"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." -John F. Kennedy
Businesses have always been in a constant state of change, but with the occurrence of the pandemic, the change that we are experiencing today appears to be stronger and challenging. New types of barriers have emerged and the way we do work has been difficult for the last two years or so. The pace of work is much faster, emotions are rumbling in places and the associated levels of fatigue are real. According to Jaime Taets, the Chief Vision Officer of Keystone, the impact of the pandemic has been hard on everyone’s energy and well-being, most especially to leaders as they look to keep themselves, their people, and their organizations running strong through prolonged times of uncertainty.
To effectively lead through the dynamic landscape of today, it takes an efficient, innovative leader to direct a team and build on its past success. The challenges we’ve faced the last couple of years have changed a lot of our working habits and the entire concept of onsite work. Now we need to lead by serving more than ever.
Here are five important skills that each leaders should develop in 2022:
1. Focus and Energy towards Work
Leaders must display their focus and energy towards work in order to influence everyone to focus and stay on task. Keeping your team members on task will boost the productivity of an organization that’s battling through uncertain times. As a leader, you must exhibit this focus in your own work and on the other hand, your team should put their best efforts into their tasks. It’s a win-win situation and providing the necessary energy to perform work is a simple measure of the health and culture of a team or organization.
2. Relationship Building
Leaders need to understand how people perceive their business and those who present their company. Your customers are as essential as your team members and it’s important that everyone in the organization feels connected and that their voices are heard. Leaders must make their team members be themselves and allow them to make inputs or add their own comments and suggestions. If leaders allow their team to feel valued and embraced, it will shine through to the community they serve.
3. Dedication and Commitment
Personal qualities such as dedication, commitment and resilience are some fundamental skills that every leader must develop. All strategies framed by leaders should be underpinned by commitment and perseverance. A leader must have the ability to come up with a long-term goal combined with the passion for a particular result. When you’re passionate about your work, there’s nothing that could hold you from giving up or quitting.
“When one way doesn’t work, that is not when you give up. It is when you try a different approach.” - Eileen Donnelly, Ripple & Co’s Director
4. Taking Initiatives
Every leader should be a good initiator and innovative, in a way that it’s two to three steps ahead of the market. A great leader simply initiates changes and convinces its team members to embrace those changes. Leaders must be quick in identifying market trends and swiftly deploy sales and tactics to validate its potential. All leaders should also leverage on new technologies to provide greater value to both clients and employees. Investing in emerging technologies will be of service to helping essential daily tasks, finding qualified leads and building sales pipeline to accurately track ROI.
5. Leading by Example
There’s no greater leadership skill than leading by example. It’s a simple yet effective concept that will thrive in any situation or changes that might happen in the business world. When you lead by example, you don't just push your team members towards excellence but rather, you actively demonstrate that excellence and influence them with your work. Doing so will inspire the people around you, build connection, trust and camaraderie, and set the standards of success in your team.
In the end, the purpose of leadership is to be the change you want to see in your organization. Leaders must continue to hone and develop different areas of their skills especially in these trying times to be able to lead effectively and influence their team members. This whole COVID-19 pandemic situation taught us the specific need to lead by serving more than ever.
Here at Customized Training Solutions, we help leaders sustain and develop their own leadership skills through coaching, training and consulting. Book a free 30 minute call now to find out how we can help you!
REFERENCES
Edie Newsroom. (2022). 6 soft skills sustainability leaders need to hone in 2022. Retrieved from https://www.edie.net/6-soft-skills-sustainability-leaders-need-to-hone-in-2022/
Forbes. (2022). 14 Key Skills Every Business Leader Needs To Develop. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/03/25/14-key-skills-every-business-leader-needs-to-develop/?sh=26d0cde748b3
Keystone Group International. (2022). Today’s leaders require a new set of essential skills, including the skills to manage their own energy. Retrieved from https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2022/03/31/leaders-require-new-set-essential-skills.html
Martins, J. (2021). How to lead by example, according to one Asana leader. Retrieved from https://asana.com/resources/lead-by-example
Pena, B. (2022). Eight skills every leader should master in 2022. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/90737401/eight-skills-every-leader-should-master-in-2022
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