Covid-19 and What Hasn’t Changed
Over virtual coffee several weeks ago, a team member asked the group “What’s the one phrase, expression, or statement you find yourself saying often?” The responses varied from “the new normal” to “unprecedented times” to “leading in uncertainty.” In that moment, their statements were very true. People had only recently started social distancing and working virtually.
Although much of the initial shock from the crisis has dissipated, the sentiments described by my colleagues persist: things will never be the same, everything has been turned upside down, and nothing is certain anymore. While these feelings are very real, there is a lurking danger that these statements are becoming a limiting set of beliefs.
There is a deluge of ‘expert’ papers, advice, and whitepapers in the marketplace trying to make sense of how to react to the current situation, but it’s challenging to know what advice is of value. Much of what is being advised converges around a few key ideas, but surprisingly enough, most of these ideas don’t actually seem to be new at all.
Much of this so-called sage advice was as relevant six months ago as it is today, and some was just as relevant six years ago. What has changed is that we are now standing on the fabled ‘burning platform’ forcing us to act. Actions that were important but not urgent are now both.
The trick here is that if a problem moves around the urgent and important spectrum, your response to it also needs to change. So, as a people strategy leader, how do you navigate these uncertain times?
Engaging the organization in a learning strategy
For many businesses, your previous strategy probably still applies today. What will have changed is the risk mitigation, contingencies and how and when you execute your strategy. Prior to this crisis, you probably had more time to conduct the intellectual preparation and planning of your people strategy. You would engage and involve stakeholders to get agreement across the board with the key players. You would aim to get sign off for the ‘biggest play’ possible, impacting those who mattered the most or the greatest number of employees. This isn’t how the sign off process is working now or will likely work in the coming months or even years.
People strategy execution has had to evolve to become faster and more adaptive. This means more permission to act on what you believe is best and making smaller, planned people strategy bets and lots of them. The COVID-19 crisis has become the burning platform enabling strategic implementation of people strategies that needed a radical shift even prior to the current situation.
Take for example a mining and industrial organization that has been planning to introduce a single global coaching provider, top to bottom and worldwide for their business, since 2017. The organization wanted high quality, scale, excellent cost management and a clear strategic alignment of coaching to their leadership expectations and organizational values. Despite this good intention, there had never been a strategic need to prioritize this initiative above some of the ‘fix the basics’ activities. The COVID-19 crisis reframed this idea into a priority. A strong, uniform coaching strategy would drive resourcing leaders in a fast, agile manner, developing them as better leaders in a crisis and deploying support for their resilience in this crisis. Acting in the moment of need, the organization implemented this initiative. As a result, the company’s strategy has been hugely strengthened by having a strong Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) case. It prevents absenteeism and encourages more productivity and engagement worldwide.
Developing an organization-wide learning strategy isn’t new but contextualizing it and using disruption to navigate uncertainty has strengthened its positioning as a valuable priority.
Learning initiatives and core learning
In recent years, most organizations have shifted towards including initiative-focused learning in their strategies. This means that in addition to the more traditional planned and repeated core learning, organizations are including a more focused learning component that revolves around the business’ context and overall strategy. This approach remains effective, but in 2020 there is a need to shift further towards the initiative focus. These initiatives need to center around adaptability, virtual and digital capability, leading effectively in uncertainty, resilience, and team effectiveness.
The techniques and technology for previous initiative-based learning haven’t changed, but the current business context means that more people in your learning teams need to be able to execute on them.
Modalities of learning
There is currently an outsized focus on changing modalities of learning, but in reality, only one modality has changed – face to face is now off the table and will remain so for the foreseeable future. This is not an excuse to pause, but rather a challenge to reframe. Learning strategies outside the classroom has been done successfully for a long time, as have those old 70/20/10 plans that were intended to be the backbone of learning design for the last 20 years. The biggest mistake we can make is to pause learning activity in the hope that “face to face will return…eventually”.
It’s unclear what will happen, but in the meantime, there are plenty of resources and learning to draw on to ensure that the advancement of people’s growth isn’t held back. The real question is how to make it safe for people to continue to grow and deliver fantastic learning virtually.
Shifting learning modalities has been one of the more common strategic themes in recent times. Now in the wake of this crisis, there is the opportunity to leverage digital and virtual solutions, making learning more modularized - smaller, easier to consume, a journey over time that paces alongside the person, their role and the natural flow of their work.
