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Leadership Challenges
The biggest challenges in Leadership right now; what are they, who are they impacting, and what can you do?
Leadership Challenges...
What are the biggest challenges impacting your people – and what can your Leaders do about them?
As experts in Leadership Development we know that each and every client we support has their own unique needs – and that the challenges you’re facing impact your Leaders, the people you lead, and the future of your organisation.
We also know that every business or sector has specific issues, unique to the industry and people within it…but we also see that many of you are facing the same challenges, and need the same kind of help.
Whatever programme we design, the key theme at the core of any development is helping people.
No matter where you are, what you do or why you feel stuck, the fundamental issue that all Leaders and Managers have is how to best support your people. Helping your people to grow, to achieve their ambitions, to develop their skills, and to perform better individually and as a team. Leadership, at its core, means helping your people to thrive in their work.
This means that, for all kinds of reasons, we all have the same goal – and all benefit from getting the right kind of help to reach it.
Leaders and Managers have to navigate changing business landscapes, guide and support the people in their teams, all while maintaining momentum to ensure that your business continues to grow and thrive in a way that means your people can do the same.
Which sectors are reporting the greatest challenges…and, more importantly, why?
With more than three decades in the business of Development, we’ve seen the world change enormously – and supported more people through every stage of their Leadership journey than you could possibly count! Despite the many differences, we have also been able to identify patterns, and to predict who may most benefit from our tailored Leadership Development Programmes.
So which industries do we think will face increasing strain?
- Technology, Gaming, AI and Digital Transformation
- Healthcare and Human Services
- Finance and Banking
Obviously, issues faced in business or Leadership aren’t only going to impact these sectors – and many of the issues I’m about to describe will be present in the challenges Leaders in other areas face too – but there are definitely trends that will impact these industries in the coming months and years.
Let’s dig into them a bit more:
Some Leadership challenges are industry specific...but many of these Leadership issues are universal
Technology, Gaming, AI and Digital Transformation
Technology has always shaped the landscape of global industry – and history saw the industrial revolution totally change the way we work, then came computers, the internet and virtual networks that replaced a lot of in-person meetings. There is no stopping the evolution of technology – and AI seems to be the most controversial change right now.
The video game industry is one that has seen significant change, and where employees are reporting the most concern about the impact of these changes; many of the big names have made massive layoffs, cutting their people-costs at the most senior level. However, they are also failing to recruit and train any entry-level or rising talent, which is creating a vacuum in their future Leadership; without investment in that foundational workforce, cutting costs short term risks the sustainability and diversity of the whole industry.
We’ve seen the same in other massive organisations, with changes in Leadership bringing new cultures and attitudes – which has cost them talent and security in the long term. The knowledge, expertise, insight and passion from those experienced people is a serious loss – and those left behind don’t know what they don’t know…in other words, none of those gaps can be plugged, because none of the people still in those organisations have no concept of what knowledge is absent, or how to develop those lost skills.
The rapid growth of AI – both in the tech sector and in others where it’s just one of the tools being used – has brought other challenges, particularly with integrating AI, and when balancing the ‘support’ aspect of virtual/bot programmes with the human interface and skills that artificial intelligence simply can’t replicate.
The appeal of AI as a cost-saving tool, and the rampant growth of AI created content replacing the work of experienced creatives, brings friction and mistrust. Implementing AI is often pushed as a priority for business strategy – but few top executives fully understand how to implement it effectively, or to see any meaningful returns, damaging the trust and productivity of their people in the process, while simultaneously alienating and damaging vital relationships with their customer base.
AI itself – specifically, AI literacy – is evolving at a rapid pace, changing the dynamic in creative industries, controversial implementations of AI, and AI created content, are shifting the way teams work, how customers interact with businesses and the tools and output being utilised. AI technology itself is evolving far more quickly than the understanding and directives most Leaders have of how to best use it…
In other words, your boss wants you to use AI, to be ‘part of the future’ – but doesn’t really know why, or what it should be used for…just that you should be using it…
These gaps in understanding bring friction – and this is most visible for those in any creative industry. Adapting AI or tech that replaces human creativity is pushing experienced people out of work, which brings even more friction, mistrust and uncertainty. It’s clear that an increasing number of business leaders want to use AI to create content, rather than paying people for that work – cutting their investment in talent or experience, but this is opening not only skills gaps in their current team, but a vacuum where those talents should evolve and expand as creatives move into more senior roles. This vacuum means, once again, that your future Leaders won’t even know what is missing, never mind how to resolve it…
…and many of the businesses cutting their creative teams to favour AI are also seeing a negative impact on the culture of their organisation. On their people and the soft-skills or ‘additional’ facets of their organisation and community that are so vital to success, even if they seem to be less tangible or measurable.
When your people are the heart and soul of your success, this is a risky decision!
However much you need to tighten your belt, remember that your people – and the culture you’re working in – should always be a priority. Happy people perform better – and taking away everything that makes their working life enjoyable is the quickest way to watch your business fail. Invest in people, meet their needs, and give them access and opportunities to grow in your business, as well as ensuring an enriching and thriving culture where they feel valued and supported, and you’ll reap the rewards far more widely than mere profit.
