Three Step Smart CEOs are embracing a volatile customs environment, according to the head of leading global leadership advisory firms
Business leaders around the world are struggling to inhale. Executives are dealing with Unstable stock market, Extreme tariff uncertaintyand many other issues that have emerged over the past few months.
Constantine Alexandrakis, CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates, has been counselling the Corporate Committee and CEO for decades. He says economic and geopolitical uncertainty is the best mind for leaders, according to the company’s. Latest Reports About C-Suite’s priorities for 2025.
Alexandra Kiss spoke luck About what CEOs are most afraid of right now, how unstable markets are leaning their leaders on AI, and why top executives travel so many times to Washington.
This interview was compiled and condensed for clarity.
Fortune: What keeps you CEO at night?
Constantine Alexandra Kiss: The CEO is worried. You know, they spend a lot of time trying to plead their case in Washington. And it’s not just uncertainty. It’s actually uncertainty about uncertainty. CEOs are beginning to make a real impact on their business. They are beginning to be more open to their concerns about some of their customs policies behind closed doors. There have been no extensive policy changes in this country for a long time. (Corporate leaders) are trying to quickly acquire expertise that government relations do not have.
They also pivot some of the restrictions that are happening if they are doing business in Asia? There is a perception that reality is here, that it affects us in many ways, and (the CEO) is trying to find ways to adjust tactically.
But perhaps this is a moment from an AI perspective where we can actually jump what we’ve all played, in order to find new efficiencies.
What does it look like to find new efficiencies with AI?
If revenue is becoming unpredictable, it means that you need to manage the cost side of your finances more carefully. Is there a way to start using artificial intelligence to boost productivity that can help you during times of crisis?
Beyond the capabilities of the company, there is a new consensus that allows for up to 25 or 30% productivity gains by implementing agents, as well as the benefits they can produce. Every situation in which the economy is under pressure, there is a window of escalating innovation and change. So, just like the pandemic, where remote working and other communication technologies have surged, the CEO said:
Have you seen the era of “CEO as a diplomat”?
Almost every CEO I’ve spoken to is traveling (Washington, DC) and the government search team is busier than ever before. The (leader) is navigating the other side of (political issues), whether it’s Canada or China.
Are government relations searching for overdrive teams now?
They are definitely. Someone asked me, “I mean, is that normal? Doesn’t it happen after all new presidents are elected?” and “To some extent, it means it’s not noticeable. And this is noticeable.”
Why make good government relations experts and where do you find them?
The high level I say is that people who understand how to get to the right Washington leadership, how to enter the White House, have relationships with current people who are affecting the administration, build strategies around how to connect company issues with day-to-day issues, and drive the company’s profits in that respect.
What is challenging for the C-Sweet-level talent you work at now?
The biggest challenge if you are a senior executive is where this moment of uncertainty changes? Whether you’re a new company or a CEO who enters a senior leader, it’s a bit difficult right now to project where the economy is heading, the resources you can access in your new job, how slow your investments will slow and the supply chain shock will continue.
(Uncertainty) is hurting people’s willingness to become mobile. It’s not like we’re stopping recruiting on the truck, but we’re creating more questions when someone is being hired for something.
What are the best leaders doing now to navigate this uncertainty?
Generally, that’s three things. One exudes grit. This is focusing on implementing your strategy. The second exudes confidence in being humble and about the challenges that lie in the environment. The third one is outwards.
The best leaders of these eras turn (focus) outwards, stay close to customers, go out and spend more time with them. It is intended to counter the negative effects of being too inwardly focused when the world is changing and you don’t want to overlook the movement of your customers.
Do you think the company culture is fundamentally different from this period?
I think it’s an opportunity for companies to emerge more strongly in their culture, depending on how they navigate uncertainty together. Companies that are certain, non-volatile and provide safe havens to their employees are stronger compared to the uncertainty and volatility seen in the outside world. And their culture becomes stronger.
This story was originally introduced Fortune.com