Focus on wellbeing and mental health
As a result of COVID-19, more open source support is available to assist those with less developed strategies, but the methods for deployment have not changed dramatically. Many of the solutions being used in this space are already digital and virtual, as most of the technological innovation already occurred in the last decade. Utilize what you have and remember that the best resources may just be the human elements – making space for peer to peer learning, reflection time and creating armistice time in diaries to prevent the endless virtual meetings. These are the simple fixes and if consulted, most employees can give you lots of ideas about what they want and need in this space.
The continuous theme for the wellbeing and mental health of employees is ongoing and the only change is that now our strategies and preparation work are being tested for their efficacy.
Differentiated Talent Proposition
In a moment of crisis, you are continuing to differentiate talent, but so far it is more focused around the ’moments of need’. You deploy people faster and more deliberately. For example, key people stepping up to play steering and guiding roles in the crisis, as well as or instead of their ‘day job.’ To do this effectively, you must draw on your experiences from short term assignments, secondments, project and agile methodology. Often, you just need to do it faster. Down the track as the economic impact of the crisis is better understood, re-evaluating roles and talent will be inevitable, but restructures are one of the few certainties in your people strategies.
People have always been at the heart of an organization’s success. COVID-19 and its associated restrictions and lockdown requirements have only highlighted this and the importance of strategically deploying your talent to reach its maximum potential.
Looking Around and Ahead
Despite the many changes unfolding and at record speed, there is still consistency and simplicity out there too. Look for it. Focus your attention on short and long term and look for where you can find consistency across the narrative for the next 12 – 18 months, even in this inevitable uncertainty.
Related content
Feedback that fuels: A framework to help leaders shift from critique to connection
Feedback is one of the most powerful tools a leader has, shaping both individual and organizational culture. Yet, despite its value, it’s often met with apprehension—seen as judgment rather than an opportunity. Instead of fueling growth, it can create tension, leaving recipients feeling exposed and defensive.
This reaction is natural. Feedback touches on identity, competence, and self-worth. When framed as a verdict rather than an insight, it sparks defensiveness instead of openness. But what if feedback wasn’t about judgment? What if it was a tool for gathering better data—both for the recipient and the leader?
When leaders make feedback a habit, not a performance review, they gain sharper insights, model continuous improvement, and create a culture where learning thrives. The shift from evaluation to empowerment turns feedback into fuel for growth. And at the heart of this shift? Curiosity.
Leading in a MESSY world: Why feedback matters more than ever
Leaders today operate in constant disruption and complexity. They must move beyond assumptions and seek new perspectives. At BTS, we call this operating in a MESSY world:
- M – Making sense of the broader ecosystem
- E – Establishing emotional connections to build trust
- S – Seizing momentum to stay ahead
- S – Sensing the future amid uncertainty
- Y – Yielding ego to create space for others to grow
Feedback is critical in helping leaders navigate these challenges. It’s not just a tool for correction but a catalyst for innovation and collaboration. But without structure, feedback can fall flat. That’s where the AFIRM Model comes in.
Reframing feedback: From evaluation to exploration
Great feedback moves beyond transaction into mutual discovery. When leaders model effective feedback, they foster deeper connections and unlock insights that drive performance.
Curiosity plays a crucial role in this transformation. When leaders approach feedback with genuine curiosity—asking open-ended questions and actively listening—they shift conversations from critique to shared learning. Curiosity also provides leaders with better data on how they show up, helping them refine their approach and model the kind of feedback culture they want to create.
Balancing feedback with efficiency is essential. The AFIRM Model provides a structured approach that makes feedback actionable and constructive while keeping curiosity at the center.
Structure feedback for impact with the AFIRM model
AFIRM enables structured yet flexible conversations—ensuring feedback drives results. It provides a roadmap for leaders to create meaningful, productive discussions that foster growth and accountability. Here’s how it works:
A – Agenda
Set clear intentions. Define the purpose and desired outcomes upfront. A prepared conversation leads to honest, productive dialogue and signals that feedback is a shared responsibility rather than a one-sided critique.
F – Facts, Observations, Evidence
Keep it objective. Base feedback on data and observations to minimize bias. Stay neutral and constructive. Providing fact-based feedback ensures conversations remain focused and prevents emotional reactions that derail progress.
Curiosity fosters deeper dialogue—ask questions, seek perspectives, and pave the way for growth. Instead of assuming why something happened, ask “What led to this?” or “What challenges were you facing?” to create space for honest reflection.
