In this series we’ve looked at how the changing workplace has thrown out some very challenging new ideas which business leaders are having to address. Behind the move towards hybrid working, four-day weeks and flexible work patterns lies a growing recognition that employees are moving towards greater and greater levels of autonomy. It’s not just about where or how employees work, but also career development, skills and training.
As well as these, equal opportunity, diversity and a level playing field are issues which increasingly matter to employees and prospective employees. Technology is enabling and driving much of this movement, and AI is likely to accelerate this trend. It also provides a voice, via social media, through which individuals can express what they really feel.
At the same time, businesses need to grow, adapt, and deliver on the promises they make to customers as well as a whole range of other stakeholders. The leaders of those businesses are there to ensure those needs are met – even exceeded. In short, they are ultimately responsible for the direction and expression of the culture by which those promises will be delivered.
Leaders: born or made?
Leadership style is therefore critical. We’ve looked before at how kindness is a vital part of any successful culture. Allied to that is the idea that leadership can be a co-operative function; that no leader can have all the answers; that being a leader is about being open to ideas and new ways of thinking, and that flexibility and a willingness to build teams around a central culture which both addresses business needs and employee values is vitally important.
We’ve also addressed the need to have a ‘finger on the pulse’. This means being aware of what’s going on both formally and informally – and these are skills which are crucial to any leader. Leaders need to be fully attentive to the critical aspects of culture and strategy, and know just when to step in, when to recognise the moments that really matter, giving praise and recognition, and being alert to the dynamics of their people and their teams.
There are what we have previously coined as ‘basic fundamentals’, but when it comes to the execution of these, leadership needs to be able to demonstrate the highest of standards. So much is expected of our leaders every moment of every day, so how they adapt to changing circumstances requires them to have the highest levels of awareness and the skills to match.
The evolution of the leader
So, just how will the role of the leader evolve in the face of these many faceted challenges? Are they mutually exclusive – autonomy and growth – or are they two sides of the same coin?
These questions have to be addressed. It’s one thing to aim to build our internal talent, but we have to know to what end we are creating and nurturing that talent. Nature deplores a vacuum. Leadership has to have a purpose and direction. Right now, around the world, critical questions are being asked about leadership styles. Those same questions are being posed in the business world and the answers are just as crucial. Autonomy or autocracy? Flexibility or centrality? Right now more than ever, just how we answer these questions truly matters.
Michael Esau is global HR advisor for SAP
SAP’s latest survey 2024 HR Trends: The Year of AI, which looks at a range of business issues including wellbeing, is now available. To download your copy click here. To find out more about SAP's insights, resources and products, click here.
SAP's podcasts series, The Human Factor, has been created to discuss tricky but highly relevant topics such as culture and talent development. In the podcast episodes, the host talks to leading experts about the issues and themes that influence people and the world of work, sharing thoughts about the skills and techniques you need to succeed. The whole catalogue of episodes is available right here.
