Best practices for developing the next generation of women leaders.

The skills needed for leaders to lead in the future landscape include flexibility, agility, adaptability and the ability to inspire others. The increasing speed of digital transformation is putting more pressure on leaders and teams than ever before.

To fully realize the future of work companies, have to make bold and difficult changes to their internal cultures and reinvent how people and strategy are interlinked. This requires inspirational leaders.

Internal cultures are led and created by current leadership. The companies that will win are the ones that have leadership teams that view people and strategy as one.

Work is changing and will continue to change driven by dramatic and irreversible trends in digital and in workforce preferences.

Leaders need to be ready to lead in a brand new and evolving workplace. The skills needed for leaders to lead in the future landscape include flexibility, agility, adaptability and the ability to inspire others.

Workers regardless of their generation are looking for leaders who are willing to help them grow, learn and succeed.

In the past leaders would hire workers for ‘jobs’ and expect those workers to do the job as outlined. If the worker did the jobs as outlined then the leader would give a good performance review.

Those days are quickly disappearing as today the worker is seeking to do work that is engaging and that has a purpose. Today leaders need to provide ‘work’ not ‘jobs’ that inspire and leverages the worker’s skills and abilities.

Today companies are struggling with attracting and keeping talented people and the solution lies in having leaders who can inspire.

77% of employees surveyed stated that they want to work for companies that are focused on ‘people first’. (Gartner)

70% of companies state that their people are NOT future-ready. (Adecco Group)

In order for companies to be future-ready now the focus needs to be on the leadership and their ability to inspire others. The future requires inspirational leaders!

1. Stay connected to people with professionalism and compassion.  With all of the wonderful technological advances, we must still be mindful of people, our relationships and connections.  The most “successful” people I’ve befriended, worked with, or have known in my life are those who are compassionate to others and they do connect one another.  Multiply the impact! They bring others with them, extend their hands, don’t go up without recognizing others, and ultimately are the leaders who end up mentors, coaches, and they leave a legacy in life.  Set a goal to be that person.
2. Be courageous!  I believe you can develop your courageousness by creating and maintaining a positive attitude and perspective.  It’s not always easy and you may have to practice. That is ok.  If you surround yourself with good people, smart people who encourage you to set goals and reach for the stars, and people who support you, it is so much easier to get in and stay in that mindset.  This also ties into point number one: stay connected to people. Standing alone is sometimes very powerful, yes, but with community and arms linked, we can find endless strength and courage. It is a positive cycle.
3. Ask questions.  Ask powerful questions. And don’t be afraid to ask them.  I attended a coaching class in Washington D.C. where I discovered the power of asking questions as it relates to coaching others in their personal and professional journey.  WOW! Asking questions is not only powerful in helping others discover their own solutions, asking questions opens lines of communication in order to connect to others. Asking questions also aids in decision making. One thing I’ve learned with decision making is to do it, make the decision knowing you’ve done it well, then be “ok” with it.  If you come across the feeling later in life you made the wrong decision at any point, learn from it, move on, and keep going!
4. Be intentional with the people you spend your time in all aspects of your life.  Believe it or not, it does carry over from your personal life to your professional life.  It is not easy nor sometimes easily understood and may become much more difficult in your professional life as you will have to learn to manage conflict if you end up working with those who have principals different than yours.  However, if you are genuine and approach it honestly, at the very least, if people do not understand your decisions, you have treated them kindly. Remember, you are also a priority.  You must take care of yourself as well.  When you’re intentional with the people you spend your time with, you have actively thought through who you want in your life and who you want to work with, which will directly impact decisions you make personally and professionally all allowing you to focus on your priorities.
5. At the end of the day, know that you must learn to adapt to change and the changing change we live in.  You may have a long career with one company, work with several companies, own your own business, or even decide to make a major career change midlife.   Through it all, you will always have to work hard, persevere when times are tough, put your head up and keep your shoulders back during times of adversity. You must believe it will work out in the end for the best because you’ve worked hard, you’ve stayed connected to people, you’ve created opportunities, made smart decisions have been intentional with your network.