The Five Characters of Business Agility — Unleash Your Organisation’s Potential

Six months ago, I was privileged to deliver the closing keynote speech at the Business Agility Conference UK 2024, where the theme was ‘Leading Through Complexity’. During my talk, I explored how organisations can navigate increasingly complex environments by personifying the Five Characters of Business Agility. These characters serve as practical frameworks and actionable strategies leaders can implement, such as specific decision-making models, collaboration techniques, and adaptive planning methods. In this article, I’ll walk you through the key insights from my keynote and how embodying these characters can transform your organisation’s agility and resilience.

Agility is much more than simply a competitive advantage; it’s crucial for business survival. For organisations to succeed, they must adopt a mindset that supports rapid change and fosters continuous improvement. At the heart of this approach lies the CLEAR Model® — an accomplished framework for business agility encompassing Culture, Leadership, Execution, Adaptability, and Responsiveness. The CLEAR Model® has been designed to address the complexities and rapid changes businesses face in today’s global market, making it an essential tool for organisations striving to stay competitive.

My book, ‘Clearly Agile: A Leadership Guide to Business Agility’, introduces and personifies these pillars through five distinct characters, each representing a key component of business agility and bringing…