In a constantly shifting landscape, businesses need agile and resilient leaders. Leaders who are able to stay on course and assist others in the face of adversity are infinitely valuable. It takes work to create a leadership team, but when testing times hit, businesses that have strong leaders are better equipped to navigate challenges and stay the course towards success.
Defined Leadership Roles and Organisational Goals
Role clarity plays an integral part in building an effective leadership team. Every member of the team should know what is expected of them, what they are accountable for and have clarity regarding their potential impact in the business. At Change2020, we believe that accountability is one of the seven key elements of high performing teams. Accountability for achieving results is integral, and your leadership team should fully understand organisational goals in order to effectively guide the business towards reaching them.
Clearly defined roles mean that leaders can optimise organisational results because everyone is accountable for accepting their responsibilities.
Encourage Adaptability
The Global Leadership Forecast 2018 found that one of the most vital skills in a leader is adaptability. The study found that “in a time when digital and technological transformation create a constant threat of disruption, leaders need to be highly adaptable.” The best way to develop leaders to become more adaptable is to coach them through a mindset change. At Change2020, we start by understanding leaders and their current mindsets – we find out what motivates them and find out whether they have an inner desire to learn and change.
Then it is all about helping them embrace ambiguity – once they are aware of how they react to change, we challenge their tendency to react rather than respond to it, and work with them to get more comfortable operating in a state of uncertainty. We also focus on their creative ability, especially on their ability to think critically, analyse and lead through complexity.
A leadership team that is used to constant evolution and change will be well equipped to guide any business through periods of turbulence.
Develop Leadership Potential Early
Organisations should have pathways and opportunities available for employees to move into leadership positions. The Global Leadership Forecast 2018 found that organisations that extend development of high-potential talent below senior levels are over four times more likely to financially outperform those that don’t. Internally promoted leaders have experienced other roles within the organisation, which gives them a more thorough understanding of the business, its capabilities and what needs to change.
A well-developed and tightly-knit leadership team has the ability to empower the entire organisation. From this alignment at top level, business direction, messages and strategies are much clearer to different teams – the entire business then knows exactly what they are doing, why they are doing it and how.
From leadership team development, we often see organisations achieve greater success. Shareholders and advisory board members are satisfied, and the business benefits from a good reputation as a great place to work, which also helps them attract and retain talent. Organisations that invest in developing great leadership teams go from being followers to becoming leaders in their sectors.
Change2020 specialise in delivering bespoke leadership programs that foster agile and resilient leaders who lead through complex change and know how to use innovative strategies to guide your business to success. Contact us to begin building a strong leadership team that results in a better workplace achieving business outcomes.
