Jos Dirkx

Why Great Ideas Die: Diverse Teams in a Volatile World – And Then What?

Thanks to radical social movements, a shift in how we work, diverse workforces and new approaches to flexible employment, an increasing number of companies are embracing a future where teams are global, remote, and diverse. Our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous(VUCA) world requires increasingly complex skills, which most of us (1) cannot identify (2) do not possess and (3) do not leverage in an over-extended state. Recent conclusions from Davos 2022 demonstrate that now, more than ever, we’re in dire need of collective intelligence to solve wide-spanning global challenges.

However, when it comes to those in decision-making roles, board roles, and leadership positions, one thing remains abundantly clear: we still rely on one typical leader profile. And, even where we may have diverse teams, these team-members are often employed at a lower level, remain unpromoted, and do not reach their full potential. This means post pandemic leaders fail to truly leverage the collective intelligence of diverse teams, which results in a break-down in communication, innovation, and performance and an inability to solve the world’s biggest challenges. This breakdown affects the psychological safety of employees, while psychological safety is what the world’s best teams need to succeed.

During this keynote, participants learn tools to build winning teams relevant in our Future of Inclusive Work construct using human-centered algorithms and structures to ensure companies thrive in a changing world. By demystifying exactly why great ideas die and what post pandemic leaders must do to leverage collective intelligence and consistently outshine competitors, participants will:

• Learn how to routinely tap into the power of our collective intelligence and leverage team dynamics for top performing teams that excel every time.
• Understand and apply major research by scientists like Page, Phillips, Zhang, Jiang, and Tambe that demonstrates why top-performing individual players lose out time and time again versus average players of diverse ability – and how to rectify this downward spiral within their own organizations.
• Explore how a randomized UCT Monte Carlo model shows where in organization great ideas die to avoid negatively affecting and weakening their business,reducing capacity for innovation, and ignoring a team’s full potential.
• Identify and discover how their leadership weaknesses can be turned into strengths, to truly leverage Environmental, Social and Governance opportunities and challenges.
• Position themselves as leaders in the 21st century, who leverage the righttechnology and solutions to build lasting companies.

The Future of Work

What will it take to develop and design a long-term, sustainable Future of Work strategy that allows you and your teams to grow, develop and keep up with the changing world of work?

It’s great that you are interested in understanding how to make the Future of Work work for you. What a smart and relevant commitment to our rapidly changing world. And, demonstrating this dedication by seeking to understand more about how you can make our changing world work for your teams is key.

Having designed inclusive AI that handles Future of Work challenges, having built Future of Work Frameworks (eg around 21st Century Competences and the World Economic Forum’s methodologies) and with work experience across five continents and over 26 countries, I’ve developed an incredible methodology of skills and values that allow me to truly speak about collaborative workplaces that thrive in the 21st century.

This Future of Work methodology includes openness, adaptability, trust and empathy. Why are these skills and values so important to The Future of Work?

• Openness: Cultural Anthropology shows us that to build an inclusive community, we listen to understand common interests, we close gaps and build bridges, and we build a relatable structure that meets a variety of needs. As a DEI Expert, I’ve designed and launched successful communities by listening first, communicating clearly, and by promoting equal and safe spaces.
• Adaptability: Things aren’t always straight-forward. Definitely not since 2020. Adaptability brings diverse communities together through creativity, connection, leadership, analytical skills and collaboration. Having faced my own challenges in business and as a result of a global upbringing, I know what it takes to wake up each day and motivate those around me. I find strength in working effectively as a diverse team.
• Trust: Leading diversity efforts is an honor. It is about taking on the collective well-being of a group, while nurturing individual talent, skills and desires. It means reading the data and the emotional quotient of a group. As a Future of Work leader, I build trust by demonstrating trust. I manage remote teams seamlessly and connect people from countries as diverse as The Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway to New Zealand, and everywhere in between.
• Empathy: Being quiet enough to hear those around us is key. Through empathy, we strengthen the ability and confidence of those around us – meaning we all have an opportunity to be heard, valued and seen. Designing a community that embodies belonging and empathy is by nature dependent on our ability to lead and follow with a conscious and kind disposition. Strategic leadership is conscious and empathetic at its core.

Creativity and Innovation - how do we best prepare for the future of learning?

In this keynote, Jos talks about important skills for the future like empathy, confidence and storytelling and how to leverage technology in getting these narratives across. Jos focuses on building a mindset for creativity – get ready to be challenged, to get up on your feet and to think outside of your comfort zone!

Does anyone really get Diversity & Inclusion?

We all talk about it, but do any of us really understand D&I? How can we ensure D&I becomes an automatic element in decision-making? How do we honestly and openly challenge our own perceptions around unconscious bias?

Through a series of exercises and real-life examples, Jos leverages an understanding of our own cultural bias in order to take responsibility for change.

The Global Impact of Listening - how we can shift cultural perceptions

In this keynote, Jos looks at how we can have difficult conversations based on conscious communication and mindful messaging, in order to shift cultural perceptions and challenge our pre-existing bias. Through Energy Based Leadership, Jos helps executives become aware of simple cues that could change the way they do business.