8 Things for Leaders to Consider in 2022

Seasons greetings from Leadership Matters, a newsletter by 100 Women @ Davos, a global community of impact-driven women leaders. In our last one before the holidays, here are 8 things that leaders must consider starting from the New Year through the end of 2022 to come out successfully.

1. Resurgence of COVID-19

The newly discovered Omicron variant is reportedly rapidly spreading, though it seems that the symptoms are generally milder. Organisations will have to revisit hybrid working plans and favour working from home. Business travel and conferences will be curtailed: World Economic Forum, has postponed its much-anticipated January gathering of global elites in Davos. Leaders will be faced with controversial decisions on whether to insist staff members are vaccinated to come to the office, as some companies have done. Fears of lockdown are rising in some parts of the world.

2. Inflation

Rising prices continue for a myriad of reasons linked to the pandemic including supply and labour shortages continue to persist as well as rising energy prices. Companies faced with higher costs are passing them on to consumers resulting in increases in consumer goods from food to cars, negatively impacting the cost of living for workers. From the US to the UK, inflation is at its highest for over 10 years.

3. Hiring difficulties

With many countries still experiencing the Great Resignation, certain jobs will continue to be difficult to fill leading some organisations to consider raising wages to attract workers or to retain a competitive edge.

4.?Supply chain issues

Companies still need to adapt to supply chain failures. Supply chains have slowed and prices have increased as a result. In order to stay as efficient and effective as possible, periodic assessments, planning to minimise disruption to your business, and communication with customers and staff to provide updates will help reduce friction.

5. Adopting Cryptocurrencies

As cryptocurrency increasingly becomes an alternative method of transacting and making payments, organisations need to get to grips with understanding cryptocurrencies, and when and how it will make sense to explore using them.

6. Changing Talent Needs

With a permanent shift from the dominance of face-to-face meetings and more time spent in front of screens, the consumption of content online has escalated. Digital communication is no longer a nice-to-have but essential for organizations. Businesses of all sizes will see increased talent needs in the area of content creation, digital communication and marketing.

7. Climate Change

Despite the disappointing commitments from the recent COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, concerns continue to mount about global warming.?Boards, consumers, and the Next Generation alike are demanding that companies need to do more. From net-zero energy buildings, clean fuel, and recycling to incentives to employees to encourage climate-conscious behaviour, companies will come under pressure from stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to actions to halt global warming. ESG initiatives will start to become mainstream.

8.?Diversity & Inclusion Targets

It is no longer a debate of whether or not.?Leading companies are expected to have transparent plans to create a diverse and inclusive work environment. Companies at the forefront are leveraging the benefits of diversity whilst policymakers the world over, turn legislation to have a minimum number of women on boards and in executive positions.

France is the latest country to adopt such a law requiring companies with more than 1,000 staff to have at least 30% of top management as women by 2027, and at least 40% by 2030. Diversity is however is more than just about gender, and also includes ethnic?and racial minorities, age, sexual orientation, disability, and religion. D&I will head in the direction of a strategic initiative and not just part of an HR function for leading firms

As a leader, how are you planning to address these issues in 2022?

Imagine....Beyond Next Year

We will start to rethink the spaces we inhabit: from physical to virtual, earth to space travel, digital to the metaverse. Science, technology, creativity and innovation will lead us to unimaginable places as we head deep into the 21st century. A bumpy ride but an exciting one! What's your take?

100 Women @ Davos Member Spotlight

Noella Coursaris Musunka is an international model, philanthropist, founder of Malaika, and proud mother of two children. Since it began in 2007, Malaika’s mission has been to empower a community in a rural village in the Democratic Republic of Congo through education and health programs.?

Founded in 2007 by No?lla Malaika has grown into a fully-functioning ecosystem that consists of a free, accredited school that provides a comprehensive education to 400 girls, a community center that offers a range of programs to 5,000 youth and adults, a clean water program with 23 wells that services over 32,000 people each year and a sustainable agricultural program that provides two nutritious meals each day to students and staff. Malaika’s community-driven approach serves as a model that can be replicated on a global scale in communities around the world.

It's that time of the year for giving. Support Malaika!

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Wishing you and yours a wonderful festive season. Stay safe!

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