Five Reasons Why It's Vital To Develop Your Staff's Leadership Capability

1. WORKPLACES HAVE CHANGED

In a relatively short period historically, the work that we do and the way that we do it, has changed significantly. Over the past 100 years we have replaced our bodies, and later, even parts of our minds with machines. Our workplaces have evolved from farms, to factories, to Facebook.

In the past, there was an unwritten psychological contract between employers and employees that loyal and hardworking employees would be granted a ‘job for life.' Today, career development means multiple employers within a person’s career with employees looking for companies that provide professional development, career growth, job challenge, flexibility and a strong employment brand.

Carrots and sticks no longer work
Managing people applying the ‘carrot and stick’ approach doesn’t drive performance outside the factory. The psychological contract has changed and now companies must engage their employees. Unfortunately, achieving employee engagement is not straight-forward. We agree that a positive emotional attachment to the work and organization is central to effective employee engagement. However ‘engagement’ means different things to different people. This makes engagement a moving target for organizations seeking to improve their performance.

Engaged employees put more effort in
The value of employee engagement is the discretionary effort that comes with it. This effort leads employees to go above and beyond in their work just because they can and it makes them feel good. If this can be harnessed (And these efforts are aligned with organizational objectives), then magic happens. Performance increases by 20 percent, as does business performance and shareholder returns and costly attrition is reduced.

Unfortunately, research indicates that more than 70 percent of the workforce at most companies is not fully engaged. This presents a significant challenge for leaders. Optimum performance will never be achieved on the strength of technical expertise alone. To achieve organizational objectives and fulfill their roles and career potential, they must also develop leadership skills that are influential in identifying and harnessing the intrinsic motivation of those they lead. If you have spent most of your life training in a technical specialty, the step up into a leadership role can often feel like starting out all over again.

2. ADAPTABILITY IS NOT NEGOTIABLE
This change in the way we work is characterized by the need to work faster and apply advanced thinking capabilities to stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment. It is no longer about ‘what you know’ and ‘who you know.’ Outstanding leaders need to know what needs to change, and they need to adapt quickly to stay relevant.

We compete globally – like it or not

Organizations now compete in a fast-changing global environment. Globalization had led to economies being more closely linked than ever before. In a boom there is global prosperity. However, a chink in the world’s economic armor can lead to a global financial crisis, as was experienced in 2008. Economically, we are like the occupants of a snow globe where even the smallest shake can have far reaching effects for many.

An IBM study of over 1500 CEOs projects an image of our future working environment being in a perpetual state of chaos. Many CEOs involved in the study used the army acronym VUCA to describe the new environment.

Volatile: change happens rapidly and on a large scale.

Uncertain: the future cannot be predicted with any precision.

Complex: challenges are complicated by many factors and there are few single causes of solutions.

Ambiguous: there is little clarity on what events mean and what effect they may have.

You need your ‘A’ game daily
With many unknowns and much new territory to navigate, there is more pressure than ever on leaders today to bring their “A” game. Organizations are actively competing to attract and retain the best leaders. Unfortunately, research shows a “significant gap" between the urgency of talent and the leadership issues leaders face today, and their organization’s readiness to respond.

But how do you define “the best” when it comes to leadership in VUCA environment? What are the ideal leadership qualities?

3.TODAY’S LEADER IS NOT TOMORROW’S LEADER
The heroic individual leader has been the gold standard for leadership over the last 40 years, and, consequently, leadership theorists have developed endless models in an attempt to define the characteristics and qualities of the “ideal leader.” However, even though leadership studies have been prolific over the past 100 years, no conclusive framework has been agreed. As a leadership coach, I am not surprised by this. When I work with clients, as well as their individual objectives, it’s also critical to consider the environment and specific context in which they operate. Good leadership in one context may not be good in another.

Many factors
Leadership is also not solely a function of hierarchy or location. Companies now have access to a global talent market and fast-developing mobile global workforce. Consequently, this increasingly complex work environment is less suited to problem solving by a lone, decisive authority figure. It requires the collaborative efforts of a network of smart, flexible leaders who may work at varying levels within an organization. Working together to share knowledge, this network of leaders understand that the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts” but, that equally each part has an essential role to play.

4.LEARNING AGILITY IS ESSENTIAL
Leadership in any organization should support the achievement of the organization’s immediate and future objectives; consequently leaders need to be continually evolving their skills.

Many leaders derail because they remain focused on the skills and competencies that got them promoted, and they stop learning the skills they need to be an effective leader. Both leaders and their team members must be learning agile. To get the best out of their team, leaders need to proactively support and develop their people (and themselves) to be the leaders that their people, organization and industry need. 

A leader needs to continually learn and grow, taking the time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t. This largely occurs on the job and requires them to take the learning from one situation and apply it to a different context. 

It is an ongoing process of discovery and application.

Your success is going to me made or broken on the strength of the leaders you lead. While technology might be the foundation of a business, it is the actions of the people who run the business whether or not it succeeds or fails. By investing in those you lead you are investing in the future growth of yourself and your organization.

5.LEADERSHIP IS LEARNABLE

In the past, leaders who behaved badly were tolerated as long as they had the requisite technical skills. The boss knew it all and no one expected him to change. There is no room for this excuse anymore. Numerous scientific studies undertaken since the 1970’s have established that the brain had the capacity to re-wire itself and change its structure and function well into old age. 

Departing from the centuries-old view that that adult brain is static and unchanging, the concept of neuroplasticity had changed our perspective on how we view the brain. More importantly, it has enhanced our understanding of our ability to actively influence our human potential though active management of our thinking and behavior.

Learning effort is rewarded

Changing the brain’s structure involves creating, new or strengthening existing, neural connections and weakening/eliminating others; learning, unlearning relearning.

If you’re motivated you can do it.

I’m excited by the findings as they provide the scientific explanation for the behavioral changes that I have observed in my clients. The ability to influence the wiring of our brain creates inspiring possibilities for expanding performance potential. Ranging from improved cognition and perception through to acquiring new skills and enhanced behavioral flexibility. I have observed that with self-awareness, responsible action, shifts in individual performance are achievable and sustainable.

So you may be thinking…

“I don’t have time for all this!”  My challenge to you is that you don’t have time to not do it! The cost of your leader(s) not performing is absorbing time you don’t have.

To your greater success and fulfillment,

Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Take the Next Step... 

Interested in learning how leadership coaching and training can benefit your organization? We begin with a collaborative discovery process identifying your unique needs and business issues. To request an interview with Peter Mclees please contact: 

Email: petercmclees@gmail.com  or  Mobile:323-854-1713

Smart Development has an exceptional track record helping service providers, ports, sales teams, restaurants, stores, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength, coaching skills and the teamwork necessary for growth. 

Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.