Times of great disruption demand new kinds of leaders, for what was successful in the past may be of limited value in the present.
We are passing through such a turbulent period. Consider the forces at play that are redefining our expectations our leaders:
- Low unemployment rates have made it a job seekers market, giving candidates considerable negotiating power.
- A number of tragedies have amplified the social justice movement, with 76 percent of workers now saying “a diverse workforce is an important factor when evaluating companies and job offers.”
- Workers want empathetic leaders above all, and are no longer willing to settle for command-and-control leaders who care only about financial results.
- Companies are increasingly expected to measure success by the quadruple bottom line: people, profit, planet and progress.
- Employees prize flexibility at work and are demanding it from employers. In fact, work flexibility is becoming the defining issue for many around the world.
These changes and many others are necessitating a new type of leader with an evolving set of leadership skills. Of course, this new type of leader must still be expert at timeless operational skills like having productive one-on-one conversations with their people, building trust, being excellent communicators, etc. But the basic toolkit is no longer sufficient.
HR and L&D leaders held the clues
Our perspective on the topic stems from Blanchard’s fourth annual HR/L&D Trends research and report. We surveyed over 700 leadership, learning and talent development professionals to discover how they are dealing with changes in the work environment and how HR and learning and development plans are shifting.
In the survey, we asked people what skills their leaders need most. It turns out the most important skill of emerging leaders is knowing how to engage their people and develop their skills, with over 90 percent of respondents finding it very or extremely important. This was a significant shift from past priorities that were usually about more traditional skills of managers.
We collected the data many ways — using both quantitative and qualitative methods — to identify what qualities professionals want to recruit or develop in their leaders in the coming years. Remember that these HR and L&D professionals are responsible for recruiting and upskilling the employee base, so their opinions are particularly consequential.
The first theme in our data was that organizations need compassionate leaders.
The compassionate leader
| Compassionate leaders: Engage their people. Help them develop and grow. Coach them through challenges. Empathize authentically. Create a sense of belonging and inclusion. Cultivate resilience and well-being. |
Employees want leaders who care about them. They expect and need leaders who help them succeed, support their requests for a flexible work schedule, promote psychological safety and are trustworthy.
C-suite executives are becoming more aware of the key role people leaders play in fueling employee engagement. Simply put, good leaders inspire engagement. But only 36 percent of U.S. employees are engaged and 20 percent of employees worldwide. Developing compassionate leaders is an antidote.
These new compassionate leaders must be able to develop their people while simultaneously accomplishing their collective goals. Coaching is table-stakes. They need to have an others-centric, light-handed approach for helping their people overcome challenges — while still driving growth.
The compassionate leader must be empathetic and actively foster diversity, equity and inclusion within their spheres of influence. And they must look out for their people, helping them to avoid burnout and balance work and life responsibilities.
The need for such a leader is understandable as the pandemic has depleted our psychological reserves. A recent report by McKinsey found that 75 percent of employees “require supports that foster good mental health, 24 percent require supports for moderate mental health needs and 1 percent need intense mental health services or treatment.”
Unhealthy workplaces are exacerbating these problems. In fact, research shows that 80 percent of workplaces are moderate to highly toxic. Put depleted people in a difficult situation, and you will surely get terrible results.
All this is not to suggest that leaders should be therapists. That is not their responsibility, nor are they trained to provide such support. However, a leader who is compassionate can enhance the psychological state of their people. This is not wishful thinking, but a widely held belief.
The changing work world requires compassionate people leaders to guide us forward, which leads us to our second theme.
The kinetic leader
| Kinetic leaders: Manage organizational change. Support change initiatives. Drive innovation within their domain. Adapt quickly to new challenges. Solve problems creatively. |
Organizations need leaders and managers who can help their people navigate changing environments and pivot quickly to achieve new objectives. Future leaders must display a combination of dynamism and adaptiveness.
Leading and supporting change are critical skills that are increasingly necessary with each passing year. Whether leaders are driving organizationwide change or are supporting and amplifying it on a small scale, kinetic leaders are the ones who create change momentum.
Innovation, change’s twin sister, receives considerable press coverage but much of the practices are aimed at executives, developers and initiative leaders. Managers are overlooked, but they are a powerful source of incremental innovation if they have the right orientation and skills. One hint from our research is that experimentation is a key indicator of kinetic leaders.
Finally, but not surprisingly, tomorrow’s leaders need to know how to manage people.
The perennial leader
| Perennial leaders: Set clear goals. Establish and change priorities. Hire top talent. Think critically. Communicate clearly. Understand themselves. |
While the next few years will require leaders to be more compassionate, empathetic, agile and adaptive, they must also continue to hone fundamental managerial skills. These include dynamically setting goals and balancing priorities, hiring and upskilling new people and thinking critically. Leaders must communicate clearly and understand themselves deeply, as well.
Seismic changes — behind and ahead
We can be so immersed in the demands of the day that we can forget to look at the bigger picture. But even a cursory glance shows how much has changed since 2020. We truly live in a new era.
Considering the enormous changes that happened in the last few short years, it’s not surprising that the profile of ideal leaders is evolving quickly.
The good news is that the new leader profile is more heart-driven, more balanced and caring. The bad news is that it’s more stressful, uncertain and busier than ever.
Our times call for a new kind of leader. It’s time to start helping our current and emerging leaders develop the skills they need to succeed in this new world.
