Future-proof your skills #3: leadership skills

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

In our last post, we looked at what research is saying are the critical skills of the future and what’s driving the change. One key driver is automation. No doubt we’ve all played with ChatGPT by now and have probably questioned what this really means for the future of ‘desk’ work.

The trend towards automation indicates that communication and collaboration skills will still be essential; but additionally, leadership skills will become critical. Regardless of whether the roles in your organisation are all ‘leadership’ ones, harnessing leadership skills help drive the adoption of automation within organisations; and the lack of leadership capability is a significant barrier to achieving success in digital transformation and innovation.

What you can do: Here are some specific behaviours people can adopt to demonstrate better leadership skills:

Take ownership and initiative to identify areas for improvement in your team or organisation. Be proactive here. For us, the key is to identify the smallest, easy-to-do change to yield the largest improvement.

Make the link to vision and strategy for your team or colleagues. Discussing the link of your idea or initiative to the organisation's strategy is an easy way to start developing strategic thinking.

Develop your coaching and mentoring skills to help others grow and improve. Research a coaching model like GRIST’s ACDC or Tactical GROW and master some easy behaviours to help others on your team.

Lastly, research shows that as the rate of change increases, developing a continuous learning and adaptability mindset becomes a great differentiator. The ability to learn and adapt quickly to new situations enables individuals and organisations to stay ahead of the curve and respond to changing circumstances with agility and resilience.

What you can do: Here are some specific behaviours individuals can adopt to demonstrate a mindset of continuous learning and adaptability:

Set aside time for regular learning and development, whether through online courses or attending industry events. It can be as little as 15-30 minutes per week.

Embrace new technologies and tools to improve work processes and productivity. With practice comes mastery.

Seek out feedback and constructive criticism to identify areas for growth and improvement. It's amazing how this behaviour helps individuals stand out as someone who strives to improve.

During an economic downturn, employers must make tough decisions about how to cut costs. As an individual, you can increase your job security by making small changes to demonstrate your communication and collaboration skills, critical thinking abilities, and willingness to learn and adapt. As an organisation, you can stay ahead of the curve by addressing these skills early and set your business up for the future. Often, it's the little things that make the biggest difference in tough times.

If you’d like to watch our Future Skills webinar, you can here.

Or, if you're all about 'show me the data'; view our Future Skills Guide here.