The Future of Leadership

Expectations for Leaders

Ever the optimist, I think that from today's multi-dimensional crises a stronger type of leadership will emerge. A change is needed with so many leaders visibly failing. We have seen too many situations now where governments fail to govern, the opposition fails to oppose, the media fail to mediate, and leaders fail to lead. The current situation requires, and we demand competent leaders.

Although COVID19 pandemic is not a systematic crisis rather a temporary though severe one, it has brought about a lot of anguish, and unanswered questions about the future. Indirectly, therefore, it has acquired systemic crisis characteristics, as the widely supported protest movements centered around concrete measures to reduce deep-rooted racism, and a more active role of the state show.

Now more than ever citizens are demanding from their governments and employers to come up with effective ways of addressing global challenges like pandemics and other health challenges, the global education crisis, climate change, etc. In Europe, the European Commission, for example, since the year 2000 has laid a strong basis formulating 10 years strategies to address global challenges, and making available funding to address these challenges.

Reflecting on leadership, I am taking my cues for my reflections here from conversations with my adult and diverse students over the past years. In my history courses, we systematically discuss leadership features of historical figures, based on dimensions of personal integrity, vision, communication and adaptability loosely taken from Sunnie Giles “The Most Important Leadership Competencies, According to Leaders Around the World” Harvard Business Review. (2016, March 15).

In short, what people expect from a leader are four main things: vision, integrity, adaptability, and ability to communicate a concrete plan credibly around this. In a longer perspective, those are the leaders that leave a legacy, and have a major impact on the societies they are part of.

Let's be serious: vision and integrity

The weaknesses and inadequacies of current leaders are now exposed. Now they are just as confused as everybody else and therefore unable to articulate a coherent vision. This vision can not be just made up: it must be based on solid understanding of reality and richly fed by relevant facts. After these current crises, we can no longer build a vision on lies and half-truths. People can check things quickly, and you will be exposed.

The same mantra that "you can not fool all the people all the time", is applied to the leader's personal integrity. It may have been funny that President Trump in the first 3 years of his presidency had told 14,000 lies or so, until COVID19 hit. When people started dying preventable deaths, it was not so funny any longer. Gone are the days when leaders like an ostrich could put their heads in the sand, although many still try.

Flippant irresponsibility is not acceptable any more. It is no longer good enough for a university leader, for example, to say "in two weeks we will be bankrupt". He (usually he) can not expose his incompetence at risk management and prudential care, and magically hope the government or a "generous banker" will save the day.

Globally it seems female heads of government were earlier to respond, and take COVID19 and their role as leaders seriously, thus saving many lives. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern comes to mind, but there have been others.

Apart from vision and integrity, adaptability is also expected from leaders, which implies a capacity to learn and change his/her mind when faced with new reality. The old ideologies of fiscal conservatism were let go by Chancellor Angela Merkel for example when facing a major and long-term reduction in spending by consumers.

Finally, effective communication is expected from leaders. The current batch of incompetent leaders seem to have no concrete plan which addresses the legitimate needs and aspirations of their main stakeholders and followers. Their leadership lack clarity and focus as a result. Leaders still give speeches, but they are not saying anything.

Nothing fails like failure

Now that things have become more serious, people expect leaders to be competent and deliver the goods. Those who can't or won't, will be held accountable and removed. President Trump comes to mind, now that little seems to be able to save him from major electoral defeat in November 2020. The protest movements have managed to deeply engage a wide audience, and these people won't disengage any time soon. They will hold leaders accountable for results, not for fluffy talk and bizarre or unrealistic dreams ("The Wall").

In 10 years, I believe we will wonder why people followed such weak leaders before COVID19. We will probably muse about the primitive, unstructured social media where a culture was promoted that what an expert or scientist says, has the same value as what the idiot blurts out. In particular, regarding national government leaders in the USA, UK and Australia, which is that part of the "Anglo-sphere" where a large share of public opinion - the so-called deplorables - has been poisoned with xenophobia, false national pride and racism by years of lies from the Newscorp press. Mutatis mutandis, these leadership lessons from the current crises, applies to smaller leaders, those of us responsible for our families, organizations or sectoral policies.

In leadership, nothing fails like failure, and those of us found wanting will be removed from leadership roles by our increasingly engaged, justifiably disappointed and angry constituents. These times require leaders, who perform and take their roles seriously.