Winter is Coming: Game of Thrones & Big Bet Leadership
Strategies and Techniques for Change Agents, Strategists, and Innovators
In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity — Sun Tau, The Art of War
In the epic HBO series Game of Thrones, the warning “winter is coming” signals an impending battle far greater than any political struggle or family feud. While noble houses battle for the Iron Throne, an existential enemy—the Night King and his army of White Walkers—looms just beyond the Wall in the North, threatening to destroy everything in their path. It’s a wicked problem that cannot be ignored, requiring bitter rivals to set aside their differences and unite for survival.
The harsh reality of this coming winter is that it mirrors the challenges businesses face in the coming hyper-digital era, where the forces of disruption are growing and relentless, and only those who act with clarity, velocity, and focus on value will emerge victorious.
Game of Thrones
If you are not a Game of Thrones fan, here’s a quick summary.
Game of Thrones is a fantasy epic set in the turbulent land of Westeros, where noble houses vie for power and control of the Iron Throne. Amidst this chaos, the phrase "winter is coming" serves as both a warning and a theme throughout the series, symbolizing a looming existential threat far greater than the political squabbles for power.
The winter that is approaching is an ancient and deadly force—led by the Night King and his army of White Walkers, emerging from the frozen north, threatening to destroy all of humanity. This enemy is unlike anything the warring factions have faced before. It requires not only strategic thinking but a complete shift in priorities, as survival itself hangs in the balance.
To confront this threat, enemies must unite. Jon Snow, one of the series' central leaders, understands that the only path to survival is through cooperation. He brings together once-bitter rivals—including Daenerys Targaryen and Jaime Lannister—to focus on the true enemy, demonstrating the power of clarity and shared purpose in the face of an overwhelming threat.
The Hyper-Digital Era
The hyper-digital era is driven by three powerful mega forces that are reshaping the business landscape, much like the looming winter in Game of Thrones. These forces demand that leaders respond with clarity, urgency, and strategic focus to survive and thrive:
- Disruptive Technologies: From AI and quantum computing to the Internet of Things, computer vision, and 5G, a new wave of technologies is transforming industries. These technologies are not just incremental improvements—they are fundamentally altering how businesses operate, innovate, and deliver value, much like the game-changing magic of the White Walkers.
- Aging Workforce: As populations age, particularly in developed countries, the workforce is shrinking and becoming more expensive. This demographic shift forces companies to rethink how they build and sustain their talent pools, adding pressure to automate and innovate faster than ever.
- Economic Pressures: Rising government debt, increasing costs for entitlement programs, and mounting interest rates are creating a financial squeeze. These macroeconomic pressures will drive businesses to become more efficient and innovative—or risk being left behind as they fail to adapt to the new cost structures and market realities.
Together, these forces demand not just survival, but transformation. Companies will be designed to have 10x to 100x levels of productivity compared to large typical enterprises. Leaders who fail to address these wicked problems head-on will be caught off guard when the storm hits, and unable to react.
Unite
Something is about to give
I can feel it coming
I think I know what it means
I'm not afraid to die
I'm not afraid to live
And when I'm flat on my back
I hope to feel like I did
Kite — By U2
We are now in the “winter is coming” warning stage of the hyper-digital era. Three mega forces—disruptive technologies, the aging workforce, and unsustainable economic pressures—are colliding to create unprecedented challenges. Like the Night King’s unstoppable advance, these forces are just starting to reshape industries and economies at a pace few are prepared for.
Companies that fail to recognize and address these threats will be swept away, while those who heed the warning and embrace Big Bet Leadership—by creating clarity, maintaining velocity, and prioritizing risk and value—can turn this chaos into their greatest opportunity.
These mega forces will feed into each other like a vortex, building an overriding theme for business and society — that of a chaotic environment of dramatic change with successful Big Bet Leaders realizing productivity and cost model advantages that separate them from their competition. — Big Bet Leadership, Pg 3.
The only important question, then, is this — will you fight for the throne while ignoring that winter is approaching, or will you confront the real enemy and create an enterprise that is systematic in its innovation and reinvention, taking advantage of these mega forces?
Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era helps leaders like you (and Jon Snow) become leaders of transformation, leaders who take advantage of these mega-forces instead of ignoring them — leaders who future-proof their business.
Get your copy today. The audiobook is a great listening experience.
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Onward!
John
About The Digital Leader Newsletter
John Rossman is a keynote speaker, innovation coach, and strategy advisor. The Digital Leader Newsletter is a weekly coaching session focused on customer-centricity, innovation, and strategy. We deliver practical theory, examples, tools, and techniques to help you build better strategies, plans, and solutions—but most of all, to think and communicate better.