In an ever-changing world, our understanding of leadership and VUCA environment. For decades, organization designed leadership for an industrial environment and little or nothing was considered for the newer environment we are in today. Many a times, such acts are geared towards preserving stability , scale and predictability with the maximum focus on earning for shareholders. Over the years, we are moving towards an era of communication and information. Thus, the newer era of networked leadership and older hierarchical model of leadership is see as an obstacle to meet the complexity of today’s ever-connected environment (Smet et al., n.d.).

Covid-19 changed the world.

Not only did covid-19 change the world, but it changed organization’s mindsets too. Today, a prominent bank in Singapore is a good example. They are still sticking to the hybrid workforce with employees spending almost 40% of the time working from home. In fact, according to the bank’s HR, such arrangements have improved the productivity of the employee; in contra with what science knows (Asia, n.d.). This would essentially mean that organizations would need to focus more on their results instead of physical presentation at work.

PWC’s Six Paradoxes of Leadership

1.      Globally minded localist

This is a mindset that essentially requires us to be agnostic about belief systems and market structures. We would need to learn from the world every moment. All these while being fully committed to local success.

2.      Strategic Executor

Leaders would need to find insight, and facts and observe by looking to the future to effect decisions made today and deliver exquisitely on challenges of today.

3.      High-Integrity Politician

Leaders on the current century would need to maintain integrity and build trust. They would also need to accrue support, negotiate, form coalitions, and overcome resistance to maintain progress in the team.

4.      Being a Tech-Savvy Humanist

Living in a connected world, we would need to be able to leverage technology to improve our leadership positions. Leaders would need to drive technology enhancements to generate success. All these, while being a deep understanding of human effectiveness in any system.

5.      A Humble Hero

Leaders most of the time, would be seen as the one who is credited for all the good things that the team have created. As an effective leader, we would need to give credit to our team when they are due. We would need to foster deep personal resilience in ourselves and others while exuding confidence, with competitive flair and gravitas. We would also need to be careful not to step over the line of being arrogant.

6.      Traditioned Innovator

As a leader, its important to connect deeply with the purpose of any original idea and bring the original value to the present while driving innovation trying new things and having the courage to fail and allow others to fail. For as we fail, we learn (Claudine Attard & Mark Grech, n.d.).

Emotional Intelligence: A skill that needs to be improved.

We are all humans and so are our employees or members. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is crucial as employees face daily challenges in their lives, workplaces, and families all in the same space. Covid-19 has successfully erased the divide between work and life balance. As leaders, we would need to practice empathy for our members or employees. We would also exercise EQ by being vulnerable and sharing our struggles and journey during the pandemic. “I’ve seen firsthand how our team has come together closer, while being remote, thanks to leaders revealing the impacts they’ve endured as parents, taking care of family members and their own mental well-being,” said Tom Seery, founder and CEO of RealSelf (Nicole Fallon, 2020).

Communication and Trust

The most fundamental of relationships is trust.  Leaders would need to communicate more than ever with their teams and the team should trust their guidance. There is no such thing as over-communication (Michael Fisher, 2018). Communication and Trust is what make or break a team, and this is the only way to understand and know what the team on the ground is thinking. Without proper communication and people’s buy-in, strategic shift failure is just a matter of time. Context is of paramount importance (Brandon Busteed, 2020).

Let Employees voice be heard.

A recent survey indicates that employees would like to have their voice heard in major company’s decision. Employees and members are on the ground and thus would be the best to advise us if our decisions are of any flaw and provide us with valuable information or suggestion based on their experience within the company (Richard Dool, 2021).

Keep an eye on the future

Remote work is here to stay, like it or not but there are still changes and uncertainty ahead as everyone is moving out of the pandemic world together. Leaders today should embrace these uncertainties which may appear in the future. We would need to be flexible and always be ready to make changes. Change is prominent, it is either we are changing or we be changed.

References

Asia, C. N. (n.d.). Youtube. SG Pulse: Companies likely to stick with hybrid work arrangements beyond COVID-19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obtLrGTjK7E

Brandon Busteed. (14 03, 2020). In Times Like This, There’s No Such Thing As Overcommunication. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brandonbusteed/2020/03/14/in-times-like-this-theres-no-such-thing-as-overcommunication/?sh=7c77154615ed

Claudine Attard, & Mark Grech. (n.d.). Redefining a post-pandemic world. PWC. https://www.pwc.com/mt/en/publications/humanresources/redefining-leadership-in-a-post-pandemic-world.html

Michael Fisher. (13 12, 2018). There is No Such Thing as Over Communication. Medium. https://medium.com/@mikef.design/there-is-no-such-thing-as-over-communication-ab7b6b0f3c21

Nicole Fallon. (06 10, 2020). 6 Tips for Adapting Your Leadership Style in the Post-COVID World. US Chamber of Commerce. https://www.uschamber.com/co/grow/thrive/rethinking-leadership-post-pandemic

Richard Dool, D. (17 08, 2021). The Employee Voice – Are Leaders Listening? Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/employee-voice-leaders-listening-richard-dool-dmgt-/

Smet, A. D., Arne, G., Johanne , L., & Michael, L. (n.d.). Mckinsey & Company. New leadership for a new era of thriving organizations. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/new-leadership-for-a-new-era-of-thriving-organizations