Equip Your Leaders for Today, Tomorrow, and the Future 

As the business world continues to evolve, so does the future of our leadership. Leadership will need to continue advancing in diversity, technology savviness, emotional agility, and inclusivity to keep up with the business needs of today and beyond. For leaders’ styles and behaviors to align appropriately with the needs of organizations and their people, leadership and executive development will be essential in the future of business. We can stay up-to-date on the top leadership development trends and what continues to impact our workforce, however, we must critically think and act now to best equip our current and future leaders for success.  

Now more than ever, we are seeing greater innovations of ideas, strategies, and top talent across all industries. Whether it is diversity in background, thought, unique skill sets, or competencies, leaders will need to effectively evolve to support all employees and incoming talent. Using your strategic vision is one of the greatest ways to attract and retain top talent and will guide your leaders to be visionary, adaptable, and effective in their roles. When leaders are effective, they ensure the effectiveness of others around them and will model the ideal leadership theories  and approaches that will best transform your leaders, company culture, and business. 

What Will Leadership Look Like in the Future? 

As leadership is changing and evolving, organizations should focus on these 4 aspects of future leadership and how they will impact both the current and future of leadership and your business.  

1. Valuing and Retaining Women in Leadership – Women make up 50% of the workforce today, therefore they should make up at least 50% of both existing and future leadership roles. According to a Women in the Workplace 2022 report, it will be critical for organizations to get more women into leadership roles and retain the women leaders they already have. Women are just as ambitious, talented, and skilled as men, and this should reflect in all areas of your business and within its leadership. Developing your people should be the top priority in your business and will need to be for the future growth and success of your leaders.

As diversity and inclusion remain a hot industry topic, progression towards gender equality will be important for the evolution of your business. If women in the workforce are seen as less valuable and are passed over in development and advancement opportunities, they will be more likely to leave their jobs. This is especially an issue with women minorities, as race and ethnicity have influenced the support, advocacy, and overall experience of women in the workforce. Overall, companies and leaders with stronger empathy and better workforce representation of women from all backgrounds will go further in the future. Equip your leaders to be diverse and inclusive, and to provide equal value and opportunity to all their employees. This will help your leaders and culture stand out above the rest and will bring more desirability to both current and future talent to be part of your business and its goals. 

2. Technological Savviness – The advancement of technology continues in our innovative world, so it will be necessary for your leaders to be up-to-date and future-focused on technology and its impact on the workforce. According to a Global Workplace Analytics report, 73% of all departments will have remote workers by 2028. The evolution of a remote workforce as well as innovative technology systems and products today will continue to develop and advance in the future. Your current and future leaders must be trained, equipped, and up-to-date with the ongoing technology trends, and maintain the expectations of flexibility and work-life balance that have become increasingly popular since the pandemic.

As data analytics, automation, privacy, and cybersecurity, and the need to provide a unique customer and employee experience grow in popularity, businesses will need to develop their leaders with creativity, vision, and innovation for the future. Envisioning your business ten years from now will be critical to keeping up with the trends of future leaders and for the needs of your business. Ensuring your leaders can best support their employees and customers at work through change and innovation will help equip your future leaders to handle change well and do the same.  

3. Global Mindset and Connectedness – With technology advancing every day, it has enhanced our abilities to network, grow, and connect with other businesses, people, and places. With the incredible ability to network across platforms such as LinkedIn, the opportunity for these powerful connections allows any industry the potential to grow and expand its brand and gain new talent and customers for its business. With the advancement of the global market and trade, it will be essential for businesses and their leaders to maintain a mindset of openness and connection. 

Embracing change relating to ideas, opportunity, diversity, and innovation will help your leaders better handle change and empower their employees to remain open and collaborative. The power of connection in the business will help your business to remain engaged, equipped, and on top of the competitive needs of the marketplace and its ever-changing workforce. It will also encourage your future leaders to welcome new perspectives and ideas to learn and appreciate new cultures and change, and how to succeed in this growing global market. Equipping your leaders with this mindset will also help to achieve business goals and strengthen your current and future business rapports and partnerships. 

4. Cultural Health and Employee-Centric Focused – One of the largest impacts on your business, its people, and its customers is your company culture. Companies that demonstrate stronger company culture will see increased productivity, better employee engagement, and higher profitability in their business. Without a clear, compelling, and healthy company culture, organizations risk losing top talent, achieving desired productivity and goals, and succeeding in today’s competitive business world. Equipping your leaders to focus on cultural health will be critical for the future of your business and the needs of your current and future talent. This will need to remain a future focus of businesses and their leadership, as employee well-being, morale, and work experience will continue to influence all industries and businesses. The workforce is constantly influenced by people, backgrounds, and industry needs, which can lead to shifts in your company culture.

Culture is unique and can be tricky to navigate and understand within your business, but it impacts 46% of job seekers’ decisions. With this knowledge, leaders will need to ensure they evolve themselves and their culture to fit the needs of the ever-changing business world. Focusing on company culture can enhance your workplace and its leaders to benefit all involved and can also improve your customer satisfaction and experience. If you do not invest in your cultural health and develop and empower your leaders through cultural needs and change, they will not lead as effectively for your business and its people. Investing in leadership development will help to ensure your people are given the tools to succeed, improve the efficiencies of all your people and teams, and be the best way to enhance your current and future company culture. 

Conclusion

To ensure the future success of your business and its leaders, leadership development will be a game changer for your business. Staying on top of leadership development trends today and in the future will allow you to evolve your leaders to best benefit your people, customers, and business. Equipping your leaders to lead, grow, and excel through change and uncertainty will be one of the best ways to invest in your people, retain top talent, and achieve your organizational goals. Check out Our Services to see how EDA’s custom-designed leadership and executive development strategies, systems, and programs will help your business excel in today’s business world. 

Sign Up Today for our FREE version of EDASurveys™  to receive unlimited Basic Surveys for your business. This one-stop-shop survey technology tool will help your business gain valuable insight into its needs and culture and help you to enhance your employee engagement and achieve your organizational goals. Try free today to best equip your leaders and your business.