Are these expectations realistic?
In many ways, employees expect leaders to act like celebrities as well as business gurus. Think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Eric Schmidt. These leaders have reset the bar because they take the time to Tweet, blog and woo customers by delegating many of their day-to-day responsibilities. These fast-moving companies are also famous for cutting-edge technology and vaulting past the competition, because their leaders think outside the box and are willing to take risks.
Is it possible to thrive in a 24-7 business environment?
Forget about achieving work-life balance, because it is based on a world without the Internet. Leaders need to fully integrate their personal and professional lives in order to operate in today’s 24-7 business environment. Leadership essentials include blended skill sets such as multi-tasking and handling shifting priorities along with the capacity to nurture virtual relationships. One minute, an executive might be having dinner with his or her family, and the next she’s e-mailing, blogging or posting information on the company intranet to bolster employee engagement. The 24-7 phenomenon isn’t temporary, so leaders need to embrace the change and adapt their lifestyles. The best group of people to observe with this skill is working moms. They have mastered this better than anyone else.
What does it take to outhustle the competition?
Executive leaders must develop their direct reports and trust them to make decisions in order to thwart the advances of svelte competitors. Some leaders were still adjusting to the reduction in middle management and leaner organizational structures instituted during the prior recession when the Great Recession hit. Although the compressed configuration was supposed to eliminate bureaucracy and hasten the decision-making process, in reality managers have been wearing many hats, so many lacked the confidence and expertise to meet new customer mandates under extreme adversity. Now that the crisis is waning, executive leaders must loosen the controls so their direct reports can spread their wings. Assume the role of questioner and enabler, rather than restrictor. Courses in innovation and critical thinking can help engender innovation, but at the end of the day executives must be willing to take calculated risks and loosen the reigns if they want to develop their direct reports into future leaders.
Paul De Young, Ph.D., is a senior consultant for talent management and the sales leader for the Western U.S. for Towers Watson. Reach him at [email protected] or (562) 234-1669.