Leaders can no longer rule via checklists or use fear and unquestioning compliance to push their subordinates around. Employees expect and, increasingly, demand more. In our fast-paced, technological world, effective leaders must instead become a creative force. This gives people the opportunity to discover and cultivate the best parts of themselves.
It’s Time To Enter A New Era
I recently interviewed with Juan Carlos Cubeiro in Spain for my upcoming 2018 documentary Make Me A Leader. He is the Head of Talent at Manpower Group and Mentor at the Human Age Institute. Juan Carlos has been involved in leadership development since the 90's and has written over forty books on leadership.
He believes that we are entering a new era – moving from the age of Capitalism to Talentism. In a world of same/same products and easy-to-replicate services, Talent and people will become the most important aspect of business. Talent isn’t a fixed thing. It’s mobile and fluid. It has to be nurtured. Instead of mindlessly accepting ‘business as usual’, it’s time to challenge the status quo.
Conventional Leadership Styles Belong In The Past
Cubeiro believes that we require creators who can lead other leaders, as individuals need time and resources to create themselves. There are two kinds of leadership in this new era; leaders for the short-term, and leaders who look into the future.
Short-term leadership is necessary to oversee the meeting of immediate organisational deadlines. But, to prosper in the longer-term, businesses must invest in people and the talent they need to lead in the future. The key is to integrate both sides of the brain, bringing both conceptual and analytical thinking together.
Organisations that ignore their talent will ultimately fail. Already, the lifespan of successful organisations is rapidly contracting. In the early part of last century, businesses could expect to last 75 or more years. Now, the life span is more like 15 years. 90% of companies created today will not exist in five years time.
“All of us have to develop coaching abilities. It’s not a matter of being an external coach or internal coach or a leader coach but improving our lives and the lives of other people.”
Juan Carlos Cubeiro
We live in a VUCA world - Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Imagine if we could change this meaning. With smarter leadership development we can create a new kind of VUCA world, where we see Vision, Understanding, Commitment and Agility.
Having the vision and creativity to dream of a better future, and the understanding that we work best as an integrated team will dramatically affect future leadership roles. Leaders need the commitment and imagination to move forward, and the agility and intuition to make decisions.
Neuroscience Gives Us New Understanding Of Why Our Brains Matter In Leadership
It’s no longer theory. We have hard data and the technology to prove how our brains work when we make decisions. The successful businesses of the future will ensure that their talent is given opportunities to thrive. Where will you be?
