Work Is Changing Dramatically. Are Your Skills Keeping Pace?
Pick up any business publication these days and chances are it’s filled with stories about labor shortages, “The Great Reshuffling,” hybrid work, changes in what people want and expect from their jobs, supply chain challenges, technology advancements and risks, the need for more focus on employee mental health and wellness, and more. We’ve never experienced such a massive transformation in how and where we work.
The result? Virtually everyone now has a development gap.
To better understand the work-related effects of the last two years, the Leadership Circle analyzed more than 13,000 leader profiles. They found that the skills needed to lead in this time of great volatility include transparent communication, composure, adaptability, honesty and vulnerability, encouragement of creativity and innovation, and willingness to take action.
Similarly, a recent Catalyst survey of nearly 900 employees across the U.S. found that empathetic leadership a must-have in today’s workplace. The research credits empathy as “a force for innovation, flourishing and intent to stay.”
Do you have a clear and objective view of how well you measure up with respect to these skills? The strongest leaders have a high level of self-awareness, not just about their strengths but also their gaps in relation to the challenges in front of them. That knowledge is the starting point to individual and team success, and it’s easily accessible through assessments and coaching for those who want to develop into the best leaders they can be. Leadership Circle, Emergenetics, EQ-I 2.0, Dare to Lead™ Training and HeartMath® & Mindfulness Coaching are all very effective tools for self-understanding and growth.
These are particularly exciting times to be a leader. Long-held assumptions and work processes are having to give way to new approaches to building culture, engaging employees and creating value both internally and externally. The leaders who have a sharp focus on the skills needed for this journey are at the tip of the spear in this important evolution. Isn’t that where you want to be?
