I’m now twelve months into a three – year Peak Performance Programme, led by international business leader, educator, author and consultant Kevin Roberts (KR).

As the former CEO & Chairman Worldwide at Saatchi & Saatchi, the author of Lovemarks — The Future Beyond Brands and 64 Shots — Leadership in a Crazy World, I am privileged to have the undivided attention of KR for one hour every week.

I consider this to be one of the greatest gifts of my life to date.

My learnings of the past twelve months have been powerful, timely and relevant. As COVID-19 presented unprecedented challenges, KR helped me to understand and prepare for Leading in The New Abnormal.

Here are my top learnings for Leading in The New Abnormal as inspired by KR.

1. Live by the Four Agreements. Be impeccable with your word. Don’t take anything personally. Don’t make assumptions. Always do your best.

2. Embrace the New Abnormal. There will be no new normal. Forget going back. We have to find a new way forward, which will begin with a total commitment to knowing what to do (live our purpose), followed by inventing new approaches on how to do it.

3. Create a highly motivating Purpose. Purpose creates a unique system of meaning and is a framework for decision making built by a Dream, Spirit, Beliefs and Focus.

4. Inspire a new way of Leading. We must create a new way of leading which is both Caring and Demanding.

5. Listen Actively. In The New Abnormal, no one has the answers. We need to find new solutions to overcome new challenges. To lead is to listen aggressively with your eyes and to pay attention to every detail, to decide. Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.

6. Charge up your Curiosity & Creativity. Nothing will be the way it was before. Curiosity takes us to new places. It allows us to imagine the impossible. Creativity is a superpower that allows us to prove the impossible is within reach.

7. Build Creative Environments. In The New Abnormal, building creative environments, inspiring creative ideas and finding creative solutions will be the signatures of Peak Performance.

8. Become a Radical Optimist. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. In a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Crazy and Ambiguous) become Supervuca — Vibrant, Crazy, Unreal and Astounding!

9. Attack with absolute commitment. Dream Big, take small steps. Leaders create their own reality. They fail fast, learn fast and fix fast. Replace annual plans with 100 – Day Plans and overnight delivery.

10. Earn Customer Love. Believe in the unreasonable Power of Creativity to delight customers and give them what they never dreamed possible.