The COVID-19 pandemic started to show us which companies boast future ready leadership. Those of us who got our organizations through it might be feeling smug, but it’s becoming apparent the real test of an organization surviving a global pandemic may be just starting. As global supply chains sputter along, waves of staff opt out of the workforce, and technical glitches present challenges, now, more than ever, we must be future-ready leaders.
As you may expect, future-ready leaders were able to manage change in their organizations and steer them through the uncertainty of the pandemic’s initial phases. But it’s more than an ability to introduce new methods or processes quickly.
Here’s what organizations with future ready leadership have:
- Cutting edge technology: They use technology well to support their teams and the business. They’re not afraid of using new technology and they plan ahead to watch for new ways to improve as technology changes. With excellent training and good support in place, learning new technology is not a barrier for their staff. For example, some companies very quickly transitioned to having people work from home and figured out the essential tools for remote meetings.
- An eye on new trends and developments. They’re not blindsided by major changes to their industries because they pay attention to market and outside factors that influence how their business operates – or needs to operate. These future ready leaders view criticism as an opportunity to listen and get help from key stakeholders, industry influencers and other key thought leaders.
- Staff who can handle radical disruption: Finding out that there’s a new competitor gaining ground or there is a big problem getting supplies doesn’t send them into despair. Instead, they rally and find a way forward. Leaders have connected agility and emotional intelligence (EQ). When folks have high EQ, they have the skills they need to be resilient, respond appropriately to the needs of others and adapt even when it feels uncomfortable. They work offensively and they’re ready to adapt and find solutions.
- Positive attitudes about change: Rather than viewing change with anger and mistrust, companies with future ready leadership are able to inspire team members and get buy-in on big ideas. They’re not afraid of hard questions, build a culture of productive conflict and inform or consult with employees so that everyone feels they have a vested interest in major changes.
- Determine a vision and a strategy for change. Leaders have a clear vision for where the company will be when the change is complete. Aligning vision with organizational values can drive change. They also have a high-level strategy to implement the change, with details such as who is involved and how, who is affected and how, who needs to support the change and how to integrate the change into all departments. These wide-reaching strategies are not just well detailed; they’re funded and measurable.
- React quickly. They can adapt to new situations with agility or find solutions to challenges with speed and accuracy. Organizations that have coaching cultures thrive because mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn and improve. Unsurprisingly, they’re often quicker to market than business competitors.
To be a company of the future, organizations need future ready leadership that is prepared with well developed business continuity and disaster recovery plans and encourages the right mindset throughout the organization.
We can help. We offer some great live courses to help you prepare as a future-ready leader. To register for Flexible Leadership, Change Management, Agile Leadership and/or Budgeting for Success, click the title of the course. Or, to review all of our available courses, visit our site at www.Odality.ca
Coaches Questions:
Would you consider your organization to have future ready leadership? Which disasters and challenges are you prepared for? Which ones are you NOT prepared for? What could you do better to be ready for change and the future?