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Leadership and the landscape of your future
Change is inevitable
Every business (and every Leader) has specific strengths – and one that we take pride in at ASK is our ability to evolve. To embrace change, to face the challenges that change might bring with confidence, and to adapt what we do (and how we do it) so that we continue to support our clients. We don’t only want to meet your needs, we want to surpass them – and help your people to achieve more than you dreamed you could.
We know that change is inevitable – in our industry and every aspect of our own work and that of every client. We also know that change can be quite a daunting prospect, especially if your Leaders and Managers aren’t communicating their plans with the people in their teams.
We can’t tell you how you should navigate change with your people – but we can tell you how we do it…
One thing we work particularly hard to achieve is building the right kind of culture within our own team. A culture of growth, honesty and autonomy, or confidence in the skills we already have and in the development and evolution of those skills. We aim to model the lessons we enable our clients to learn, and which we support you to embed within your own teams through any of our programmes.
There are few things that every client will face – but one of these few consistencies in any business is change; the world is always changing, moving exponentially towards new technologies, new ways of working, new structures and working models that we all need to adapt with. These changes impact the way we learn, the way we teach, the way we communicate, and – importantly – the way we lead.
Leading – or leading well – is about so much more than simply managing people or delegating tasks.
Leading well is a multi-faceted and ever evolving balancing act. One which takes commitment and conscious efforts, bringing together the many and various aspects of human interaction, inspiration, honesty and trust.
‘Leader’ and ‘Manager’ are terms people often use interchangeably – but we think there’s an important distinction between the two.
Management is a role that most people can do: being a manager means you’re a figurehead: the person who delegates tasks and makes sure everybody is doing what they’re supposed to. Being a manager involves specific skills and procedures – which can be taught, if the individual doesn’t already have them. The role entails following set structures and processes, which can be applied to pretty much any scenario within the expected role and organisation.
Though being a Leader also includes a lot of this, it’s a much…broader role, and a more impactful dynamic. Leading people comes with more intuitive engagement – and not every Manager is a good Leader (and not every good leader is in a management position!)
The main job any Manager has is to keep everyone on track, make sure the necessary tasks are completed, and that everybody has what they need to perform those tasks. A Leader is there to set the tone, the path, the steps and how they are taken. They see the bigger picture, the important balance and blend of skills and experience within their teams, the future they are working towards, and the challenges that you might all face. They are more strategic, more dynamic, have more impact and influence on the people they are leading, and inspire loyalty and enthusiasm from their people.
We have a lot of experience in training Managers, and in developing Leaders. Both have some shared experiences and outcomes, and thrive in programmes designed to enhance and embed the skills and behaviours that will guarantee their success – and that of the teams they are leading. For decades, we have seen a great many people achieving their ambitions, unlocking the potential and expanding their skills and experience. We’ve worked with organisations of every size, all over the world, and in every industry or sector you could possibly imagine. Through all these years we have learned to read the future of leadership, and to adapt what we do to pre-empt the needs of Leaders, Managers and the evolving body of people who make up your organisation.
No matter what your goals are, we know that we can protect your team from being blindsided by sweeping changes or challenging situations. We can also prevent your leadership team from stagnating in an environment of familiarity, sticking to what’s always worked, when what is needed has changed – and change always comes: the key question is this…are you ready for that?
Change is scary - but if you develop a culture where change is embraced, and where those unexpected challenges become opportunities for growth, we know that your people will thrive
What leadership trends should you prepare for?
Learning, challenging the people in your teams, making space for honest discussion between senior Leaders and every team member, and transparency in how you work, is worth the effort it might take.
Avoid getting stuck in the rut of familiarity and routine: make a conscious effort to review what works and what doesn’t, consistently assess people’s workload and output, listen to your people more than you speak, and trust their experience and instincts. Making those conversations and behaviours part of your routine, scheduling time for learning or development into your business plan, means your people feel supported, heard and autonomous.
We know how quickly the world can change – but there are consistent themes in the way all businesses are moving.
Some of the most important topics you need to consider in your future leadership plans are:
- Less of the outdated, formal hierarchy we see in corporate spaces
- Empowerment and autonomy for every member of your team
- Virtual working, which requires more conscious and deliberate communication between teams
- Purpose and value-led leadership; Community at the heart of the culture you work in
- AI and technology led business will continue to evolve at an astonishing rate, and change the way we work as well as your output (especially for those in creative roles!)
Shake off the formality; people are increasingly moving away from the traditional ‘pyramid of power’; where communication was once very linear, and most employees only communicated with team leaders, who spoke to the managers, who spoke to senior managers, who spoke to the big bosses…and any information heading the other way went through just as many layers before it reached your whole workforce!
More recently, entire layers of middle managers are removed from that hierarchy – and businesses are functioning better without them. Messages are being shared more efficiently, communication is quicker, more impactful and the teams at the bottom are building stronger relationships – thus greater trust – with their senior leadership team.
Letting people communicate directly leads to quicker decisions, faster action, fewer mixed messages and fewer frustrations – in both directions!
Autonomy is one direct result of this quicker, more effective communication: people are being managed less, and are instead being Lead with courage and trust. Being allowed to make their own choices and use their experience to make suggestions for the direction the business is growing means that leaders are seeing better results from their team, and your people get more respect from their leaders.
Virtual teams; the pandemic might feel like eons ago, but there’s no denying the impact it had on how we all work, especially in the shift to more flexible working, and the proportion of office workers who now work remotely at least some of the week. We no longer need to insist people commute to work together in large, expensive office blocks – instead we see leaders managing people remotely. Just remember that your Leaders will need to adapt and find new ways to maintain a team ethos, and the informal communication that is so vital to successful working!
Value-led leadership; the sole focus of many businesses used to be financial growth and profit. For most of the next wave of employees new to the workforce, financial gain isn’t enough of a motivator.
People are looking for more purpose from their work; remember that a significant majority of our lives is spent working – and people need their work to mean something.
Organisations with value-led missions, who are conscious of their impact on the environment, on doing good within their community, on supporting value-led goals and allowing their workforce to contribute to more than financial achievements will bring you and your people greater contentment, which contributes to business success too.
AI and technology led business; as the fourth industrial revolution continues to roll we see, once again, a worry that technology, automation and artificial intelligence may replace many roles, pushing skilled workers out of their jobs, replacing the human workforce with automated processes. Whilst there is, inevitably, some of this occurring in every industry it’s important for you to protect the human face of your organisation, and embed these technologies in a way that enhances your team, rather than simply replacing them.
Embrace technologies and AI whilst investing in the evolution of the skills your workforce bring, and support their growth and learning so that they are able to use the experience they offer in new ways, leading your business forward in an ever-changing global environment.
We want you and your people to love what you do. To do it well. To thrive in your teams, and evolve beyond the limits you thought you had.
We can help you take the bold and confident steps that Leaders take. To protect your team against the challenges change brings, to navigate those changes successfully, and to grow – and thrive – no matter what your future brings.
If you want to embrace these challenges, and support your people to achieve their ambitions, call on 01234 757575 or email hello@askeurope.com