I heard an aspiring Leader comment that he had little need to be in the office because he was learning to lead in a digital world. The tone of this statement in that moment felt quite shocking but on reflection it is clearly a burgeoning school of thought amongst young professionals who see the future looking very differently to the way it did just five years ago. Whether you believe the hybrid working environment is here to stay or not, our experience in developing Leaders over the past 20+ years along with the emerging challenges of the post-COVID world leads us to strongly believe that the skills/competencies/traits of leaders has changed little and the core of what makes a successful leader remains largely the same despite the application of these skills being required differently in some circumstances today.
Leaders have always needed to be exceptional communicators and we can not conceive how this will change any time soon. Yes, more of our communication these days may be conducted online but whether in person, on the phone, via video call or a messaging app, the ability to communicate as a leader is fundamental to the engagement and retention of high performing teams. What is sorely missing in the remote working world is the opportunity for more spontaneous and personal connection; communication that builds trust, empathy and meaningful relationships. These connections are critical to our health and wellbeing and whereas the work environment used to be a primary source of nurturing such relationships, sadly this is dwindling at exceptionally fast rates, fostering loneliness, isolation and a growing mental health crisis.
Leaders have core responsibility for the performance of their teams – they must drive accountability for performance, firstly by displaying their own personal accountability and then for driving a culture where everyone knows what is expected of them and works to achieve to the best of their abilities. This has undoubtedly been made more challenging in the hybrid world but generally those that are going to avoid taking personal responsibility are going to do it wherever they are – be it working from home or in the office. It is the Leader’s responsibility to ensure we are measuring the right inputs/outputs, expectations are clear and mutually agreed, two-way communication is open and transparent and performance is managed appropriately with support where required and recognition where deserved!
There are numerous other qualities that contribute to the success of a Leader – most, if not all – one could argue have remained steadfast in the changing environment of the last few years. Some such as resilience, empathy and decision-making have grown in priority and will likely continue to do so. What has not changed is the core priority of a Leader – to build, foster, engage, develop and inspire high performing teams. Can that be done in a hybrid environment? Of course! Many companies have proven it successfully for years - it does though require a culture that truly understands how to foster communication and collaboration remotely.
It makes me wonder - how much are emerging leaders missing by not being in the office? To be mentored, to be coached, to be developed, all of those spontaneous and special moments which happened before regularly working from home…what might the impact be in the years to come?
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