The military term “V.U.C.A.” – which stands for “Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous” – was originallay created to describe the conditions that would exist with the collapse of the soviet Union. Eric J. McNulty illustrates in his blog post how the term has been adopted by advisors and consultants to describe the conditions that business and family leaders face today.
Leading in an Increasingly VUCA World
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
– Pericles
Today, global economic, political, demographic, and technological changes conspire to create potential VUCA conditions in our lives. As the author Eric J. McNulty states, “Constant change can set people on edge because we humans crave certainty.” We agree. In fact, in our work with clients we expand upon our understanding of VUCA by talking about the additional human desires for stability, simplicity, and clarity (i.e., the opposites of volatile, complex, and ambiguous).
To some extent, we also agree with McNulty that we can “create an island of certainty amid VUCA turbulence” by focusing on rock-solid values, clear decision-making criteria, and learning from mistakes. But we think there’s more to it. It’s a matter of mindset.
For us at Certior, having an optimal mindset is critical to the work we do and the approach we take with clients. Because of our training and experiences, we start with Gratitude as fundamental to the mindset we advocate. Research supports the notion that Gratitude can rewire our brains and help us to be at our best despite negative external circumstances. In addition to Gratitude, what our clients value most, especially what they value more than money – which we call “True Wealth” – informs much of the work we do. In nearly all cases, this involves a focus on family, health, and spiritual growth. Having a growth, lifelong learning mindset, as well as a generous spirit are all part of this optimal mindset for a VUCA world.
For our clients, we perform many financial, trust, and estate planning services. These are “what” we do and “how” we do it. But when we ask ourselves why we do what we do, it comes down to helping families protect, grow, and sustain their True Wealth. We want to help you thrive despite the VUCA world we live in.
