Dauntless Agency

We live in an age of the unknown.

From pandemics to political turmoil—predicting what’s around the corner is difficult.

Remember the good old five-year plan? Once fundamental to any business, well, it's no more.

What you write today simply won’t apply by the time the five years are up, and your plan is only good for the recycling box.

Here’s another problem: leading during turbulence creates a threat-rigidity effect.

What happens is leaders revert to traditional leadership approaches that prioritise outcomes over creativity and risk-taking.

Ironically, the latter two are critical to innovation—the secret sauce to tackling uncertainty and winning.

So, what do you do?

To effectively lead in today's fast-paced world, you must focus on the following:

💖Empathy - understand and connect with your team on a deeper level.
🤝Relationships - build strong, supportive connections.
🎯Purpose - maintain a clear vision and direction.
🌱 Agility - adapt quickly to new information and changing circumstances.
💪Resilience - support your team to bounce back from setbacks.

Leaders must be agile and adaptable, able to cut through the noise to make informed decisions, and always prepare for change.

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🔑 Hiring Hacks for C-Level Roles You Need to Know 💼

The market is super tough if you’re currently trying to hire for the C-suite level. Here are some reasons why:

👉 A lack of available talent
👉The pace of business acceleration is increasing demand for technical roles
👉 In many boardrooms, talent is still being measured by traditional criteria (e.g., degrees), yet in reality, not enough candidates are in the system

So, whether you’re trying to hire a CTO or a CIO, here are four tips to help you successfully recruit the right candidate:

1️⃣ Understand candidate motivations
Consider first why candidates are applying for the role. Is it the purpose of the job, a desire to use their skills to add value, or is it purely about compensation? Paying attention to a candidate's drivers for wanting to work with you will help ascertain if they’re the right fit for your business now and in the future.

2️⃣ Nurture talent
Even if a candidate doesn't get on the board this time (for many reasons, they took another job offer or lacked specific experience), they could still be the right match further down the line. So, keep nurturing potential talent. After a year, a new opportunity might arise, and you will be ready to draw on these connections to get in front of the competition.

3️⃣ Act fast
Expect top-tier candidates to have multiple offers, sometimes within ten days. So, speed is of the essence; companies with a fast hiring process have a definite advantage. Don’t wait until you need to hire; start developing a robust hiring process now. Also, nurture talent so you can reach out to a pool of candidates immediately.

4️⃣ Prepare for interviews
Please ensure your interview panel has the right questions focusing on the real problems you want to solve. Don’t try to oversell the job or your business. Be clear about what you want this role to achieve and set questions accordingly to avoid going off track in the interview.

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Research shows companies experience direct growth and shareholder value returns by investing in innovation.

🚀 84% of executives say innovation is key to growth (McKinsey)

💡 Innovative companies are 3.5x more likely to outperform peers (McKinsey, 2022)

🌍 Companies sourcing external innovation ideas excelled in revenue growth, profitability, and innovation. (PwC)

However, in the words of Roger von Oech (author, inventor, and speaker.),

“It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, as it will soon be out of date.”

Want to foster a culture of innovation? Please read our latest blog to learn how. https://wearedauntless.com/digital-design/how-to-cultivate-a-culture-of-innovation-in-your-business/

Still Faxing? 📠

Ok, maybe not. But your current systems are holding you back.

Smart businesses are saying goodbye to outdated technology for a good reason, and so should you. 💡

A recent IBM survey reported that 62% of CEOs said they needed to rewrite their business playbook to win in the future.

For legacy businesses, keeping up with technological progress can be difficult. Resistance comes from old-school leadership that wants to stick to what’s always worked. 🤔

However, transformation success hinges on business leaders seeing the value and creating a clear plan to achieve it - this means making the necessary decisions and getting hands-on in the process. 🌱

Need more convincing?

Here are some hard facts to back up your case for digital transformation for digitally averse organisations. 📈

💫 Enhance customer experience
Companies that earn over $1 billion annually can expect to earn an additional $700 million within 3 years of investing in customer experience. (The Tempkin group)

💫 Increase revenue
56% of CEOs reported revenue boosts from digital improvements (Gartner).

💫 Optimise supply chains
Fully digitized supply chains boost annual earnings growth by 3.2% (McKinsey).

💫 Elevate customer satisfaction
Digital transformation efforts can increase customer satisfaction by 20-30% and economic gains by 20-50% (McKinsey).

💫 Accelerate revenue growth
Companies with higher digital maturity see 45% revenue growth and positive impacts on innovation and sales (Deloitte).

💫 Outperform your competitors
Legacy companies with digital transformation outperform those without (Boston Consulting Group).

