Paul O'Donnell highlights fours competencies that will be key to successful leadership in the future
Leaders are facing a complex mix of new challenges. Hiring, engaging and retaining remote employees, addressing the opportunities and risks of a new work model and the uncertainty created by geopolitical turbulence, economic headwinds and pandemic lag.
The rapid pace of change and the need for quick responses mean leaders must develop new cognitive abilities and traits to thrive.
Here are four competencies that will be essential for future leaders.
1. Let go of unconscious biases
Aside from the moral imperative, the business case for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is compelling.
Successive McKinsey studies demonstrate that organisations with well-developed systems to support inclusion are more likely to outperform financially.
Leaders must be authentic in their efforts to build diverse teams. The best leaders understand the need to shape a culture that encourages all team members to flourish.
They actively seek out the higher-order thinking that comes from having differing perspectives around the table, and draw on this for a competitive edge.
2. Collaborative instinct
Strong leaders demonstrate collaboration as a first response when working with a peer group and their team.
True collaboration arises from a trust-centred approach to team engagement. This often requires the leader to check their behaviour to ensure their drive and ego are not obstacles to team empowerment.
Leaders can shape team culture in order to make sure that introverts feel safe to speak up, and extroverts know when to hold back. In many ways, leadership becomes a devolved process where team members lead tasks and projects at the peer level.
3. Understanding values
Organisational values come from how leaders behave and the decisions they make. These values determine whether talent will stay with an organisation or leave to join a competing business whose leadership values match their own.
Leaders must demonstrate organisational values in all of their decision-making and place values at the centre of hiring decisions.
Of equal importance is the leader's application of values in decisions made regarding clients, internal or external. This determines employee behaviours and the customer's experience.
4. Connecting with employees
Where previous HR advice may have been to focus only on the nine-to-five of the employer/employee relationship, the future of leadership will be different.
With hybrid working, we have invited our work, colleagues and leaders into our homes. Our working lives are now more intertwined with our home and personal lives.
There can be little doubt that younger generations expect their employers to consider (and accommodate) them in a more holistic manner when making decisions about them, their work and their careers.
Leaders should understand what matters personally and professionally to each of their team members. They should keep in touch on issues that arise and provide flexibility and accommodations where needed.
Paul O'Donnell is the CEO of HRM Search Partners