Modernized Leadership Practices

Way back in 2013, when the iPhone 5 was launching with a newer app called Facetime, the movie Frozen was filling screens everywhere & headlines were dominated by Edward Snowden's NSA leak....I wrote an article for Great Place To Work US that made some bold predictions on the future of leadership & the workplace.

Fast forward 10 years to 2023 and those concepts that didn't seem fathomable at that time are now 100% in place within modern culture. Which brings me to this months newsletter.

With the speed at which things are changing, it's potentially irresponsible to even predict what will happen beyond the next year. But, as a self described futurist, I will do my best and also add the disclaimer that many thought leaders seem to be attaching lately. The below references an opinion and is for information purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Seek a licensed individual for investment advice. Trends 1 to 5 in January now, followed by 6 to 10 in February to keep this a quick read, as always.

1. Fractional Leadership Contracts Rise - We've been talking about the gig economy for quite a while, but this is the next level. Not just hiring a knowledge worker to come and knock out a project or two. But fractional actually defining a niche leadership role that may be put in place part time over a longer period to help with a complex transformation or strategy. An extension of the senior leadership team, potentially in layers of roles until the effort is complete. Many used this type of effort for digital transformations and are now ready to move into their AI strategies. Having worked for numerous years with specific brands to transform their I.T./Ops/CX, you must be purposeful in cultivating a trust relationship given the external 'contractor' and part time status of this solution. From both the leadership stakeholder & consultant sides.
2. Artificial Intelligence Knowledge is a New Leadership Competency - You don't have to be the one coding or even leading the team that's establishing the framework. But, if you're in an executive or leadership role, it will be critical to understand what is possible and the different ways to leverage A.I. as your business evolves. Smart executives are getting into basic courses to better understand machine learning, robotic process automation, next best action and speech analytics to name a few. Finding opportunities to use neural networks to your advantage will be a common trait of tomorrows breakthrough executives. Getting into a free course now should be part of everyone's 2023 goals, especially if you are an investor in disruption/unicorn companies.
3. Authenticity Will Separate Executives from Successful Executives - With the amount of disinformation arising in the automation age, or 4th industrial revolution, it's no surprise that those leaders who are authentic and trusted faired better during the Great Resignation. Considering the shift of our workforce and potential job loss or change in the next 7 years, this may be the most important tip. For executives still leading in the old style of hierarchical power control, your days are somewhat numbered. In today's leadership, your ego is not your amigo. Looking for leaders who have taken or mastered Servant Leadership courses and principles will be on the rising priority for boards and savvy executives. There will always be a game of politics and control at the senior levels, but maybe consider leaving it there? Keeping your direct team out of it, where possible. Or at minimum, learn how to translate the screaming matches to a different tone and language when cascading your communications to the next level.

"In today's leadership, your ego is not your amigo."        

4. Slowing Down for Storytelling - Is an art. As leaders, we are driven by successfully knocking out our lists of initiatives and projects and moving onto the next fire drill. It's those leaders who make time in their communications and strategies to highlight a short term win, or set the vision forward with a story who will gain followers internally. People always remember a good story and having a few on standby is key. If you're looking to have younger generations of staff join you in a mission, consider making your battle cry relatable and with a good, detailed story of how it will help customers and employees to embark on this change.

Not sure where to begin? I like to use a good story mountain framework to help me remember the key points & to make it an engaging story. It can both help set the tone, but also create an informal way of communicating what's expected, in terms that are very easy to visualize. Mastering the art of storytelling is a trait of many of the pasts successful business icons. If you're looking to level up your game and you're not actively planning or practicing some storytelling, the time to begin was yesterday. Personal stories are powerful.

5. Adaptability Over Agility - For many types of decisions, especially those for which little quantitative data exist, the broader knowledge and experience of leaders still outperforms purely data-driven approaches. I have personally seen C-Suites unable to make agile movement on a business decision because data wasn't available. These were not decisions that would have changed the overall success of the quarter or the year, but simple decisions. With big data, analytics, business intelligence and data science becoming more frequent, it's a natural reaction to call out anyone presenting to executive teams who is not showing up with the facts in hand. If no facts exist, it becomes delayed until they do. Sometimes at the businesses peril. An ability to use intuition, critical thinking and adaptability has been a hindered skill that yesterday's leaders possessed in large numbers. Finding a balance between adaptability and agility is key. Agile teams will need data driven abilities to move swiftly. But it will be up to the leaders of tomorrow to recognize when they cannot wait & how much risk is involved in becoming adaptable to changing conditions. Maybe you're not first or fastest, but if you've got the ability and competencies built internally to adapt quickly, that's just as necessary - if not more necessary - with the speed at which things will change in business in 2023 & beyond. The same holds true for consistency or common purpose. Where will it be necessary to have a cookie-cutter, consistent approach and where is it OK to change things up across areas, based on a common purpose. Words are important here, as are changing the ways we've been leading for the last 20+ years.

Come back in February for Leadership Predictions 6 to 10.