Leading Today (Part Two)

Internal Scan:

In addition to the external scan on current leadership gaps, I conducted an internal study with my client, involving participants who were all middle managers at different levels (from manager to VP) overseeing teams of varying sizes (ranging from 0 to 500) across diverse business sizes and functions. Through surveys and interviews, I discovered that the top five gaps for leaders today are: 

1. Team Leadership

2. Prioritization

3. Change Leadership

4. Flexibility/resilience

5. Self-awareness

Putting it all together:

My take is that what’s top of mind for CEOs translates easily into the leadership skills I discovered thought the external scan and are complimented by the internal scan of skills needed to lead day-to-day. Strategic skills have to balance with practical skills. Whatever external changes are coming from or happening to organizations and executives, middle-managers are left navigating it for themselves and their teams internally. While they need to keep their team engaged, productive and aligned to goals, with so much coming at them, they are likely to struggle with their own focus and prioritization feeling overwhelmed when they are expected to show up effectively each time in all the situations around them. It’s like assembling a puzzle without seeing a picture on the box.

Bottom Line: To Succeed, Leaders Need to Develop Adaptability and Engage in Continuous Self and Team Development. 

Leaders need to develop skills in the following way to succeed today and tomorrow:

• Lead Self (ie your communication style, self-awareness)

• Lead the Team (ie team communication, team effectiveness)

• Lead Now (ie ambidexterity, psychological safety)

• Lead into the Future (ie innovation, agility, influence)

While not easy, by focusing on these key areas and fostering a culture of growth and resilience in today’s and tomorrow’s VUCA world, leaders can navigate complexity, inspire their teams, and drive sustainable success in the face of constant change.

For more details (full list of skills and specifics from the external, internal scan), support for your next steps or to send your middle managers to participate in the program that has been developed based on this research, contact Dr. Lena.

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