What has changed in the last three tumultuous years, and what has stayed the same?
The environment has changed dramatically. As humans, leaders and individual contributors, we have had to lean into the change. As the systems and business environment have changed, personal behaviour change has also been an outcome. Leading change used to be very difficult, but the extreme business environment has made change more manageable.
The leaders of the past have struggled in this new environment. The micromanagers and the dictators used to crashing through are now not succeeding. Elon Musk, a brilliant entrepreneur, has destroyed a lot of value in his short time at Twitter is a case in point.
Leadership gems can now be found in previously unimaginable places. In assessing a “human”, one needs to consider the heart, the gut, and the mind; this is tech with empathy. The care factor is not soft but tuning into how customers and employees feel. What is their resilience and their coping style? Once you know this, you can determine the mechanisms that need to be put around them so they can succeed.
The empowerment culture is alive. People will now be open about when they want to work and when they want to go on leave. It’s the reverse of what happened previously.
Humanised assessment is the assessment of how people are feeling.
The empowerment culture has made employees braver. Employees now take on new challenges with increased risk. Bravery and uncertainty can be harnessed, but leaders must watch out for the endurance limits. The recent period has put a lot of pressure on individuals at work and in their personal lives.
Human nature has not changed, but it has exposed the limitations of some leaders who are held up as role models. However, now we are more aware of the health issues and the core aspects that make us all human. How to listen and focus on mental health are an integral part of the leadership toolbox.
AI has brought a lot the limitations to the fore.
Can all leaders change to adapt to the new environment?
Humans have a vast capacity to adapt and change. Anyone can change. However, it comes down to the individual’s interest in changing and tapping into a change capability. Many leaders are fearful of change internally and externally.
Bales – Blind spots and biases, Assumptions, Interpretations and limiting beliefs.
These are internal to each of us. They can be blocks that prevent us from embarking on change. In effect, each of us can create the reality we want.
Imposter syndrome is more prominent in female leaders. Women are good at networking but not internal to an organisation. Success is best achieved for female executives when an internal mentor champions them.
What are the current leadership requirements around communication?
Improving listening skills is the first step. Most people listen to respond. However, what is not being said and how it’s being said is just as important. With listening comes curiosity. Curiosity results in asking questions and asking why.
The cultural overlay to listening is also essential. Local when possible and global when necessary is a sensible approach.
Diagrams and images are required to bridge language and cultural gaps. Emojis are important. Microsoft is an excellent suite of tools because it is so universal. The art of storytelling becomes valuable to help people get their message across.
Leaders must listen but also speak up. Communication must be two-way. Through robust interaction, mutual understanding is established.
What skills need to be in the modern leader’s tool bag?
The essential skills are softer. These include skills like listening, empathy, storytelling, providing inspiration, clarification and being a go-to point. Leaders need to be brave as they increasingly step into unknown areas. Leaders are learning to lean on other leaders. A technology leader leaning into a customer leader creates cooperation. In the past, this was seen as internal competition.