💫 Hire tech-savvy leaders
Bringing in a Chief Digital Officer (CDO) is crucial for success. Organisations with a CDO are 1.6x more likely to achieve successful transformation (McKinsey).

Invest in digital transformation now to stay ahead and drive long-term growth. 🚀

Want to learn more about digital transformation? Get in touch. 😀

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What's keeping CEOs up at night? 🧐

The economy? Geo-political upheavals? Climate change? 📈🌍

It’s a high-stakes environment right now.

But what about more immediate everyday concerns? For example, keeping up with new technology, finding and keeping talent, and managing supply chain disruptions.

CEOs face a tight balancing act between acting with caution and courage.

Let’s dive into 6 hard truths CEOs face in 2024 (and backup stats)

🔹Generative AI is here to stay
👉61% of CEOs are pushing for quicker adoption of generative AI, even if it makes some uncomfortable (IBM)
👉40% of CEOs surveyed plan to hire additional staff because of generative AI.

🔹The workforce is in flux
👉77% of CEOs are concerned that skills shortages could hinder growth. (World Economic Forum)
👉More than half of CEOs are struggling to fill key technology roles.
👉CEOs estimate that 35% of their workforce will require retraining and re-skilling over the next three years, up from 6% in 2021 (IBM).

🔹Existential threats - prepare for the unknown
👉40% of global CEOs believe their companies won’t be viable in ten years if they continue on their current path (PWC).

🔹Disruption is the new norm
👉72% of CEOs see industry disruption as a risk rather than an opportunity (IBM).
👉62% say they need to rewrite their business playbook to succeed (IBM).

🔹 Transformational change is unavoidable
👉43% of CEOs plan to increase the tempo of their organization’s transformational change in 2024, compared to 19% who expect to slow down. (IBM)

🔹 Avoid risk and get left behind
👉More than 60% of CEOs acknowledge that potential productivity gains from automation are so significant that they must accept considerable risk to remain competitive. (IBM)
👉62% are willing to take more risks than their competitors to maintain their edge. (IBM)

We get it—change is daunting. 😳

Remember, it’s never too late to start the transformation process. By implementing new ways of working, you can stay on course or, even better, get ahead and become a disruptor in your industry. 🌱🌱🌱

As a CEO, getting the right people around you and starting the journey to avoid these pitfalls is crucial. 💡🤝

Interested in learning more about business transformation? Follow us for all things digital.

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What's the secret ingredient to transforming your company?

A common misconception is that transformation begins and ends with technology.

The approach usually goes something like this 👇👇👇

🗒Your business is still using paper invoices and photocopiers to manage customer relationships, but you want to be more digital.

💻So, you decide new software is the answer to your woes.

🗣But, in your rush to get things moving, you don’t consult widely on what software to purchase or inform ALL employees of the change.

🤔Only to then ask your IT team to install the new tech (even though they recommended a different option).

😮A few months later (after you’ve spent a lot of money), the software doesn't live up to its promise, your employees are frustrated and have reverted back to ‘old habits’, while you’re stuck in a contract and can’t get out!

Sound familiar?

So, how do you ensure your business gets it right?

Well, the Boston Consulting Group discovered a different set of traits from deep-dive research into the 28 most successful transformations, and they’re probably not what you’d expect:

🌱Better pay - employees here earn more than those at similar-sized companies.
🌱More stock options - workers get more stock options, adding to their financial benefits.
🌱Happy employees - people report being more satisfied with their jobs.
🌱Inclusive hiring - companies focused on fair and equitable hiring practices.
🌱More women leaders - there are more women in managerial roles.
🌱Higher female workforce - women make up a larger portion of the employees

What’s the key takeaway here? 🧐

Transformation works when you focus on improving the value placed on your employees and getting your culture right first.

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Tired of AI hype? 🤖

Don't worry. Humans aren't going anywhere. But those with AI skills, they're the future.

At Dauntless, we recently dove into AI with the fun challenge of solving a real problem only using AI tools. That was to create a product or service with a business plan, a company name, logos and images, proposed marketing campaigns, and an elevator pitch deck.

In just 60 minutes, we investigated the power of AI to create these innovative solutions. We explored the limitless possibilities, from combating vampire invasions to tackling waste management and revolutionizing government services.

Let's dive into the imaginative worlds we crafted:

Vamp-be-gone 🧛‍♂️🧴
Ever dreamed of flawless, vampire-proof skin? With Vamp-be-gone, our anti-bloodsucker skincare and well-being range, you'll stay fang-tastic while keeping vampires at bay.

