As the second article in a three-part series, PwC Malta’s People & Organisation team explore the upskilling needs of current and future leaders through three leadership development phases - leading oneself, leading others and, finally, leading the business.
The first article, “The importance of leading oneself for effective leadership development”, concentrated on the need for leaders to lead themselves through developing higher emotional intelligence. This next article focuses on the key elements of being able to lead others and create a great environment.
Leaders preparing for tomorrow’s world of work face a scenario where the old leadership preconceptions do not apply. The old assumptions about how workers behave and what they value have been put into question, if not upended altogether.
We are in a new reality, one where employers need to harness a different mix of skills, support new ways of working, new ways of learning and create new work environments that meet the needs of a diverse workforce. People’s expectations include being more autonomous, entrepreneurial and free from the constraints of time and place.
These uncertain times are defined by technological disruption, economic uncertainty and a shortage of talent. This highlights the critical importance of effective leadership and the development of a healthy work environment. Building this environment is a key responsibility for today’s leaders.
In this regard, we have identified leading others, as a key pillar within leadership development, which includes five key elements;
- 1. Tackle their team’s ‘burnout’ and boost vitality
- 2. Build social resilience
- 3. Nurture adaptability
- 4. Provide autonomy
- 5. Support ‘intrapreneurship’
1. Tackle their team’s ‘burnout’ and boost vitality
Team members with the highest engagement are more likely to report higher burnout so management actions such as managing the team’s workload and building in time for recovery after stressful periods or projects is essential. Wellbeing initiatives are also beneficial however they can be costly and complex to arrange - often treating the symptom and not the cause.
2. Build social resilience
Social resilience in the workplace can be built through social relationships with colleagues. Leaders can initiate routines such as coworking practices and interactactive lunch and coffee breaks can make all the difference for employees to build meaningful and supportive relationships.
3. Nurture adaptability
While organisations need to venture into agile and adaptable solutions to keep up with the pace of change, leaders must instil adaptability into their team members. Fostering a positive outlook towards change will increase their adaptability exponentially. This can be practised by encouraging individual problem solving and working outside of comfort zones.
4. Provide autonomy
Team members who feel autonomous report being able to unleash their potential, have a stronger performance, higher work satisfaction and greater commitment to the organisation. Building trusting relationships is key to having your team feel empowered. One way of doing that is by moving from the manager role of ‘checking up on’ team members to having a ‘checking in’ approach.
5. Support ‘intrapreneurship’
Support team members and vocally affirm that they can, and are encouraged to, develop new and disruptive ideas. In order for the team to have an intrapreneurship mindset, leaders ought to build a safe psychological environment where employees feel encouraged and safe to share new ideas and challenge the status quo. Whenever possible, allowing them the time and opportunity to experiment and test new ideas is key.
This new world of work requires leaders who invest more and more on their people. These five elements are considered to be necessary for leaders of tomorrow to effectively lead others and foster productive working relationships.
PwC Malta has now developed a new Leadership Programme - Next Generation Leader, which involves a journey into leadership, strategy and transformation for the 21st Century. We have developed this programme specifically to equip the leaders of today, at all levels, to navigate in today’s world of work and ascend through the three levels of leadership by; Leading Oneself, Leading Others and Leading the Business. Get in touch to discuss how this programme can support your organisation to prepare its leaders for today’s world of work.
