Why Now is the Time to Invest in Leadership Skills and Modern Management

How would your people describe their managers? Beige? Old fashioned? In ‘Meh’ mode?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the above, it’s time to shake up your organisation’s approach to leadership and management – and Erica outlines why.

I’ve blogged before about the demand for impactful leadership.

It’s never been more crucial.

Lacklustre leadership and management aren’t just inconveniences. They’re significant barriers, especially in a virtual workspace and with today’s context of a cost-of-living crisis (not to mention the looming shadow of a recession). Teams need more than direction; they need genuine support and a sense of being heard.

Here’s an example of why.

Staff need empathetic leadership

I bet my bottom dollar that some of your managers’ team members, as diligent as they may be, will be struggling to balance their personal finances and work commitments.

“So what?”, says their manager. “They shouldn’t let their personal life cloud their professional life; they have a job to do.”

Wrong.

The 2023 Workplace Health Report outlines 1 in 5 employees say financial stress impacts their productivity¹. Research by CIPD also finds that poor financial well-being contributes to increased rates of absenteeism and presenteeism². All of which impact a business’ bottom line.

Forward-thinking managers would lead with empathy.

They would:

Organise a meeting and share their own experiences; provide support and reassure that they and the company value them.
Initiate a financial wellness programme, offering resources on budgeting and financial planning.
Encourage flexible work hours in case additional time is needed for side jobs to cope with the crisis.
Provide coaching and feedback to raise confidence and conviction.

A compassionate approach not only alleviates anxiety and creates psychological safety, but it strengthens an individual’s loyalty and commitment to their organisation. They feel accepted and heard.

Moreover, developing human skills, like empathy, kindness, and compassion, forms the bedrock of a positive environment that encourages employees to be inquisitive and even make occasional mistakes. This leads to fresh and innovative approaches to collaboration and productivity. Win win.

OK, here’s another take.

Management needs modernising

The principles of ‘good management’ have evolved over the last 2-3 years. What we did then won’t cut it now – here are two good reasons.

1. Remote and hybrid work setups are now the norm

A staggering 44% of the UK population worked from home in 2023³; 16% were fully remote and 28% opted for a hybrid approach. This trend is set to increase.

Managers have adapted to using online communication and collaboration tools since the pandemic, with little upskilling to help them advance a new and innovative approach to management.

So, I ask, do your managers have the human skills needed to connect their staff across locations and cultivate them into a high-performing team? What development plans do you have in place to allow them to manage and lead as well as they did when they had their full team in a physical environment?

2. The integration of AI into our personal and professional lives is imminent

Organisations and their people will benefit from improvements in productivity and performance because of AI; fact.

But there’s a catch: teams must acquire the requisite skills to leverage Generative AI effectively. And so, managers need coaching to help enable the behaviours and digital ethics needed to build underlying skills, drive confidence in their teams and seamlessly integrate AI tools into their workflow.

These aren’t just workplace skills, they are human distinctive skills, that we will be using every day.

Now is the time to invest in leadership skills and modern management

The call to invest in leadership skills and modern management couldn’t be louder.

LinkedIn’s 2023 Work-based Learning report underlines this shift, signalling a move towards maximising budgets through skills-focused, practical interventions.

Now is the time to upskill your managers – to deactivate ‘Meh’ mode and go beyond traditional techniques.

Help them foster self-awareness and emotional intelligence to meet expectations from their teams in today’s virtual and dynamic workspace. Give them the human skills they need to lead with compassion and integrity to support their staff, be it financial hardship or the overwhelm from the impending change that the tsunami of AI is bringing. Allow them to build their team’s skills for the future.

Remember, bland, vanilla leadership doesn’t just stagnate growth; it repels talent. It’s time to break the cycle and embrace transformation.

You need to invest in your managers now, so they enable, engage and empower your workforce to thrive and flourish.

So, are you ready to shake things up?

Take a look at our leadership and management training programmes and our ‘AI for the Average Joe’ service, then email me to get going.

¹https://championhealth.co.uk/insights/financial-wellbeing-statistics

²https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/financial-wellbeing-evidence-review-practice-summary_tcm18-102717.pdf

³ONS and other publications via Standout CV