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Show Notes

What has changed in the last three tumultuous years, and what has stayed the same?

The environment has changed dramatically.  As humans, leaders and individual contributors, we have had to lean into the change.  As the systems and business environment have changed, personal behaviour change has also been an outcome. Leading change used to be very difficult, but the extreme business environment has made change more manageable.

The leaders of the past have struggled in this new environment.  The micromanagers and the dictators used to crashing through are now not succeeding.  Elon Musk, a brilliant entrepreneur, has destroyed a lot of value in his short time at Twitter is a case in point.

Leadership gems can now be found in previously unimaginable places.  In assessing a “human”, one needs to consider the heart, the gut, and the mind; this is tech with empathy. The care factor is not soft but tuning into how customers and employees feel.  What is their resilience and their coping style?  Once you know this, you can determine the mechanisms that need to be put around them so they can succeed.

The empowerment culture is alive.  People will now be open about when they want to work and when they want to go on leave. It’s the reverse of what happened previously.

Humanised assessment is the assessment of how people are feeling.

The empowerment culture has made employees braver.  Employees now take on new challenges with increased risk.  Bravery and uncertainty can be harnessed, but leaders must watch out for the endurance limits.  The recent period has put a lot of pressure on individuals at work and in their personal lives.

Human nature has not changed, but it has exposed the limitations of some leaders who are held up as role models.  However, now we are more aware of the health issues and the core aspects that make us all human.  How to listen and focus on mental health are an integral part of the leadership toolbox.

AI has brought a lot the limitations to the fore.

Can all leaders change to adapt to the new environment?

Humans have a vast capacity to adapt and change.  Anyone can change.  However, it comes down to the individual’s interest in changing and tapping into a change capability. Many leaders are fearful of change internally and externally.

Bales – Blind spots and biases, Assumptions, Interpretations and limiting beliefs.

These are internal to each of us.  They can be blocks that prevent us from embarking on change. In effect, each of us can create the reality we want.

Imposter syndrome is more prominent in female leaders.  Women are good at networking but not internal to an organisation.  Success is best achieved for female executives when an internal mentor champions them.

What are the current leadership requirements around communication?

Improving listening skills is the first step.  Most people listen to respond.  However, what is not being said and how it’s being said is just as important.  With listening comes curiosity.  Curiosity results in asking questions and asking why.

The cultural overlay to listening is also essential.  Local when possible and global when necessary is a sensible approach.

Diagrams and images are required to bridge language and cultural gaps.  Emojis are important.  Microsoft is an excellent suite of tools because it is so universal.  The art of storytelling becomes valuable to help people get their message across.

Leaders must listen but also speak up.  Communication must be two-way.  Through robust interaction, mutual understanding is established.

What skills need to be in the modern leader’s tool bag?

The essential skills are softer.  These include skills like listening, empathy, storytelling, providing inspiration, clarification and being a go-to point.  Leaders need to be brave as they increasingly step into unknown areas.  Leaders are learning to lean on other leaders. A technology leader leaning into a customer leader creates cooperation.  In the past, this was seen as internal competition.

Reading, writing, mathematics and “corporate speak” are still critical skills.

A coaching leadership style and a coaching culture are essential for professional learning and development.  The concept of the “coaching minute” can be valuable.  A coaching minute is a request for advice or permission to give feedback in a contemporary manner. The coaching culture permits everyone to ask for something and helps bridge cultural differences.

Many leaders do not have an inner journey and lack self-awareness. Having increased self-awareness helps leaders open up and be more vulnerable.  There is a better understanding of the humans we work with because we know more about each of them through zooming and increased empathy. 

Covid has encouraged us to set boundaries around work and personal life.  At the same time, respect needs to be shown for people’s personal lives and not allow each employee to have this space.  It is harder now because it’s become blurred.

How is AI changing the work environment?

Robotics has been pervasive through manufacturing for some time.

Siro, Google and Alexa have been with us for some time.  However, AI is starting to move at a fast pace.  AI enables a different approach to many work environments.  Legal environments, academic and other professional areas are being impacted.  Chat GPT is still in development, and the information is not necessarily accurate.  AI and humans are destined to intersect. 

Plagiarism has existed for a long time. 

If algorithms are given to an AI engine, then real productivity can be gained.  AI can never be human. 

AI and nanobots in the health space provide some exciting possibilities for the future.

What are the skills companies are hiring for future requirements?

Software engineers must demonstrate the capability to learn skills through micro courses.  They do not need to have a degree from a university.  Change is occurring far too quickly to wait for graduates to finish four years at university.

However, a rounded education is essential and valuable.  Social, emotional, and mental growth is beneficial and occurs through formal education.  Learn to be a better human and a continuous learner throughout your life. 

The capacity for empathy and resilience must exist in the individual because it is harder to train.

Be aware of the trends occurring and the broader external environment in which we live.

In Summary:

Dealing with the push for change and knowledge: there is a need to adapt.  There are two types of knowledge. Subjective knowledge – resilience, bravery, an empowerment culture and changing leadership styles. Collective awareness – resilience and the gut and the brain are essential.

Responses: Change is something that is created and shaped.  It is open to anybody willing to embrace it.  There are also blocking factors that limit us.

Communication: The ear and the eye.  Listening to gain meaning is critical.  Ask questions to gain a richer understanding.  The eye delivers image and clarity across cultures.

Skills: soft skills, empathy, and storytelling have been around for some time, but Covid has given us the willingness to step into the unknown.  Lean into other leaders for increased cooperation, and cross boundaries. We are learning in the moment through a coaching culture.  The coaching culture requires a psychologically safe environment.  If we are to grow, then we need to have self-awareness.  Set boundaries between personal and work life.  Leaders need to respect the boundaries.

AI: the pace of change is increasing.  AI and humans will interact.

Future skills: learn how to be a well-rounded and better human being. Mini-course is normalised.

Be open to growing and learning to stay relevant as a human.