The world has changed drastically over the last several years. The business model is no exception. Leadership style has undergone significant changes with people now working in the office, remotely, and even hybrid schedules. Stress factors have also changed. Has your leadership style?
Leadership Has a New Definition
Once upon a time, a leader kept tabs on projects, gave their team yearly training, and made sure the business was profitable. An employee was expected to check their home life at the door. Work came first; family was secondary. That has now shifted. Employees are now being recognized as integral to the organization.
Leaders must now realize how to enable the work-life balance for all employees. People are putting their families first. They need support for personal development, life skills, and a life outside of work. If employees are not getting this, they are seeking jobs elsewhere. If at all.
Leadership Styles and Skills
The Great Resignation has forced leadership style change as well. If an employee does not feel supported and valued, they look elsewhere. Tables have turned and the employees have taken a large role in this. Companies must take large steps to ensure they have top talent on their team. And that they are happy.
A great leader must possess a large skillset in many different areas:
Able to lead virtually– With more and more, employees may feel less connected to their job, peers, and organization. This can lead to less loyal employees. It is important that leaders can connect with their team and show the talent they are valued.
Able to accept change– A leader who can adapt quickly to change will get their team up to speed faster, drive growth, and retain talent. They set a precedence on how employees will react to new situations.
Be empathetic– People are putting their family and personal lives before their careers. Stress, health, and financial concerns weigh heavily on a person. An effective leader understands this and helps the employee cope with things other than work projects.
Promote a Culture of Connectedness– People need to feel connected to their peers and workplace. Remote workers can present a challenge, but that doesn’t mean it can be ignored. Try different team-building exercises to connect with peers and relate to staff.
Leaders Must Always Be Evolving
Being a leader no longer means simply having a team working for you. Leaders must contribute to all aspects of the organization, not simply their department.
Development Dimensions International surveyed 2,102 human resource professionals and 15,787 leaders around the world, including 24 major industry sectors to create their Global Leadership Forecast. Only 20% of leaders said they are very effective at leading virtually, while 60% indicated that the majority of their organization now works from home.
Remote employees present their own leadership hurdles. A special report by Prudential states that managers have added responsibility in a remote setting—over half (52%) report they feel more pressure to maintain company culture now than before the pandemic and 4 in 10 (39%) say mentoring has been more difficult.
A once-a-year training seminar where you hear ideas and get a few bullet points on each topic is no longer enough. The world is changing rapidly and so must our leadership styles. Harvard Business Review found that “only successful leaders receive the chance to be successful”. Companies have a tendency to develop those proven leaders and give them more training. But leaders can emerge from all levels of staff, whether they are just starting out or are seasoned veterans.
Is Your Leadership Style Evolving?
Monthly, and even weekly, training is a necessity to stay on track with the ever-evolving world. With a variety of formats and courses to choose from, OnCourse Learning makes it easy to update your training and advance your leadership team. Our Remote Management Series has seven courses that average 20 minutes in length to keep your team moving forward.