𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash

The world has shifted, and so must our approach to leadership. The rules of yesterday no longer apply to the challenges we face today. As leaders, it's crucial to acknowledge this shift and adapt our roles, measurements of success, and methodologies.

Heather E. McGowan 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ 's insights at the TriNet PeopleForce conference last week were a call to action: “We can't lead the way we were led.”

We need a new playbook. She highlighted four shifts we need to make (as interpreted by me):

✅ Enable Success: Focus on empowering your team, ensuring they become better versions of themselves each day.

✅ Collaborate with Peers: Embrace collaboration over competition. Together, we can achieve so much more.

✅ Intrinsic Motivation: Understand what truly motivates your team members personally. It's more than just the external rewards.

✅ Expedition Leadership: Lead like an expedition leader, navigating the unknown with resilience and adaptability.

The pace of change is relentless, and uncertainty looms large. Yet, as leaders, we have the power to shape the future. Our role goes beyond traditional boundaries. It's about evolving organizations, fostering inclusive environments, and designing for a future we've yet to fully define.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into what this can mean.

Enable Success: Fostering Growth in Your Team Members

In today's workplace's dynamic landscape, a leader's role has shifted from being a traditional 'command and control' figure to an enabler of success for team members.  As leaders, our fundamental duty is to enable the growth and success of our team members. We need to provide them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and guidance, ensuring they are more successful tomorrow than they are today.

By fostering an environment where growth and development are encouraged, we set the stage for individual successes and collective achievements, driving organizational success in the long run. This shift towards enabling success is a cornerstone in building a resilient and adaptive workforce, aligning with the demands of the modern professional world.

Collaborate with Peers: Building a Culture of Cooperation

In the traditional hierarchical leadership model, peers often stood as competitors striving to outdo one another. However, collaboration is the key to success in today's rapidly evolving work landscape. As leaders, it's crucial to understand that we are stronger together, leveraging our team's collective breadth of experiences and diverse perspectives.

By fostering a culture of collaboration, we create an environment where innovative ideas thrive, problem-solving is enhanced, and collective achievements are celebrated. Embracing collaboration over competition not only benefits individual teams but also contributes to overall organizational growth and adaptability in an ever-changing business environment.

Intrinsic Motivation: Understanding What Drives Your Team

Intrinsic motivation has taken precedence over traditional extrinsic rewards in the evolving leadership landscape. Heather's insights stress the significance of understanding what truly motivates each team member on a personal level. It's about recognizing their passions, values, and long-term goals and aligning these with the organization's objectives.

As leaders, we need to invest time in getting to know our team members beyond their job responsibilities. By doing so, we can tailor our leadership approach to tap into what matters most to them, ensuring a more engaged and committed team. This shift towards intrinsic motivation fosters a deeper sense of purpose for why we show up at work.

Expedition Leadership: Navigating the Uncharted Terrain

In the modern era of work, being a leader isn't about merely managing a team—it's about being an expedition leader navigating uncharted territories. Heather's analogy highlights the unpredictability and complexity of today's business landscape. Much like an expedition leader, a modern leader must possess adaptability, resilience, and a willingness to navigate unforeseen challenges and opportunities.

We're on a journey where detours, hazards, and unpredictable circumstances are the norm. This requires a different leadership style—one that is agile, forward-thinking, and able to guide the team through uncharted waters.

It's about embracing change, leading with a vision, and empowering your team to tackle the unexpected confidently.

Are you still using the old playbooks?

It's time to challenge the status quo.  Let’s shift the expectations and enablement programs for leaders navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.

Let's change the game, and let's start now.