I drew this cartoon partly in response to 2 research that got here out this week. They appeared to seize the combined alerts that companies are grappling with as they take a look at 2023.
The Deloitte “CFO Alerts” report partly tracks the danger aversion of CFOs over time. Deloitte discovered that solely 29% of CFOs say it is a good time to take better dangers.
That is the bottom level because the second quarter of 2020 (27%), which was the bottom since they began monitoring in 2015. The typical of the final two years was 50%.
On the identical time, a brand new examine from AlixPartners discovered that 98% of CEOs and senior execs say they should “overhaul” their companies inside the subsequent three years.
There’s a simultaneous strain to each keep the course and fully change every part.
Reflecting a few of this rigidity, the AlixPartners examine discovered that 85% say they don’t know the place to begin to make modifications.
Simon Freakley, CEO of AlixPartners, noticed:
“The pandemic compelled enterprise leaders to return to phrases with the inevitability of disruption, however as we’ve seen subsequently, that was only a costume rehearsal…
“For many who transfer decisively and at tempo, there’s a large alternative to adapt and thrive amid the relentless disruption.”
Simon pointed to a distinction in how “development leaders” carry out versus the remainder of the pack. Progress leaders take motion despite the risk-aversion they might really feel.
As he put it:
“Those that stay gradual to motion will get left additional behind, whereas those that have a bias for motion and see alternatives will construct an unassailable lead.”
As we enter 2023 with eyes vast open to the dangers, it’s good to do not forget that enjoying it protected will also be dangerous.
Listed here are a couple of associated cartoons I’ve drawn through the years:

“If advertising stored a diary, this might be it.”
– Ann Handley, Chief Content material Officer of MarketingProfs