The Evolution of Post-Pandemic Leadership

THE drastic changes brought on by the pandemic forced and fast-tracked the evolution of many pre-pandemic agendas. From digitalisation, operational improvements, to talent management and development, particularly on how the needs and expectations of the current workforce has changed, forcing companies to evaluate the status quo, and act quickly or brace for the talent crunch.

Against this changing backdrop, leaders need to assess their mindset, leadership style and approach to determine if they can continue to be effective and future relevant. Increasingly, we are mindful that people are choosing roles and employers that resonate with their values and outlook on life. Many have walked away from offers or workplaces that do not.

Moving forward, here are how expectations of leadership have changed in the post pandemic world:

1. The rise of compassionate leaders – The employee eXperience (eX) was disrupted by the pandemic and significantly advanced the attention on eX and the talent transformation. Kincentric's 2020 global eX research uncovered "empowering, engaging, and connected leadership" remains as the top leadership capabilities needed. This is valid now and will continue to be significant even beyond the pandemic, as talent will be reluctant to return to the "command and control" leadership style. Numerous organizations have met with these difficult challenges but were supported by exceptional leadership responsiveness. Those who were successful, had leaders and managers who, at each level, shown unmatched degrees of authenticity, care, empathy, and concern towards employees [1].

2. The need for engaging leadership – Engagement matters, yet on a global level, only six (6) out of ten (10) employees are engaged. An engaging leader profile is built through the leader’s guiding beliefs, displayed behaviors, and critical experience. Kincentric’s Global Employee Research Database of 15 million respondents reveals that the most critical leadership drivers of employee engagement are [2]:

i. Establishing direction and shared purpose

ii. Demonstrating character and integrity

iii. Developing and retaining talent

iv. Applying knowledge and sound judgement

v. Interacting with others

Another crucial finding from the research of engaging leadership was that, to engage others, leaders need to first be engaged themselves. The solution is evident and simple to execute assuming the will exists, and its viability is easy to assess. The answer lies in giving disengaging leaders the tools and frameworks to guide the approach, thinking, and learning process on how to be better leaders. Such tools can provide pathways on how to be more engaging in different situations, whilst providing leaders with the incentive, self-confidence, skills, and determination to improve the way they lead [3].

3. Through the looking glass, the life of a leader – There are always a few sides to a person, some which they may not show at their workplace. With leaders being the ideal model of what an employee should strive towards, they feel pressured to present their best front to stay on top of what an employee employee should strive towards, they feel pressured to present their best front to stay on top of the game, with little to no opportunity to be vulnerable. On top of that, the working world also tends to dissociate leaders from being human. In that respect, leaders too need to be supported in their wellbeing and overall growth. If organizations do not prioritize the wellness and progress of their leaders, it can lead to burn out and diminished business performance [4].

As such, organizations must expand their leadership pipeline, improve succession planning, and drive business performance by developing more leaders and empowering future leaders. Here are the ways to work towards those goals [5]:

1. Develop insight into leadership capabilities to make room for their growth and understand the next steps needed through the following:

i. Assess high-potential leaders to support accelerated development

ii. Evaluate leadership capability for talent and succession planning

iii. Provide pointed feedback for development and decision making

iv. Select internal and external candidates at all leadership levels

2. Identify leadership talent and create a framework for key talent decisions and succession planning through the following:

i. Identify individual contributors for selection into front-line leadership

ii. Assess for high-potential talent at the mid- and junior management levels for accelerated development

iii. Examine and review organizational competencies and challenges

3. Provide feedback, training, and coaching for leadership development.

i. Each position in the organization is important and the role it plays in the success of a business differs from another, there needs to be a development plan for each role to fully leverage on the potential on talent

ii. Provide ongoing coaching and targeted development activities to maximize the progress of employees

iii. Remember that leadership development is a continuous process and is not one-off, especially as new skills are more rapidly being created and demanded, A development plan should be relooked at and updated every year.

The leadership transformation that has transpired in recent years has brought about more compassion and willingness to innovate in leaders. This willingness will be a boon as they deal with the increasing demands for greater flexibility in the workforce. However, these leaders do not just appear, but are a product of their environment and mentorship. The bottom line is that leaders, like all of us in the workforce, are also becoming more selective in deciding on their career paths and legacy.

They too need the support of organizations to build a conducive and progressive ecosystem of like-minded future leaders who will in turn empower employees. Leaders who are given the chance to perform at their best will benefit the workforce as a whole and play a key role in successfully navigating the future of work.

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A contributed article by Kincentric, a Spencer Stuart Company

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.