker: ‘courageous leadership isn’t just about surviving — it’s about thriving.’ It’s about building resilient systems, fostering trust, and creating a future worth fighting for. With strong, engaged and coherent teams.
So, to our leaders: WAKE UP. The world is changing way faster than you can imagine. The question isn’t whether you’ll face the fire — it’s whether you’ll rise from the ashes or burn with the rest !
And to the rest of us: demand better. Because in a VUCA 2.0 world, we can’t afford to settle for anything less than courageous leadership. Get your own a..s in gear: learn to swim.
And lets be real. Even if those who are not courageous today, have their wake-up call (like a divorce, an accident, fired,…), it will take over 5 years to them to become enough self-aware and courageous. That personal work literally takes years. And… learn to swim in high tides is… well… veeeery difficult. Frankly, I do not bet a dime on those. I only will go for it with people who already went down and up the stream. I would NOT trust the others. But, make me lie please… maybe I’m wrong. Because that leaves us with such a very short minority. The others — sorry to say — will lead their teams, countries and companies, as well as their families, to hell. They will panic, make bad decisions, and lose it all. The fall is always much faster than the rise. I already have a quite long list of names and addresses of those failures — and failures to come.
What will happen when the sh.t will REALLY hit the fan ? Our ‘leaders’ ? What will they do ? Lets be frank. They will run for their lives, for their families — if they didn’t go mad before. They will not run for us. Everyone will. By that time, if we have not learned to swim, we’ll drown. Period. That’s it. Whether you like it or not.
You still believe in Santa Claus ? Good for you. Yes, believe, he DID exist. Full solidarity of our leadership in times of crash does NOT.
Michel A. de Kemmeter
