Leadership Competencies Post Pandemic
After the rollout of several vaccines around the world we are starting to observe a reduction of COVID related cases and hospitalizations in many countries while at the same time a higher number of people are reporting to be fully vaccinated.
Many businesses are gearing up to shift from remote-only to a mix of remote and in person work environments during the 2nd half of 2021.
After almost 18 months of remote leadership, leaders should consider adapting their skills and approaches to embrace the “new normal”. Leaders will most likely have to combine simultaneously three competencies to be successful.
ONE: VISION to articulate the future and the priorities required to be successful.
As uncertainty continues to linger the responsibility of leaders is to craft a vivid vision of the future and to lay out a clear path to success.
The lesson for the “new now” is clear: a powerful vision will help people thrive in their work both at disruptive technology startups that routinely set their sights on changing the world as well as businesses at large. To remain relevant in a shifting environment, leaders should frequently revisit and adapt their vision to remain nimble, strategic and opportunistic.
TWO: EMPATHY to inspire and empower employees. Perhaps, before COVID this leadership competency was mostly ignored. Research shows that only one in four leaders has high empathy skills, and a study conducted at the University of Michigan showed a 34% to 48% decline in skills related to empathy over an eight-year period. This is a worrying trend; considering that empathy helps build strong relationships between employees, motivates teams and drives superior performance.
Now is the time for companies to create a more empathetic culture and for leaders to lead by example.
THREE: EXECUTION FOCUS to ensure innovative and agile execution capabilities. A purpose will inspire employees, but the feeling of realizing this purpose is uplifting and contagious.
Purpose will serve as a North Star, but getting there will require fluid and constant two-way communication between employees and leaders.
The benefits of combining VISION, EMPATHY and EXECUTION FOCUS may seem difficult to quantify, and the effort required may seem hard to justify. But, evidence around the world confirms that companies that are bringing together these three leadership competencies as part of the “day job” and the fabric of their culture are seeing gains even in turbulent times, and are building a resilient competitive advantage for the future.
Crises like the one we faced during 2020 force businesses and their leaders to change and adapt at extraordinary speed. Those that are able to focus on what truly drives success, leading with VISION, EMPATHY and a FOCUS on EXECUTION, will emerge stronger than ever.
For further ideas on leadership and coaching please refer to the sources below:
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2020/07/modern-leadership-style-being-not-doing
https://trainingindustry.com/articles/leadership/6-truisms-of-modern-leadership-development/
https://online.jwu.edu/blog/7-leadership-trends-2020-s
https://www.business.com/articles/leadership-styles-millennials
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-6-important-leadership-trends-to-watch-in-2020/
https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/4-newtrends-in-leadership-to-watch-in-2020.html
https://careynieuwhof.com/5-disruptive-leadership-trends-that-will-rule-2020/