NEW ETHOS FOR LEADERS

Where can emergent leaders be found?

BY Archana Law

The world has often looked to its leaders for motivation and guidance in difficult times. And there have been many charismatic leaders who have inspired millions of people to change the planet for the better.

However, the pace of commercial and technological changes dominating the 21st century has led to dramatic transformations in almost every sphere.

There are a wide variety of leaders in action. There are the ‘command and control’ types who rule through fear and intimidation. The more effective leaders are collaborative and receptive. They can develop an acute understanding of an organisation’s capabilities and market potential, and cultivate a work atmosphere that stimulates creativity and loyalty.

However, the best leaders are those who also have a strong sense of values and a clear vision for their organisations. These leaders not only talk about their ethics but also live by those values, and foster a climate of trust, commitment, teamwork and energy in their organisations.

We know leadership when we see it. But what is the essence of leadership? Can it be developed?

Leaders of today face new challenges due to the speed of technological, social and economic changes. Do these fresh challenges call for a new breed of leaders?

DISRUPTIVE In a world of disruptive digital business models, augmented workforces, flattened organisations and an ongoing shift to team-based work practices, enterprises are challenging their leaders to step up and show the way forward.

We see leadership pipelines and development at a crossroads, and businesses know they must develop leaders for perennial leadership skills – such as the ability to drive operations, supervise teams, take decisions, prioritise investments and manage bottom lines.

They must also develop leaders who can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving business environment. This includes leading away from ambiguity, coping with increasing complexity, being tech savvy, managing changing customer and talent demographics, and handling national and cultural differences.

In 2004, the Harvard Business Review (HBR) declared: “Leadership is the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants… A human and social achievement that stems from the leader’s understanding of his or her fellow workers and the relationship of their individual goals to the group’s aim.”

“Despite many changes in our context as organisations have become more democratic and networked, its fundamental leadership has not changed over the years. It is still about mobilising people in an organisation around common goals to achieve impact at scale. Because of that, success in leadership still fundamentally depends on six timeless areas: vision, strategy, engaging people, focussing on results, leading innovation and leading yourself,” HBR added, in 2018.

TRADITIONAL Traditional leadership expectations and outcomes still have a place today. But these should be combined with a new set of competencies and recognition of a different context. As a result, the greater need is a changing set of social and business expectations of leaders on how they should act, and what outcomes they must aim for.

Financial results aren’t the only or primary measure upon which an enterprise’s success should be judged. Entities must also be evalu­ated in terms of the impact they have on social and physical environments, as well as customers and workforces.

Setting a new context, identifying leadership competencies and putting the right culture in place are vital parts of the strategy. The final step is to find and develop individuals who will serve as leaders. But where can one find them?

Rather than searching to find and hire great leaders from outside, who may or may not succeed in the organisation’s corporate culture, most businesses would do well to explore new approaches and invest in developing the potential candidates they have.

EMERGENT In today’s fast-paced environment, people learn by trying and doing.

To cultivate the necessary leadership competencies, businesses can give people more diverse developmental assignments; promote some into leadership roles – both earlier and later, in their careers; give those with less traditional experience the opportunity to run businesses and initiatives; and honour the ability of their workers and leaders at every level (from early to late in their careers) to rethink, challenge and develop the business they’re in.

Many businesses continue to struggle to put leaders in place with the experience, capabilities and motivation needed to take on both old and new business challenges. Deloitte recommends starting by taking a fresh look at the context in which leaders need to operate today, for this offers a key to cultivating the leaders of tomorrow.