As we come out of the pandemic, now is the time to start recharting the course on how we lead and manage change. The Trendhunter’s 2022 Trend Report talks about the period post-crisis when consumer needs evolves, the ‘chaos’ period.

When I look at the consumer (stakeholder) trends from a change management perspective, some of the key trends that jump out at me are AI, Sustainability, Curation, Sustainability, Simplicity, Authenticity, Gamification and a few more.

In our roundtable discussion with Caroline Samne on how to lead and manage change in a changing world, we discussed some of these shifts taking place and how we can respond and rechart in course.


1. The Shift From Shareholder Supremacy To Stakeholder Value

COVID has accelerated the fact that organizations can’t just generate profit for the sake of profit. There has to be a holistic perspective on how organizations can positively impact the world.

Caroline shared this snippet to buttress the shift… “when PepsiCo was being led by Indra Nooyi. She said, we have to have “performance with purpose”. She restructured PepsiCo to have four significant pillars on which, yes, profit remains an imperative – but so do people, planet, and talent. It’s the whole aspect of human.”

2. A Shift In A Belief System That “Leaders-Knows-All”

It has been talked about for several years, but has COVID made this topic even more relevant. People’s values are now shifting. ​​They’ve become more…

• ​​Aware of what’s important to them
• Vocal about what they need and want

And they’re demanding more from their leaders. There’s a shift from the belief that “leader-knows-all”. We now see a generational push shifting that belief system.

3. A Shift In Consumer Trends

Consumers are demanding more from organizations and who they support. Issues like sustainability and social consciousness are becoming more important. In an example shared by Caroline…”I look at my own children who won’t buy from companies who don’t have a certain profile of sustainability or ethical behaviour.”

What are the implications of some of these shifts when leading change? It will require us to have a more human-centered approach, and more focus on how we engage our stakeholders.