Healthcare and Human Services
Despite a very recent global crisis (the pandemic; remember that?!), Healthcare and Human Services are another are being impacted by huge cuts in funding, and changing protocols in the use of tech and disease control – all of which mean Leadership crisis, Management failings, and teams who feel like the rug has been pulled from beneath their feet.
Across global platforms and bodies, these Leaders and Managers are under huge pressure; changing governments and economic crisis have seen vital investment stripped back – which is again leaving both current and future leaders in crisis, creating huge vacuums of experience, expertise and insight that urgently need to be plugged with better training and development. These gaps, along with poor access to support, growing waiting lists, endless delays and very little access to development or training for those in the sector is damaging the vital trust that protects both the people in those teams and the public that they serve.
This step back in funding, specifically in training and development, isn’t an issue that these sectors are facing in isolation – it’s a consistent theme, which we are hearing from clients across every area. Reducing access to on-the-job training and sustained access to professional development causes significant skills gaps at every level – and if those gaps aren’t plugged, the issues your organisation are already facing will only grow, and the challenges your Leaders and Managers need to overcome will get worse, whilst they are less able and prepared to cope.
Finance and Banking
As with all global services, shifting economies and financial strain have a negative impact on finance and banking bodies – and on everybody working in those roles, as well as those using their services.
Ever-changing and unpredictable trade deals and international markets have wide-reaching implications, and the cost of living has put many people behind their ambitions for financial security, and unsure about the future.
This has both shaped and been shaped by finance and banking bodies, where – once again – a lack of consistent investment in the training and development of senior leaders impacts the wider team, and the security of future success.
Sharjah Islamic Bank is a great example of how to directly face those issues: they have recently launched a high-level development programme, aiming to develop local Emirati leadership teams, as part of their workforce nationalisation efforts – a significant investment that protects their own people and the wider community they are based in. The media coverage of this announcement has highlighted broader challenges in attracting sustainable talent in other industries, and is a great example of the kind of long-term planning and strategic development that safeguards your people – and your profits – in every conceivable way.
Do you recognise any of these issues? What are your Leaders and Managers doing to face these challenges, and support your people?
Invest in your people
We know that investing in professional development doesn’t just benefit your here and now – it protects the future, for your people and the future of your organisation.
That’s obvious – because better training = more knowledge = better performance.
The more you invest in your people, the better they can perform – but there’s so much more to it!
Any organisation – and their Leaders – making a commitment to long-term development opportunities for your people shows that you value them. That their ambitions and goals matter, both as a benefit to the organisation and as individuals. Not only does that investment help the people in your teams, it also shapes and supports the community you work within, the wider network that all of your people have in their personal and professional lives, and the sustainable growth and potential of talent at every level of your future, now and in the face of whatever new challenges tomorrow might bring.
What issues are we all facing?
Community is vital – but so is the diversity of that community, which is an aspect of global business that seems to be becoming increasingly controversial and political, at a time when we most need stability; with division hitting headlines every day, it’s clear that there are shared issues being faced by every industry – and which better transparency or development opportunities could prevent from derailing the careers of your Leaders and their people.
From the conversations we have – internally, with others in our industry and, most importantly, with the people our own work support – there are some consistent themes that regularly come up:
Talent shortages
Especially for more specialised roles. Gaps in niche knowledge, and in the bank of experts who have that insight and experience, and who are able to predict or overcome unexpected challenges, are increasingly common across every industry.
Development and training budgets are often top of the list for what gets sacrificed if investment and spending cuts are required – but the short-term gains inevitably lead to long-term crisis, if that development is never reinstated. No amount of new hires can replace or replicate experience – and even the most evolved AI or technology can offer what people know.
Mental Health and Burnout
Burnout and stress are impacting people in every industry – and should be a top priority for any Leadership team.
Workplace wellbeing, psychological safety, and the individual needs of your people should be protected above all else; it’s absolutely vital that your organisation offers a culture where your people are safe, and where they all have opportunities to grow, in their career and as individuals. Investing in their development is just one way to do that, but is perhaps the best way for your Leaders to protect your organisation long-term.
Coaching and mentoring
Whether it’s formal Coaching, or an internal Mentoring model between your own people, this kind of support and guidance could – and should – be a significant part of any Leader’s long-term plan.
If you invest in a culture where learning, development and growth are a natural and intrinsic part of your organisation, you will benefit from the curiosity, commitment and confidence of your people. A culture where mistakes are learning opportunities, where there’s transparency about the choices and changes your people face, and where communication between your Leadership and your people is open and honest, gives everybody in your teams the security and protection they need and benefits your business;
as we said above – happy people perform better!
No matter how experienced your Leaders and Managers are, or how well they lead and communicate with their teams, there will always be a new crisis, a new problem to overcome, and new challenges to face.
Every Leader and Manager will benefit from learning and development that supports their professional growth and skills – and every single person in their team also directly benefit from that growth.
Whether it’s for your current Leaders or for the future leaders you want to see progress in their careers, invest in Development Programmes that will give your people the skills and behaviours they need to do the best job – and make yours an organisation that truly cares for people, and prepares for every future.