It was the leadership coach, Marshall Goldsmith who said, ‘successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.’ To celebrate the launch of the 2020 AdNews’s Emerging Leaders award I reflect on the qualities that set effective leaders apart. Taking the words of Marshall Goldsmith, what sets an emerging leader apart is how they bring out the best in others.
In the 1980’s the US Army devised the term VUCA, to describe the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of the world and how to cope with it. The business world took up VUCA, and it’s more relevant than ever in framing what leadership behaviours are needed to navigate change. Here are four leadership practices to help emerging leaders navigate a VUCA world.
Emerging Leaders Ask Questions
Leaders used to be promoted for their technical skills and having all the answers. But in times even more volatile than when VUCA was created, the most valuable leaders illuminate new possibilities by asking questions. The unpredictable nature and the speed of change is unprecedented. On every step of the leadership ladder you need to challenge the boundaries of your role and take a broader perspective.
To make sense of change you need to be adept at making new connections and recognising patterns as they emerge in real time. Then you shine a light by turning these insights into a compelling vision that people will rally behind. Leaders who make a habit of asking questions and listening to understand may not be the loudest but they are vital to organisations that seek to thrive in times of change.
Emerging Leaders Are Empathetic
Uncertainty about the future has become more unsettling and stressful since the inception of the term VUCA. For individuals in a leadership role, it is essential to manage the emotional effects of change by being empathetic to the needs of others. This requires a shift in mindset from self-focused to other-focused leadership. It is your responsibility as an emerging leader to develop people’s resilience by connecting each role to a meaningful purpose for the team.
Helping people self-regulate their emotions by openly discussing the adverse effects of change. Although the future may be unclear you play a critical role in positively framing situations and through more consistent communication in times of change. By taking a positive and empathetic approach you will bring out the best in people and help to foster your teams’ creative and problem-solving skills to better navigate change.
Emerging Leaders Challenge Their Assumptions
To solve complex problems that could not be imagined under the original concept of VUCA, you will need to assemble teams with diverse skills, backgrounds, and ways of thinking. Successful leaders actively seek out perspectives that challenge their own. As an emerging leader, you need to be mindful of the agendas, biases and assumptions that impair your ability to listen deeply.
It’s all too easy to be seduced by the loudest voice in the room and confuse this with having the right solution. People need to feel free to contribute fully without applying their filters to what they do or don't say. An effective leader bring these perspective-taking practices together to facilitate conversations, where people feel safe, contribute equally, and all views are considered.
Emerging Leaders Take Time to Reflect
Emerging leaders face ambiguous realities where it is difficult to interpret the way forward. Decisions are made quickly, often with incomplete information. Amid the rapid pace of change, leaders experience a variety of expectations from different stakeholders. To guide decision-making, you will need a strong sense of purpose of what success looks like in your role.
You must also have clarity about your values and those of the organisation, and the leadership practices you prioritise to achieve organisational goals. An effective leader will bring these practices together into a daily habit to reflect on what worked well, what was challenging, and what can be improved in leading others.
In summary, thriving in the VUCA world will come from developing self-knowledge as the foundation to effectively lead others. Success as an emerging leader will not come through deepening your technical skills but rather from asking different questions, truly listening for different perspectives (especially those that challenge your own) and seeking feedback from those who support your growth.
The management consultant, Peter Drucker commented that “the leader of the past knew how to tell. The leader of the future will know how to ask.” More than any other generation, today’s future leaders will need to lead teams who know more about their work than they do. To be successful, leadership has to involve facilitating more effective dialogue to navigate change.