Intellectual sprinting is essentially fetching the future and not waiting for it to happen.

We are about to witness the dawn of a new Intellectual Revolution that will combine the power of human intelligence, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other innovative technologies. Now is the time for experienced professionals (especially between 35 and 45 years of age) to stop bragging about past laurels and start sprinting—intellectually. For lateral positions up to middle management, prior experience as an indicator for selection and elevation has become less relevant due to the sheer transformation in all business functions.

What is intellectual sprinting?

It is a continuous endeavour to recognize emerging trends in one’s profession, to grasp the impact of these trends and to acquire knowledge/skills in order to adapt to trends with agility. Those who surpass their limits become the trend. Intellectual sprinting is a combinatorial outcome of {1} willingness to shed old skin (laurels and associated feelings/behaviours) and {2} valour to embrace and experiment with challenging ideas on an on-going basis.

The quantum of experience on a standalone basis is now inconsequential, as it won’t keep one afloat in VUCA 2.0 times^[1].

At best, being experienced will get one a chair in the auditorium but not on the dais. It is time to be a learner and an un-learner concurrently. Gathering new experiences and insights is the in-thing now, and it’s time to be a sprinter in the business world.

A sprinter’s speed is a function of hours of practice, new techniques, diet, emotional health, learning from unrelated disciplines, etc. Similarly, for Intellectual Sprinters, the corresponding inputs are intense networking, acquiring new knowledge, embracing new developments, learning new skills, and experimenting continuously.

Today, the external environment is under constant transformation due to the changing consumer patterns and government policies. As a result, skilled strategists with the ability to lead key initiatives resulting in operational efficiency will be preferred over pure-play execution-oriented staff.^[2]

When to start sprinting intellectually?

Start sprinting if:

•  You are stagnating in the current role for more than 18-24 months.

• The proportion of millennials and Gen Z in the team has gone past 30 percent.

• The new boss is younger than you.

• You face difficulty in networking

•  Past accomplishments are no longer given undue importance.

•  Juniors are resolving everyday challenges faster and better than you.

•  Yardsticks of recognition are changing in the organization

Becoming a good intellectual sprinter

Enhancing professional competitiveness calls for continuous investments in upgrading emotional and cognitive infrastructure, and intellectual sprinting is the way out. The contours of career management have changed dramatically over the last decade. There is an imminent need for experienced professionals to come to terms with fast-changing yardsticks of deliverables.

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and data analytics are rapidly transforming business models and workplaces. The focus is now shifting from early and mid-career professionals to leaders with significant experience (12+ years) who are willing to upskill^[3]

Embedded in the idea of intellectual sprinting is the notion of Accelerated Reverse Mentoring (ARM). ARM is about keeping abreast of topical developments, using social media effectively, and being adept at the use of technology with the help of more knowledgeable and younger colleagues. It is about learning from sources like do-ityourself platforms beyond organizational space and moving into discomfort zones by choice but with a strategy.

The readiness to unlearn is another ingredient of intellectual sprinting. This unlearning is about celebrating naivety and vulnerability. Operating with I-am-experienced-so-I-need-no-new-skills mindset will surely be counter-productive. While acquiring new knowledge/ skills, and attitude, one will have to redefine the idea of “what gets rewarded gets repeated”. The context here is staying relevant and not reward per se.

Both the theories and practices in the domain of business management are transcending new horizons. The manner in which we managed business accounting 10 years back is barely valid today as regulations have turned dynamic. Methods of managing Comp & Ben in early 2000 are dead because the aspirations of current generations are too diverse. The evolution and application of technology in all spheres of business are changing every 6 to 8 quarters. Here are a few examples:

• In the first decade of this century, email was the primary communicator. But no more; today, there are several ways to communicate at the workplace, including WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, etc.

• Data analytics was not known almost until 2010.

• The Companies Act was changed in 2013 after 57 years and now is under constant review.

•  Mobile meant voice calling. Voice turned less relevant, and consumers got addicted to datapacks. Data is now merely a medium for over-the-top content.

• Going by Forbes, the average tenure of CEOs is on a decline in the last few years primarily due to changing expectations of stakeholders on deliverables and governance.^[4]

So, how to be a good intellectual sprinter?

• Participate in at least two relevant L&D/networking events every year. It doesn’t matter who’s going to invest, the company or you.

• Collaborate with younger stakeholders across domains. E.g., engage in regular sessions with newly recruited GETs and MTs.

• Shun jargons. Millennials and the younger generations are not too impressed by fancy phrases.

• Have a bias for action and dynamism.

•  Ride on the potential of the young generation as they are more informed and creative.

•  Have an entrepreneurial spirit and be a catalyst for new ideas.

•  Embrace risk notwithstanding intensity. Discover glory on the other side of the risk.

In the end, there are three bullets to bite:

•  Does one want to make a sustainable difference to the role, function, organization, and the profession?

•  Is one a brand of some sort, inside and outside the organization and within the professional network?

•  Does one want to navigate through VUCA 2.0 successfully?

If the answer to the above pointers is YES, then it is time for one to be an intellectual sprinter. If one doesn’t wake up to the call, then it would be “desperate times, desperate measures”.

References:

[1] George, B. (2017). VUCA 2.0: A Strategy For Steady Leadership In An Unsteady World. Retrieved from https:/ /www.forbes.com

[2] Michael Page. (2017). 2017 India Employment Salary & Employment Outlook. Retrieved from https:// www.michaelpage.co.in

[3] Sarkar, B., & Venugopalan, A. (2019). These CXOs wanna go back to school. The Economic Times.

[4] Frangos, C. (2018, December 3). Making Leadership Last: How LongTenure CEOs Stand Their Ground. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com