I – Impact
Clarify effects. Who was affected? What were the consequences? Centering feedback on impact builds trust and accountability. Highlighting the broader implications helps individuals understand why feedback matters and how their actions contribute to team success.
R – Request
Co-create a path forward. Define actionable, SMART next steps (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound). Encourage collaboration by asking “How do you think we can move forward?” or “What support do you need?” Keeping the dialogue open ensures accountability while fostering autonomy.
M – Mutuality
Feedback is a partnership. Success requires shared ownership and commitment to growth. A strong feedback culture thrives when both parties see feedback as a two-way street—leaders should also invite input on how they can better support and enable success. Take time to ask “What feedback do you have for me?” to reinforce that feedback is a mutual learning process.
Creating feedback-driven growth
Imagine an organization where feedback fuels engagement and connection. When framed as a tool for growth rather than judgment, conversations shift from evaluation to exploration. Everyone is on the same team, with the same goals.
Great leaders don’t just give feedback—they seek it, reflect on it, and use it to sharpen their approach. By modeling curiosity and making feedback a daily habit, they foster a culture where feedback is normal, constructive, and empowering.
Feedback isn’t about fixing. It’s about discovering what’s possible. By approaching it as a shared learning opportunity, we move from judgment to collaboration, growth, and transformation.
What’s one question you could ask today to spark a meaningful feedback conversation?
.jpeg)
Leading with others: Embracing a new era of leadership
The landscape of leadership is evolving as newer generations challenge traditional hierarchies. Outdated practices, focused on a top-down power dynamic, have fostered an “us vs. them” mentality, stifling collaboration, slowing innovation, and hindering sustained growth.In response, Future Relevant Organizations are adopting "next practices" that recognize and celebrate contributions, influence, and impact of contributions at all levels of the organization. Central to this shift is the movement from “leading others” to “leading with others,” recognizing that leadership isn’t confined to those in senior positions.“Leading with others” encourages a more inclusive, collaborative approach by:
- Encouraging employees to lead and influence across boundaries.
- Inspiring shared purpose and accountability toward collective goals.
- Prioritizing well-being, fostering psychological safety, and enabling open idea-sharing.
- Viewing vulnerability as a strength, recognizing that no one has all the answers.
- Maintaining focus and thoughtful engagement amidst uncertainty.
A biopharma company with a historically top-down leadership structure offers a clear example of the transformative power of this shift. While the company had enjoyed impressive growth, it faced competitive and pricing pressures from disruptive innovation, regulatory challenges, and supply chain vulnerabilities, all of which called for a fresh approach to leadership. Innovation and expansion were crucial to sustaining success.Recognizing the need for change, the company embraced the idea that leadership and influence aren’t confined to those at the top. Here’s how this new approach reshaped their organization:
- Empowering all levels: Leadership became less about titles and more about fostering a culture where every employee felt valued and capable of contributing. Through well-crafted experiences, 5,000 employees enhanced their self-awareness, challenged established norms, and adopted a long-term perspective aimed at collective growth.
- Redefining leadership: Leadership shifted from micromanagement to empowering others to make meaningful contributions. Employees were given greater agency and ownership, leading to increased adaptability in a dynamic market.
- Building trust through vulnerability: The organization encouraged vulnerability, quickly building trust across teams in an evolving, loosely connected environment. This strengthened team dynamics and established a supportive community ready to face new challenges.
Next practices: Shared leadership responsibility
The shift toward “leading with others” is not simply a change in leadership style; it is a strategic imperative. By embracing diverse perspectives and treating leadership as a collective responsibility, organizations gain more valuable insights that drive better decision-making and innovation. Companies that adopt this approach are better prepared to adapt to change, seize new opportunities, and build a culture where everyone is engaged in shaping the future.
“Leading with”: A more inclusive path forward
Adopting a “leading with others” mindset requires more than just structural changes—it calls for a fundamental shift in how leadership is understood at all levels. Leaders must actively create environments where contributions from all employees are expected, not optional. This inclusive leadership approach fosters a deeper sense of ownership and accountability, empowering employees to align their actions with the organization’s long-term goals.As the business landscape continues to evolve, organizations that embrace this collective approach to leadership will be better positioned not only to navigate uncertainty but also to thrive in the future ensuring future relevance.
You don’t have to "fake it ‘til you make it"
In challenging times, organizations need their leaders to step up and drive results.
