Redefining Leadership: Leadership in the new normal

What is the new leadership approach?

Over the past months, a new leadership style has begun to appear. This new practice to leadership reflects the uncertainty of the pandemic epoch, and it comes with two elements that seem conflicting but bring them all together.

 

First is the capability to handle immediate threats in unpredictable times. Second, coming up with strategic development when everything we know has changed, and the stakes are incredibly high.

 

In the traditional sense, business leaders often had the comfort of focusing on either of the two. Still, today with the disturbing crisis, leaders must be aware and balance these elements to manage their way through the present day while planning for long-term goals.

 

Today with the support of technology, many leaders of the business world can cope up with the shift of the industry culture. A good example is working remotely. Many companies adopted this development and got rid of their brick-and-mortar transactions.

 

What is the importance of leadership in modern times?

Leadership is critical to any business or organization because they provide guidance and help the other members understand its goals and plans. But being a good leader does not stop there. There are more aspects that they can bring in this present time.

 

Vision

A business leader should provide a roadmap outlining the steps and resources a company needs to succeed. Developing a business vision and communicating it with the whole team is part of their obligation as being a person with authority.

 

Communication

Leaders, managers, and executives should always have to maintain clear communication, but today it should come in a more straightforward and at the same time transparent way. Nowadays, leaders should step down and do more employee engagement. Becoming visible does not mean physically being with the team. An online meeting is enough to create an established presence.

 

Flexibility

In the midst of the crisis, it taught that management and leaders of companies must continue learning and developing new skills in order to gain a better understanding of the current situation. As mentioned above, a good example is giving the employees an option to do remote work or get rid of the 9 am to 6 pm cultured working hours and give them a flexible working schedule instead.

 

Guidance

With proper guidance, leadership, and teamwork, everyone involved will progress, work and focus on meeting the same target goal. That is why leaders today should guide employees to guarantee that they are on the right track.

 

What essential values of leadership do you think are necessary for dealing with the new normal?

One essential value that the best managers should have right now is the state of being approachable. While it is vital to hold their core values, leaders must adjust to critical changes and ongoing situations to fully understand the present time. With that being said, listed below are other essential values that they should have to be able to deal with the new business environment.

 

Trust

Trust works for both organizational and individual levels. Leaders should realize the needs of the team members, empower them and give them a sense of responsibility for their work, and trust that they will deliver the job so well.

 

Empathetic

It is insufficient for executives just to acknowledge the changes in the environment. Everyone has had a different experience in the sudden changes. As leaders, they should demonstrate patience and the ability to understand the feelings of others.

 

Recognize stress

Employee productivity, work performance, and engagement all suffer when stressed. In order to have effective leadership, a good leader should provide outlets for stress relief and options for teams and employees to seek emotional intelligence.

 

Show tenderness

Being a person that leads people in the business world, you must have a positive working relationship with your teams, notice their issues, and demonstrate that you care about them. If an executive shows enough gentleness and kindness, the members are more likely to generate positive energy and enjoy their work.

 

Amusing

Even in the most trying times, a sense of humor can help teams to share experiences, lighten the mood and strengthen relationships across the company. That is why leaders should encourage laughing and humor in the workplace. In line with this, research shows that leaders who laugh more are seen as more confident and much respected.

 

Transparent

Being an effective manager does not mean not having any emotion at all. An employer should also be open and honest about their feelings. It does not promote oversharing. Instead, having the capacity for the whole range of emotions and still being able to make logical decisions for the business. Aligning to this, team members are more likely to understand the business’s current condition and the management.

 

What is redefining leadership?

As the world changes, we all need to expand our perspectives and redefine expectations about leadership or who we see as leaders. In the traditional workforce culture, strong business leaders are often defined as someone who speaks for themselves.

 

But in this current moment, we should see diverse leadership; let us all get rid of unconscious bias because women, people of color, and ethnic minorities, or anyone has the ability to lead. Human beings can work on their leadership presence and be part of the playing field.

 

What is organizational leadership?

Organizational leadership is a management strategy that emphasizes developing leadership skills and abilities relevant across the organization. An ideal organizational leadership is about leading his workforce and providing them with a sense of direction in order to achieve their objectives.

 

A person who wants to lead companies or organizations should have the following skills:

• Create a strategic plan in line with the company’s mission
• Understanding the company’s goal and purpose
• Communicating effectively
• Foreseeing possible challenges
• Inspiring the members of the team to give it their all and work for the same objective.
• Innovating constantly to cope up with challenges.

 

What is commitment leadership?

Commitment leadership is a type of leadership that shows how leaders genuinely believe in what they do. Having this type of leadership is not easy since there might be personal consequences when leading with an unpopular change. Align to that, team members are more likely to look into the leaders before buying into the company’s vision because commitment is a leadership quality that inspires and attracts people.

 

Having said that, commitment in leadership separates the right leaders from people who just want to be in the position. Because an effective executive who leads a team is committed to whatever they do and has the courage to take the possible results.

 

What is servant leadership?

Servant leadership is one of the leadership models wherein leaders strive to serve others rather than acquire power and control in the lives of others. Companies and organizations with this type of leadership style have better relationships with their employees, customers, and even stakeholders. For they always let them speak and encourage diversity in their surroundings.

 

What is Monothetic leadership?

Autocratic or also known as monothetic leadership, is one of the leadership models where a manager concentrates all authority in themselves and enjoys instant gratification. Undoubtedly, a monothetic ruler orders their own teams regarding what they are meant to do, how they must do it, when they should do it, and so on.

 

A monothetic ruler enjoys full authority and imposes control on others. There are three types of autocratic leaders, and they are as follows:

 

• Strict monothetic – a strict monothetic commander relies on the negative influence and gives orders which the members must follow without asking any questions.
• Benevolent autocrat – the benevolent head somehow shows confidence and trust in their subordinates’ efforts. They can develop relationships and usually motivate positively.
• Manipulative monothetic – this type of manager makes subordinates feel their opinions expressed but has already decided beforehand.

 

What is your role as a leader in nation-building in the new normal?

Everyone was affected by the crisis happening across the world, and while everyone is pushing themselves to work, you cannot deny that they are struggling to cope with everyday lives. Just like you, they are still looking for ways to unwind, lighten up the mood, and work efficiently. That is why, as a manager in the midst of the new normal, it is your responsibility to shift and be more adaptable to the changes, development, understand everyone’s condition, and be open with everything that comes your way to achieve future success.