The Ever Evolving Role Of Leaders...

What is the #1 asset in any business??

Its People.?

And who has the biggest "people impact" in an organization? ?

Our leaders

Management has the greatest people impact on your organization for better or for worse. Great leaders can be an organization’s biggest competitive advantage, and also its biggest point of failure. We’ve all heard the term “people leave bad managers, not bad companies”, and it’s true. Leaders can determine who comes into the organization, how they engage and perform, and how long they choose to stay.?

Yet, we continue to underinvest in our leaders, time and time again.

Specifically in the staffing industry, there is often lack of support around inclusive leadership, as well as equipping leaders with the modern-day techniques they need to empower their people.?

We’re excited to launch a brand-new program, The Inclusive Leader which addresses these problems at the root cause, from tackling the problems that the modern leader is facing in the staffing industry.??

?So, what challenges are leaders facing today?

Leaders have been under immense pressure for the past two years, and it’s no secret that people are at times exhausted.?

A global pandemic, market turbulence, and now switching gears to an influx in hiring have left many of us burnt out, or thrust into roles or opportunities we are not quite prepared for. But, now is the time for the rule book to be ripped up, and for leadership roles to be redefined by organizations so they can attract and retain the best talent.?

?Jack of all trades, master of none

Traditional management, when stripped back, was predominantly focused on ensuring that goals were met, people were happy at a surface level, and performance was good. It was two-dimensional in many respects; no technology, no social media, and limited access to news and resources.?

However, we live in a world that is now shaped by technology, connectivity, and often, information overload. This has forced leaders to wear multiple hats - hats they may have never signed up to wear.?

Managing individuals' emotions, being a coach, training and development, staying up to date with technology, driving values and culture, retention strategies, Diversity and Inclusion, and employee wellbeing all fall on the shoulders of leaders. That's without the intense pressure of delivering relentlessly high growth!

?Harvard Business Review produced a compelling article on this topic, highlighting that “The traditional role of the manager evolved in the hierarchical workplaces of the industrial age, but in our fluid, flatter, postindustrial age that role is beginning to look archaic.” The article then goes on to explain that “If managers remain essential, but their traditional role has become obsolete, then it’s obviously time for a change.”

The reality is, the “new-age” of managers in some ways have to be a jack of all trades. They have to be more than someone who helps you get a promotion or manages underperformance. They have to understand the psychology of their team, they have to lead inclusively, they must be apt at training, and their emotional intelligence and influencing skills have to be top-tier.?

Remote management and digital tools

Although some leaders would have already been well-versed with how to lead remotely as well as the variety of skills needed to master it, the vast majority of leaders were forced to lead remotely with in-person techniques only. Trying to replicate a face-to-face environment virtually is incredibly difficult, and this created a skills gap that desperately needed to be filled.

?This ties into the importance of inclusive leadership and why it’s now a requirement, not a “nice to have”. Most organizations have adopted either completely remote or hybrid working practices, largely relying on tech and digital tools to execute day to day tasks.

?Teams want more (and aren’t afraid to speak up about it)

?Long gone are the days when employees believed they should be “grateful” or “lucky” to have been given an opportunity. We spoke about The Great Resignation in a previous blog highlighting the facts and myths, and one of the facts is that employees and teams want more, their priorities have changed, and they definitely aren’t afraid to vocalize them.

This isn’t a bad thing, though - it’s the complete opposite. Creating open dialogue and a culture where employees feel empowered to voice their needs is what every organization should desire. But, the issue lies with the imbalances we’ve already spoken about, putting leaders in positions where they’re desperately trying to catch up with the market demands and lacking the skillset to respond effectively.

?What’s the solution?

We believe that high-impact leadership also happens to be inclusive leadership, and we’ve designed a program to support leaders to develop the skills necessary, and understand the “why” behind it.

The first iteration of this program speaks specifically to the Staffing Industry. It addresses the unique challenges that both emerging and experienced Leaders face within the role.

Participants of our Inclusive Leader Program will learn how to cultivate a high performing team while fostering a culture of inclusion. Amongst other things our participants will learn how to:

• Define an inclusive climate and understand your role as a leader in establishing this?
• Understand bias and identify practices to disrupt it and facilitate an equitable environment
• Build and foster trust as a leader
• Unpack the benefits of vulnerability and empathy in leadership
• Develop core skills to facilitate employee development through coaching?
• Drive engagement and improve retention while creating a culture of high performance?

We are excited to share the details of this brand new program with our community, and if you would like to hear more drop me a message here on LinkedIn or request more info using the form here.