VUCA- VUCA is an acronym. VUCA stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity’. Credit goes to U.S Army War College for introducing the concept of VUCA in 90s for describing 21st century uncertain and complex world after the COLD WAR. We are human beings. We have certain limitations for predicting future, however 21st century world are witnessing full of uncertainty and complexity. Every day we face millions of new challenges in terms of technologies, rapid changes, dynamism, disruption and uncontrollable environments in all walks of life. It reminds me famous dialogue of Estragon “Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, and it’s awful!” These awful situations are part and parcel in of our day to day personal and professional life. It heavily depends on our way of dealing the situations. VUCA is related to how people perceives the conditions under which they make decisions, plan forward, manage risk etc. to solve problems. Let’s understand what is VUCA World!- • Let’s us find out what Wikipedia says about VUCA • V = Volatility: the nature and dynamics of change, and the nature and speed of change forces and change catalysts. • U = Uncertainty: the lack of predictability, the prospects for surprise, and the sense of awareness and understanding of issues and events. • C = Complexity: the multiplex of forces, the confounding of issues, no cause-and-effect chain and confusion that surrounds organization. • A = Ambiguity: the haziness of reality, the potential for misreads, and the mixed meanings of conditions; cause-and-effect confusion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility,_uncertainty,_complexity_and_ambiguity Rajeev Ranjan www.rajeevelt.com

1. VUCA-“volatility,uncertainty,complexityand
ambiguity” Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
1

2. VUCA-“volatility,
uncertainty,complexity
andambiguity”
How to approach a challenging
situation and deal with the
things happening around us
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
2

3. VUCA- 21st century world
We are human beings. We have certain limitations
for predicting future, however 21st century world
are witnessing full of uncertainty and complexity.
Every day we face millions of new challenges in
terms of technologies, rapid changes, dynamism,
disruption and uncontrollable environments in all
walks of life.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
3

4. VUCA World & You
It reminds me famous dialogue of Estragon
“Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes,
and it’s awful!” These awful situations are part and
parcel in of our day to day personal and
professional life. It heavily depends on our way of
dealing the situations.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
4

5. VUCA World
VUCA is related to how people perceives the
conditions under which they make decisions, plan
forward, manage risk etc. to solve problems. Let’s
understand what is VUCA World!-
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
5

6. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
Let’s us find out what Wikipedia says about VUCA
• V = Volatility: the nature and dynamics of
change, and the nature and speed of change forces
and change catalysts.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
6

7. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
Let’s us find out what Wikipedia says about VUCA
• U = Uncertainty: the lack of predictability, the
prospects for surprise, and the sense of awareness
and understanding of issues and events.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
7

8. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
Let’s us find out what Wikipedia says about VUCA
• C = Complexity: the multiplex of forces, the
confounding of issues, no cause-and-effect chain
and confusion that surrounds organization.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
8

9. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
Let’s us find out what Wikipedia says about VUCA
• A = Ambiguity: the haziness of reality, the
potential for misreads, and the mixed meanings of
conditions; cause-and-effect confusion.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
9

10. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
We are 21st century generation. We are leading
smart people as well as smart challenges. We
cannot predict the situations, however our
readiness and preparedness to face the volatile,
uncertain, complex and ambiguous situations
makes us smart. Our knowledge, power of
visualization, understanding situations and
resilience determine the rational solutions.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
10

11. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
VUCA world demands skilling and re-skilling every
day. It must not surprise us that the thing and the
thinking we were carrying in previous week
become obsolete today. VUCA world is not only
specific for leadership, in fact it is applicable for
common man. Whosoever thought NOKIA become
archaic and KODAK become out of the market.
Most of the teachers had never ever thought to
teach online before March 2020; nowadays they
are proficient in online teaching.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
11

12. How to approach a challenging situation and deal with the things
happening around us
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
12

13. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
Power of readiness and resilience can be a game
changer in the time of volatility, uncertainty,
complexity and ambiguity. If we wish to succeed in
personal and professional life, we need to know
the real meaning and characteristics of following
key terms;
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
13

14. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
1. Vision,
2. Understanding,
3. Courage
4. Communication
5. Competencies
6. Readiness
7. Resilience
8. Intelligence
9. Emotional Intelligence
10. Adversity Quotients
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
14

15. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
To survive in VUCA world essentially requires
intelligence, more than intelligence that is
emotional intelligence and most importantly
adversity quotients that is resilience or we can say
adaptability.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
15

16. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
VUCA world poses challenges in each and every
moment of life. Earlier life changes within circle
frame of 10 years now it can be possibly change in
10 minutes, 10days, 10 weeks or 10 months.
Nowadays life changes with upgradation of
software. Technological advancement in artificial
intelligence, robotics, sharing platforms and high
speed of internet are rapidly changing the things
and thinking.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
16

17. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
We need to redefine ourselves for facing
uncertainty, turbulence, rapid change,
complicated, chaotic, dynamism, disruption,
complexity, competition and uncontrollable
environment.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
17

18. VUCA- volatility, uncertainty, complexity and
ambiguity’
If we cannot predict then what is need to worry.
Whatever comes in our way, we will handle. VUCA
world exists in past, it exists in present and it will
exist in future too, however our attitude,
approach, and assertiveness to deal with the things
happening around are going to change the scene
and scenario.
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
18

19. Reference and more articles to read
https://www.rajeevelt.com/vuca-world-volatility-uncertainty-complexity-ambiguity-
approach-strategic-leadership/rajeev-ranjan/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility,_uncertainty,_complexity_and_ambiguity
• Sattar Bawany (2016), “Leading in a VUCA Business Environment“, in Leadership
Excellence Essentials, Issue 07.2016.
• Bonnie Hagemann, Sattar Bawany et al. (2016), Research on Trends in Executive
Development: A Benchmark Report, published by Executive Development Associates
(EDA); Pearson TalentLens and Performance Assessment Network (PAN), February 2016.
• Bonnie Hagemann & Sattar Bawany (2016), “Enhancing Leadership and Executive
Development – Latest Trends & Best Practices” in Leadership Excellence Essentials,
Issue 03.2016.
• Sattar Bawany (2014), “Building High Performance Organisations with Results-based
Leadership (RBL) Framework” in Leadership Excellence Essentials, Issue 11.2014.
• https://www.hult.edu/blog/leading-in-a-vuca-world/
Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
19

20. Teaching is an art. Rajeev Ranjan -
www.rajeevelt.com
20