When it comes to making that happen, just about every leader gets feedback that they have valuable strengths, as well as areas of opportunity where they could improve.
For most leaders, your strengths come rather easily. However, addressing your areas of opportunity is usually more of a challenge! Even worse, when your manager, peers, and others tell you that you need to change, you may feel hurt, upset, or anxious about it.
Here’s an example: Introverted leaders are often appreciated because they generally come across as thoughtful and deliberate when it comes to making decisions. At the same time, these leaders may get feedback that they often leave their teams and peers wanting more – that they need to speak up and share what they think and feel more often.
While many high-performing leaders understand this feedback, they may also struggle with it. Some worry that if they change their behavior in response to the feedback, they won’t be their authentic self. At the same time, these leaders may also be concerned that if they don’t change, then they will limit their success. We call this the “Authenticity Paradox.”
So what can you do when faced with this seemingly lose-lose choice? Quite often, leaders are advised to “fake it ‘til you make it.” Let’s say an introverted leader takes this advice to heart. They vow to start blurting out whatever thoughts come to mind—throwing caution to the wind by speaking first and thinking later.
There are a few significant problems with the “fake it ‘til you make it” approach. The first one is that no one wants to be fake! Secondly, you run the risk of negatively impacting one of your greatest strengths – your reputation for being more thoughtful and less impulsive. Thirdly, most people just can’t do it. They may try to change, but it feels so out of character that they will simply stop trying to behave differently.
The great news is that you don’t have to “fake it ‘til you make it.” In fact, this approach is actually a very ill-advised path forward. Instead, the key is to figure out how you can respond to constructive criticism AND be true to your authentic self. To do so, think about how you can leverage your existing strengths to your advantage — maybe in a slightly different way than you do now.
For example, if you are an introvert, here are some ways you can be true to your authentic self AND be responsive to feedback calling for you to speak up and share more often:
- If you are a good listener who struggles to inspire others, go on a listening tour to learn more about what would inspire others.
- If you are humble person who doesn’t like the spotlight, tell more stories about peers and direct reports who deserve recognition. This may be a more comfortable way to inspire others and rally them around a vision.
- Rethink how you prepare for meetings and presentations in ways that honor your introvert’s preference for processing time. If you can anticipate and prepare for your audience’s tough questions on a given topic, you will show up much more ready to share and without feeling you have to “think out loud,” which may not feel natural for you.
The simple truth is that you don’t need to choose between being true to who you are and being successful in driving business results during turbulent times. Everything you need is within you: You don’t have to fake it ‘til you make it. You just need to be more thoughtful about how you can be responsive to feedback in ways that still feel authentic to you.
Related content
From top-down to judgment all around: The AI imperative for organizations
Each business revolution has reshaped not only how businesses operate, but how they organize themselves and empower their people. From the industrial age to the information era, and now into the age of artificial intelligence, technology has always brought with it a reconfiguration of authority, capability, and judgment.
In the 19th century, industrialization centralized work and knowledge. The factory system required hierarchical structures where strategy, information, and decision-making were concentrated at the top. Managers at the apex made tradeoffs for the greater good of the enterprise because they were the only ones with access to the full picture.
Then came the information economy. With it came the distribution of information and a need for more agile, team-based structures. Cross-functional collaboration and customer proximity became competitive necessities. Organizations flattened, experimented with matrix models, and pushed decision-making closer to where problems were being solved. What had once been the purview of a select few, judgment, strategic tradeoffs, and insight became expected competencies for managers and team leads across the enterprise.
Now, AI is changing the game again. But this time, it’s not just about access to data. It’s about access to intelligence.
Generative AI democratizes access not only to information, but to intelligent output. That shifts the burden for humans from producing insights to evaluating them. Judgment, which was long the domain of a few executives, must now become a baseline competency for the many across the organization.
But here’s the paradox: while AI extends our capacity for intelligence, discernment, the human ability to weigh context, values, and consequence, is still best left in the hands of human leaders. As organizations begin to automate early-career work, they may inadvertently erase the very pathways and opportunities by which judgment was built.
Why judgment matters more than ever
Deloitte’s 2023 Human Capital Trends survey found that 85% of leaders believe independent decision-making is more important than ever, but only 26% say they’re ready to support it. That shortfall threatens to neutralize the very productivity gains AI promises.
If employees can’t question, challenge, or contextualize AI’s output, then intelligent tools become dangerous shortcuts. The organization stalls, not from a lack of answers, but from a lack of sense-making.
