- Leadership is undergoing a dramatic transformation
in response to new business conditions
and work configurations.
And thanks to significantly more understanding
about human psychology,
and how best to cultivate
and manage high-performing workers.
The new persona of leaders now necessarily contrast
with traditional ones,
bringing new mindsets, styles, and manners.
We are building trust rather than fear-based cultures.
We are nurturing relationships with employees,
and considering their individual needs and preferences.
The key objective is to engage employees,
and we have discovered more about how to encourage them
to do their best work.
Key adjustments combine practical responses
to business conditions and psychology-based reasoning
to adjust for human elements.
With marketplace developments happening more quickly,
centralized control requiring data
to be transmitted up through many hierarchical layers
before decisions can be made at the top,
and communicated back down again for action to be taken
is not fast enough or effective.
Instead, empower workers closer to the frontline,
pushing responsibility and decision-making down and out
across the organization.
So responsiveness can match customers' demands
and address potential contingencies.
Moreover, giving your team members greater agency,
such as not handing sales reps a script or instructions,
but having them develop and refine their own approaches,
builds trust and increases their motivation to perform well.
It is critical that you also assign responsibility clearly
as you delegate,
aligning towards employees' skills and strengths,
and breaking down work into components
to clarify what is expected without micromanaging
as younger employees are de-motivated
if they aren't trusted to craft their own way forward,
that said, team members benefit from guidance
to navigate changing circumstances,
and think through multifaceted problems,
considering relevant options, reasoning, and approaches.
Rather than being the team commander,
your role now is more to facilitate decision-making,
helping your reports collect the data they need
to make informed and timely choices,
overseeing them to ensure they're properly assess risks,
and holding them accountable.
Your ability to empathize is vital
to understand how to manage them effectively
and support them.
Faced with uneven and evolving circumstances,
less experienced employees especially benefit
when you check in frequently, even for 15 minutes,
to listen as well as ask questions and offer ideas
and course correct when needed.
These coaching-style conversations
also help engage employees,
discussing personal growth and career development,
helping identify what skills to acquire next,
as well as get progress updates.
Conversations can be weekly when much is in flux,
and less often under more stable conditions.
But you aren't also supposed
to have all the answers anymore.
That's not expected or realistic.
Leaders need to be relatable, imperfect, and open,
so your team reaches out when they need help.
Managing your team, show up authentically.
If you are going to present yourself with a coaching style,
authenticity is very important.
It's okay if your kid disturbs a Zoom call,
or you need time for a family situation.
These are also coaching moments,
about how to manage the breadth of life.
This transition can take getting used to.
It's a process with phases,
but the results are clearly worthwhile.