Waste-eating Dinos 🦕💼
Meet our waste-eating dinosaurs! These eco-friendly creatures gobble up your rubbish, offering an economical solution to waste management. Just watch out for the occasional disappearing customer...

Seagull Express & Dolphin Diplomats 🐬🌊
Redefining government services, Seagull Express and Dolphin Diplomats are here to save the day! They regulate marine ecosystems, maintain ecological balance, and promote sustainable fishing practices, all while delivering efficient government services.

But our adventure didn't stop at the products.

We discovered a crucial truth—AI isn't a substitute for creativity—it's a co-pilot.

By letting AI handle mundane tasks, we freed up time to focus on the cool stuff, aka strategy and innovation.

We learned that it's about fostering a partnership with AI tools, experimenting fearlessly, and transforming ideas into unique, purpose-driven solutions —all in a fraction of the time!

Some of the tools we used:

☄️Firefly by Adobe
☄️DALL-E - the photorealistic designer
☄️Midjourney - creative product designer
☄️Stable Diffusion - the open-source designer
☄️Vizcom - a prototyper’s best friend
☄️Khroma - an AI-driven tool that helps designers discover, compile, and use colour palettes for their work.
☄️Appy Pie - allows anyone to build apps without writing a single line of code.
☄️Relume - create sitemaps and wireframes
☄️Prezi - AI functionality to convert content into a proposed slide deck with various template options

Ready to join the ?

Let's innovate together! ✨

What are your favourite AI tools?

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70% of digital transformations fail 😱🤯

Why?

Contrary to popular opinion (or let’s call it misconception)...it’s NOT due to technology or the money you spend. ❌

The three biggest reasons fails are:

💡Lack of a vision for the future
👉No, we’re not talking simply about a five-year plan
👉Your vision is bigger and more holistic. Think of it as your guiding star for where you want to take your business
👉What’s more, don’t make it complicated - it should not read like an episode of Lost. Instead, think simple and memorable
👉Can you easily communicate it to employees, customers, and stakeholders? Will it inspire them?

🗣Communication is an afterthought
👉Change isn’t a one-time event
👉Successful transformation is a process of continuous iteration
👉Therefore, how you talk about it must be more like an ongoing conversation rather than the occasional announcement
👉Remember, communication is the linchpin to driving the necessary cultural shift so you can deliver on your vision

🌎 Getting management wrong
👉Being an expert tech bod is not the same as being an expert leader. 👉Managing change requires a range of multidisciplinary skills, such as communication, active listening, strategic thinking, and conflict resolution skills (to name just a few because, yeah, this list is long)
👉So, get the right people in the right position
👉A good rule of thumb for choosing transformation managers is to prioritise 80% soft skills and 20% technical know-how

If you want to learn more about transformation and all things digital, give us a follow.

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In mergers, holding onto star employees and loyal customers often takes a back seat.

That's why getting your branding architecture right is pivotal.

Because helps you:

⚒️build a strong company identity
🤝foster trust
🌟showcase values aligned with employees' and customers' beliefs

However, choosing the right model can feel confusing.

You need to consider a range of factors like customer perceptions, scalability, and strategic positioning. 🤔

To help you get started, here are some of the most popular brand architectures:

🏠 - Google, Virgin, and FedEx exemplify the branded house model. Here, you have a unified brand image that capitalises on the primary master brand's reputation and streamlines marketing efforts.

👍 - For example, Courtyard by Marriott, Disney Presents, Polo by Ralph Lauren, and Solar Turbines—a Caterpillar Company. With endorsement branding, the parent brand provides support, assuring customers of quality.

🏢 - Each brand operates independently with distinct target audiences. For instance, GAP encompasses Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta.

Follow us for more tips and industry insights. 🌱

In mergers, holding onto star employees and loyal customers often takes a back seat.

That's why getting your branding architecture right is pivotal.

Because branding helps you:

⚒️build a strong company identity
🤝foster trust
🌟showcase values aligned with employees' and customers' beliefs

However, choosing the right model can feel confusing.

You need to consider a range of factors like customer perceptions, scalability, and strategic positioning. 🤔

To help you get started, here are some of the most popular brand architectures:

🏠 - Google, Virgin, and FedEx exemplify the branded house model. Here, you have a unified brand image that capitalises on the primary master brand's reputation and streamlines marketing efforts.

👍 - For example, Courtyard by Marriott, Disney Presents, Polo by Ralph Lauren, and Solar Turbines—a Caterpillar Company. With endorsement branding, the parent brand provides support, assuring customers of quality.

🏢 of Brands - Each brand operates independently with distinct target audiences. For instance, GAP encompasses Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta.

Follow us for more tips and industry insights. 🌱