[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The world of business changes daily. As a result, what is needed from leaders and managers has changed, and the skills that were once sufficient no longer are. It may not be that we need more skills as leaders as much as we need different ones. Where once it was enough to have sharp technical skills, more and more is being required in relational skills. ‘Hard’ skills vs. ‘soft’ skills.
The major trends, outlined in the table below that are driving the change are:
- Decentralization and flattening of the organization – whereas once there was a descending hierarchy, we are much more often confronted with cross-functional teams where we need to wear the hat of both customer and performer fluidly.
- Working remotely – Virtual teams both locally and globally require new ways of relating for both manager and employee
- Work rhythm – Along with the increase of working remotely comes the reality that ‘work hours’ now include all hours of the day and night as well as every day of the week. This shift has produced a serious challenge in the ways we balance work and other activities in life.
- Real diversity – Generational, as well as cultural diversity, is increasing.
- Unremitting change – change is most often greeted with resentment, resistance, and even outright anger. And yet it is an aspect of business that is here to stay. The ability to navigate change successfully is not just an intellectual skill. Our capacity to accept, be curious, and ambitious move us through change. Denial and resentment have us resisting change. Emotions are the key.
If we want a brilliant organization, these are things that must be addressed. It has always been true that leadership comes from within. The hardest work of most leaders is their self-development. The good news is that there are new models that show us how we can grow into the leaders we want and need to be.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]