The secret to successful leadership in the 21st century

Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash

In this complicated world, leadership skill acquisition, refinement, and constant improvement must be a progressive and personal process that individuals need to embrace.

Yet, authentic leadership is the most common management style of the 21st century. It revolves around a leader's moral conduct, building actual relationships, and motivating and supporting employees in positive ways. It demands a self-aware leader; one with the capacity to understand and accept his or her strengths and flaws.

What does the future leader look like?

Research conducted revealed that top-performing leaders do not rely on old team systems or ordinary collective methods. Instead, they manage networks of relationships, inside and outside of their teams. By doing so, they change how they influence conceptions, knowledge, resources, and skills for crucial work.

Plenty of work happens by collaboration in networks of relationships that do not echo formal reporting structures, conventional work processes, or traditional teams and functions. To grow more productive, capable and flexible, leaders must recognise and initiate informal networks and engage team members to generate an environment of trust, purpose and energy.

Take action

Building trust, creating purpose, and generating energy do not happen if left to chance. Leaders must plan specific actions that help these traits to form rapidly and flow through teams and networks.

With fewer chance meetings, schedule more one on ones messages your teams. Identify who the super connectors in your organisation are, no matter their position in the hierarchy, and support them. Communication, showing appreciation, and day-to-day interaction with employees will develop future leaders who lead by example.