Sounds a bit political but it’s not – the opinion we are putting forward is that we will need to change the way we think about the future.

For decades, if not centuries, our organisational thought process has been dominated by left brain strengths, those that are logical, sequential, rational, analytical and objective in nature.

Senior managers and leaders with these strengths have often risen to the top of organisations. They have the ability to use a rational approach to develop products and services that generate profit.

The success of countless businesses is based on this approach. Many technical or financial leaders take the helm – traits often associated with left brain dominance.  Less often, CEO roles are filled by marketing or HR professionals – traits often associated with right brain dominance.

But it’s changing. The right brained characteristics of being creative, intuitive, holistic, synthesising, emotional, and with spatial awareness, are growing in importance.

This is happening as we are now in a complex, not just complicated, world where the problems we face do not have answers that can be drawn from the past. We are in uncharted territory and we are having to figure it out as we go; a really uncomfortable place for most.

Our very human instinct is to look to the past to predict the future but we can no longer rely on this. We need to find a way to be comfortable with chaos, and look to the future.

This is a challenge because as adolescents we would have been encouraged to choose school subjects that were scientific and mathematical in nature or more arts and linguistics related, and this determined our career path.

However, the left and right brained concept is now being challenged by modern scientific research showing that while the two sides of the brain do specialise in certain types of thought processing, they do not work in isolation.

People may still demonstrate dominance in one or the other, but the characteristics of right brained thinking are becoming more important in addressing predicted business challenges.

Is this a revolution and if it is, why is it happening now?

Some would say it’s just another change in how we approach and manage organisations and business – but we believe it’s more than this as technology plays an ever more increasing role in influencing the way business operates and as a result there’s a need to better balance the traits of our leaders.

The need for a digital approach

This is now essential for every business but it is neither, left or right brained. A successful digital strategy relies on a whole brain approach - seeing logic working in unison with creativity.

Take famous examples like Apple and Uber where left brain process and logic has been mixed well with the right brain creativity and interpersonal experiences to deliver enormous success. A singular left brain approach would not have been able to achieve this.

The mobility and ubiquity of work

People are now using technology to empower their own work and lifestyles. No longer do they need to leave home, go to a workplace and stay there for a set period of time. They can work anywhere.

This new operational structure, whether it’s hot-desking, remote working or managing your next gig, is challenging the usual construct of having people managed within an organisation.

It is now essential to think holistically about how to engage people with an organisation wherever they are and what hours they work, but also apply rational management to the process so value is delivered.

People are thinking more creatively about how to manage their work and lives, so businesses need to do the same.

Artificial intelligence is challenging the left brain

Put forward as a controversial debating point, we suggested in our last blog that AI will be able to manage more of the left brain dominant tasks in the future.

Will this mean the demise of many of the industries and services developed on the back of left brain dominant processing? – probably not. However, they will change with much of the mundane and rudimentary tasks being automated.

It is predicted by Oxford University research that 47% of existing jobs will be automated by 2034. Other predictions suggest non-routine cognitive jobs will increase by 24% and non-routine manual jobs with high levels of dexterity or complex systems to navigate, will also increase by 32%.

These are big changes and to embrace them we need to proactively collaborate and learn from those who think differently. In doing so, we will establish true diversity of thought for the benefit of all aspects of our lives.

The increasing importance of digital, the empowerment of people and the rising influence of AI are fundamental shifts requiring a different thought approach to organisational development – we believe we are indeed talking about a revolution.

But unlike others we don’t believe right will win over left, but will work together to lead to a new direction.

The way business has operated in the past has been structured and controlled but this is now giving way to more fluidity.

According to Michael Goldman in “Left brain meets right in digital strategy” combining left with right will create magic. He calls this the combination of “Suits meet sneakers. Ties meet t-shirts. Strategists and artists. Data scientists and designers.”

We are seeing a convergence of the two. Neither one will win over the other but a combination will create something far greater.

We are all in this simply because of digital and automation. No-one will be immune.

Our most important weapon is how we think – change it and we will win.