Leadership in the Next Decade

As we move soon into the next decade, and I reflect on my 30 years in business thus far, I have seen many changes in leadership style over that time, and it makes me think, where is it all heading? What’s next? What will leadership look like in the coming decade? What traits and behaviours will successful leaders display in the next few years? 

Tom Goodwin of Zenith posed a question recently, ‘‘What does leadership in 2025 look like? If people have access to the world's knowledge on the internet, if curiosity makes training redundant, if companies need to create cultures of risk takers, attract the "best" talent, harness the power of the entrepreneurial types, keep people challenged and rewarded and growing then what does leadership become? If we need to thrive in volatile, uncertain, radical times, if we need people to continually "self-disrupt" but in a progressive way, what culture do we need to build and how?’’ Thought provoking questions.

I have been privileged to work for several great managers and leaders over my career, plus a few ‘not so great’, but everyone is different. Above all, they were all people, with good points and bad points. Everyone is human, no one is going to be the ‘perfect leader’. No one is going to display everything that the latest Leadership textbook says makes for the ‘ideal leader’. But I learnt something from all of them, I experienced first-hand when what they did worked and when it didn’t, and sometimes I was on the receiving end of their successes and failures in leadership style, but they all in their own way, shaped me into the person and businessman that I am today.

So what are the trends that have shaped leadership over that time? Over my 30 years in industry, I have seen leadership slowly morph from old fashioned loud, aggressive domineering types, through a search for ever increasing ways to squeeze more and more out of your working day, with leaders being advised to start their day at increasingly inhuman times of the morning, through to a more empathetic and inclusive approach. Despite this evolution of the enlightened, there are still plenty of all of these types of leaders out there in the business world today, even the shouty ‘do as I say, not as I do’ types. Change does not land everywhere equally.

I have also been privileged in recent years to have worked with the newest breed of young graduates coming into business, in locations all over the world. This new generation bring with them an energy, and a passion and desire to succeed that is wonderfully positive for the future of business, but makes for a real tough challenge to manage, and that’s why Leadership has to change again going into the next decade.

It is this generation that Tom Goodwin’s questions are particularly pertinent to. These are the ones with access to the world's knowledge, and brought up to relish curiosity, and on tales of risk takers and entrepreneurs, and who are stepping into the business world in the most volatile, uncertain and radical of times.

I first saw this new generation start to appear when I lived in China, where over this last decade I witnessed the emergence of a new generation of young people, with new attitudes and new expectations. Young adults entering the world of work, who had grown up on daily stories in the media of mega-wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs, like Jack Ma of Ali Baba and Wang Jianlin of the Wanda Group, and raised during China’s one child policy. So they became a generation of young adults that just expected things to be handed to them on a plate. They were used to having everything they wanted from their parents, and they expected to become the next mega-rich entrepreneur, because that’s what people do in China, don’t they? They had also grown up in a time when China had been opening up massively to the West, with all the influences and opportunities that offered. And in a time when China had embraced and taken control of the digital age. China now has a generation of well educated, English speaking, intelligent young adults with attitude. They are changing the country, they are changing the culture and they are hungry for more. And in the last couple of years, I have seen this same next gen attitude spilling into Western countries as well.

The implications for where this is all heading and how current behaviours, evolving technology and shifting business landscapes are influencing leadership styles in the near future for me are clear. My view is that the Leader of the future will be;

Practical – the days of the over complex consultancy approach to business processes, and overused business buzzwords are facing a backlash. Over the next few years, the strongest leaders that will emerge will be ones that can cut through the hype and bullshit and stick to what is worthwhile & what works.

Three-Dimensional – not one dimensional beings, purely focused on business. Leaders of the future need outside interests, which demonstrate they have an enquiring mind and a desire to have a go at new things, and above all, to be interesting people who understand the importance of work/life balance and the value that other skills and interests can bring to a business. Maybe they do martial arts or kitesurfing, or play guitar in a rock band, or write novels? Whatever, these all indicate a desire to try something new.

Inspiring – people are increasingly looking for leaders that not only have other interests, but actually achieve real success in other areas of life, not just in their business achievements. Perhaps they have represented their country in triathlon or in bobsleigh or maybe they travel the world running sub-3 hour marathons (and these are all real examples of inspirational people I am lucky and proud to know). People will want a leader they can look up to as a person, not just a boss.

Flexible – with an appreciation that getting the best out of people means meeting their lifestyle needs halfway, which means more flexibility around working hours and working from home when appropriate. Placing trust in staff is becoming an increasingly important trend. The days of the micro manager are fast disappearing. Rigidized organisational structures favour old fashioned businesses, Innovation organisations require a more flexible approach to reporting lines.

Connected – leaders will increasingly value building relationships over business structure & processes. As a consequence of this, we will see more business partnerships emerging in the coming years, bringing complementary businesses together to create alliances that can achieve more.

Happy to hear from anyone with additional or conflicting views, just leave a comment.

The author, Dr Andy Wynn, is Managing Director of TTIP Consulting, the International Innovation Company, and has over 30 years of experience in leading the profitable growth of emerging technologies in a variety of industrial and high tech sectors. He was previously Chief Technology Officer of the largest Division of Morgan Advanced Materials plc, the global manufacturer of advanced materials and industrial engineering solutions. He is author of the recent book ‘Transforming Technology into Profit - A guide to leading new ideas through the complexities of the corporate world and transforming them into successful new products’, available on Amazon.