It's been said that "average managers play checkers while great managers play chess," but after the last year it seems like the rules of the game are different. We have seen a lot of sudden changes in the way we do business, and we still face plenty of uncertainty ahead. Many companies did not have the structures in place to respond quickly to such drastically new ways of working, so they adapted as best as they could. In the process, they learned what works and what does not, and rather than forgetting those lessons as things turn up again, leaders should instead figure out which lessons to apply in their future operations.

The session aims to bring to light useful practices that can be adapted to suit different types of organisations. It starts with some introductory remarks about capturing and applying lessons, before going into a small-group exercise in which C-suite leaders will examine specific leadership questions. The goal is for participants to share valuable lessons for business operations, helping them to

- Enhance the agility and responsiveness of their workforce

- Plan for high-impact contingencies

- Address employees' mental health in addition to physical health

- Interact most effectively with clients and customers

- Communicate with their employees about changes

- Retain employees during a downturn