Navigating the complex world of being a leader is the subject of a recent Fast Company article “8 skills every leader should master in 2022” by Brandon Pena. The last 2 years have been weird and anxiety-producing for most people in business. Now, looking back, what is surprising is how resistant business leaders were in embracing the remote culture. At the time, we lived in a world where many of us thought a pandemic could happen, just not to us. Was it sheer luck then that when the pandemic became part of our worst nightmare that we were better prepared than we thought? That was a surprise.
What I liked about the article is the skills listed are timeless. While it can be argued that we should have incorporated these skills pre-pandemic, a widely felt disruption gives us clarity and accelerates our opportunities. Here are the eight skills every leader should master to thrive:
- HUMANIZATION (self, team, brand) to establish a connection to your community. Get input from your teams as that is what becomes visible to the community.
- SERVICE ATTITUDE is what other people see (internally or externally) when you or your team faces challenges.
- LEAD YOUR LEADERS starts with the choices you make in choosing them and then supporting them. The people you choose are the ones who influence your teams.
- DISCOVER AND BUILD THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW is Step One in your exit plan, an opportunity to get excited about empowering and promoting members of your team.
- TAKE CARE OF EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING refocuses the belief that your team members chose your company.
- LAUGH as it creates a light-hearted work environment.
- FOCUS 100% of your own effort as a role model for your team.
- SOCIAL MEDIA use it as it fits your brand and at a minimum share social media profile with your online communities.
The picture is from a past strategic business retreat of my former team in the early 2000s taken at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Building our leaders and embracing a service attitude were 2 regular retreat topics. We had hiked to Skeleton Point when we stopped (with our guide) to take this picture. It was a moment in time like no other.