The only constant is the future-proof skillset you need now
If you're wondering what the key leadership skills required in 2024 are, this Forbes article is pretty representative of what’s trending:
- Adaptive Leadership
- Emotional Intelligence
- Purpose-driven Leadership
- Remote Leadership
- Technology and Data Literacy
None of which is exactly breaking news is it? That’s good news, and here’s why:
If you look out there, and if you’re anything like 95% of my clients, you’ll probably be judging that your external environment is moving faster than your internal environment. And hitting a moving target that’s also pulling away from you is about as easy as herding apex predator cats.
Conventional wisdom says to prepare for each change as it happens. This is what Amy Edmondson – the grand fromage of psychological safety – calls ‘organising to execute’.
I call it ‘whack-a-mole change management’ where people are herded from A to B on a project-by-project basis without proactively developing any of the skills on the above list. It’s a fixed mindset approach, with the result that people’s resistance to change also remains fixed.
Unsurprisingly, Edmondson advocates the opposite: ‘organising to learn’, and here’s why that’s the only viable option now:
Let’s assume 2024 will be more complex; more unpredictable than 2023. More opportunities to grab, more threats to be managed, and all of which are coming at you out of left field at greater velocity.
The good news is that whatever happens, the generic – and future-proof – skills on that list that your people are going to need won’t change.
After all, it’s more than ten years since the HBR called Adaptability ‘the new competitive advantage’, and also more than ten years since Edmondson’s comments were published. Just review that list again, and judge for yourself whether you think they’ll still be applicable in ten years’ time.
You can’t predict the future, but you can entirely predict the skills you’ll need to make the most of whatever happens next.
Rich Alderton specialises in Adaptability Intelligence, so why not call us on 07873 823 800, email us or complete our enquiry form to find out more?
And you can download Rich's free e-book here.