3 Reasons the Leaders of the Future are Different Than the Rest of Us

The future of the workplace is...well, futuristic.

Machines, mass automation, and unknown job functions for those of us with a heartbeat mean the world is changing. And those that are willing to adapt and overcome will be able to survive.

So what must leaders do to challenge themselves to survive and sustain in this type of ecosystem?

To start: We must assume the organizational leadership must have the utmost concern with the survival of the entity in which they lead. Without this assumption, leadership is not needed for the entity does not exist.

Here are the three characteristics that leaders of the future are doing to shape our existence and transpose their vision into concrete action of their teams.

Leaders create people that cannot be automated

Today, technology has enabled people to work from anywhere, and the lines between working hours and personal time have blurred. But what technology giveth, it also taketh away.

Roles and responsibilities change frequently, and skills that are data driven or inherently "un-human" become automated.

Because of that, career paths are changing wildly. In fact, they are being forged like never before.

The definition of “worker” or “employee” has changed as well, with the Uber model of fluid employment redefining who is working and for whom they are working for.

So where does this leave our leaders?

Leaders will be constructing skill-sets in their teams that CANNOT be automated by machines. Primarily, those include problem solving, diplomacy, and emotional connection.

To attract the best talent, future leaders will give their team members the comfort in knowing they will be developing skills that cannot be automated down the line, adding to their confidence in the organization and leadership.

Leaders self-sacrifice to grow people, not the organization

Leadership expert and futurist, Alexandra Levit, on the leaders growing their teams, "It's allowing [employees] to broaden their skill-set in an adjacent area... gain and acquire an adjacent skill-set in something that they are already doing to have a broader understanding...they will develop a more comprehensive skill-set."

She continues, "Leaders must know that people do not want to languish on one role for their entire career. I think some leaders think their goal is to hang onto people as long as humanly possible"

So, how do leaders build loyalty in the future with competition and automation increasing?

Back to Alexandra, "Build loyalty by giving them as much as they need to develop their career."

"How can you get people to remember you, so that they were dedicated to the organization, while helping them fulfill their [deepest] aspirations. Leaders must be conscious and systematic with what their team members are thinking and how they are learning the [required] skills." -- Alexandra Levit, Leadership Expert and Futurist

Listen to the 44 minute in-depth leadership interview with Alexandra Levit here

Leaders are hyper-aware that the future will defined by great leaders

"A lot of job catergories haven't even been invented yet...millennials don't have the patience to stay 10 years and work 10,000 hours at one job for their career," says Levit.

People's jobs in the next 5-10 years, we will see the tipping point, people not working 9-5, working with different clients in different geographical locations. The professional environment is undergoing a massive shift -- in general, people don't want a hierarchical workplace.

Gone are the days when we needed to be chained to our desks between the hours of 9am and 5pm, or clock in and out as proof of a day’s productivity.

Technology solutions such as collaboration tools and the cloud have given us the ability to work from where we want, when we want, and how we want.

The leaders of the future are already embracing this, and are growing people accordingly.

Leadership Expert, Author of "They Don't Teach Corporate in College" and her new book, Mom.B.A.: Essential Business Advice from One Generation to the Next , Alexandra Levit is defining the future of leadership in business.

More of her incredible insight into the future of the workplace can be found here: https://www.alexandralevit.com/

Listen to my interview with Alexandra here about the future of the workplace!