What organizations must do
To stay competitive, organizations must shift from simply adopting AI to designing AI-aware ways of working:
- Build new learning paths for judgment development. As AI replaces easily systematized tasks, companies must replace lost learning experiences with mentorship, simulations, and intentional development planning.
- Design workflows that require human input. Treat AI as a co-pilot, not an autopilot. Embed review checkpoints and tradeoff discussions. Just as innovation processes have stage gates, so should AI analyses.
- Make judgment measurable. Assess and develop decision-making under ambiguity from entry-level roles onward. Research shows the best learning strategy for this is high-fidelity simulations.
- Start earlier. Leadership development must begin far earlier in career paths, because judgment, not just knowledge, is the new differentiator.
What’s emerging is not just a flatter hierarchy, but a more distributed sense of judgment responsibility. To thrive, organizations must prepare their people not to outthink AI, but to out-judge it.
BTS acquires Nexo to strengthen its position in Brazil and Latin America
P R E S S R E L E A S E
Stockholm, May 5, 2025
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – BTS Group AB (publ), a leading global consultancy specializing in strategy execution, change, and people development, has agreed to acquire Nexo Pesquisa e Consultoria Ltda., Nexo, a boutique consulting firm headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.
Nexo has been growing continuously since it was founded in 2017. With revenues of approximately 12 million Brazilian Reales (approx. 2.1 million USD) in 2024, and a highly capable team of 21 members, Nexo has built a strong reputation for delivering transformative projects in strategy, innovation, leadership, and culture.
Nexo collaborates with a great portfolio of clients across sectors such as financial services, consumer goods, and technology, assisting both local and global companies in navigating uncertainty, unlocking creativity, and activating strategy through people. Their work encompasses culture transformation, leadership development, employer value proposition, innovation culture, and vision alignment – supported by proprietary methodologies and frameworks.
BTS currently operates in Brazil servicing both local and multinational clients with a team of 13 employees. By acquiring Nexo, BTS not only increases the Group’s footprint in Brazil but also adds significant capabilities in culture and transformation services. Nexo’s client base has limited overlap with BTS, creating strong growth potential and synergy opportunities.
“Nexo is known for helping leaders and organizations tackle some of the most complex, human-centered challenges with creativity, empathy, and strategic clarity and the Nexo team is loved by their clients,” says Philios Andreou, Deputy CEO of BTS Group and President of the Other Markets Unit. “Their products and services complement and elevate our existing offerings, especially in culture transformation, and we are thrilled to welcome the Nexo team to BTS.”
“We’re excited to join BTS. We’ve long admired BTS’s approach and unique portfolio to support large organizations and leaders in connecting strategy with culture across the organization,” says Andreas Auerbach, co founder of Nexo. “Becoming part of BTS, allows us to scale our impact and bring more value to our clients while staying true to our values and culture,” adds Mariana Lage Andrade, co-founder of Nexo.
Upon completion of the transaction, Nexo’s business and organization will merge with BTS Brazil. Nexo’s founders will assume senior management roles in the joint operation.
The acquisition includes a limited initial cash consideration. Additional purchase price considerations will be paid between 2026 and 2028, provided Nexo meets specific performance targets. A limited portion of any such additional purchase price considerations will be paid in newly issued BTS shares. The transaction is effective immediately.
BTS’s acquisition strategy continues to focus on broadening our service portfolio, expanding our geographic reach, and enhancing our capabilities to support future organic growth in a fragmented market.
For more information, please contact:
Philios Andreou
Deputy CEO
BTS Group AB
philios.andreou@bts.com
Michael Wallin
Head of investor relations
BTS Group AB
michael.wallin@bts.com
+46-8-587 070 02
+46-708-78 80 19
High-performing teaming
Work today is too complex for individuals to succeed in isolation. Almost every critical decision, innovation, or transformation depends on teams working effectively together. Leaders rely on their teams to deliver results. Teams, in turn, rely on their leaders to create the conditions where performance is possible. This exchange, what leaders need from their teams, and what teams need from their leaders, sits at the heart of what we call teaming.
When teaming is strong, leaders get what they need from their teams [creativity, resilience, execution] and teams get what they need from leaders [direction, support, and the conditions to thrive]. It’s how strategy becomes action, how uncertainty becomes opportunity, and how businesses stay competitive in a fast-changing world.