No one needs to tell anyone in a management or leadership position just how much the life of the manager has changed in recent years. Perhaps of more importance, however, is identifying what is needed to succeed in the future. A flood of literature has hit the marketplace the past few years describing the new demands of the new workplace and leaders.
In Nicholas Imparato's work in the magnificent new book "Jumping the Curve," the key characteristics of the new managers are 1) embracing change, 2) attending to external realities, 3) creating power, 4) promoting a coaching style, 5) demonstrating emotional maturity, 6) providing a long view, 7) standing for an idea, 8) exhibiting readiness for an entrepreneurial environment, 9) keeping balance, 10) maintaining a sense of continuity, 11) expanding job responsibilities, 12) creating expertise and 13) driving out fear.Kathy Kolbe in "Pure Instinct" emphasizes four critical skills relative to the new business leader, 1) fact finding, 2) follow through, 3) quick start and 4) implementer.
At the same time Roger Hendricks and Rob Brazel outline in their upcoming book, "The Idea Economy," their analysis of the leadership profile for the future - with an admittedly entrepreneurial bent on the assumption that the future will belong to those who are able to operate successfully in an economy where ideas become the foundation of success.
They submit that the successful leader must be a master at 1) dominating information - that is, being tuned in electronically and emotionally to what is occurring in the environment, 2) screening ideas, 3) being intuitive and responsive to personal revelation and insight, 4) working out bugs and solve problems, 5) selling ideas to others, 6) taking risks beyond those that others will attempt, and 7) keeping goals in sight and 8) being goal driven.
Bob Quinn and Kim Cameron's "Paradox and Transformation" they emphasize that the ability to manage the paradoxes of management will be most critical; one must be creative and innovative and at the same time be controlled and rational; sensitive and empathetic while being aggressive and driven to achieve significant results and outcomes.
Our own research, based on the new literature and our own assessments and testing of leaders, now applied in our leadership training, personal coaching and leadership assessments and evaluations, has proven that success will be determined by mastery in these areas.
1. The capacity to maintain a rational and controlled environment through tools of critical thinking, information management, financial control, measurement and process improvement.
2. The capacity to build a strong team culture and an environment of cooperation, participation, conflict management, consideration and empathy.
3. The ability to build an environment that, despite the competing demands, creates innovation and brokers success. Through encouraging innovation, change, creativity and continuous transition, she or he keeps the organization ahead of the curve and the continuous onslaught of new products, markets, methods and technologies.
4. Is able to stimulate achievement, a constant state of urgency and challenge, and accomplishments through goal setting, personal power and influence, visioning and focus.
The implications of this new thinking about leadership impacts your own development and your processes of evaluation, appraisal, selection, training, coaching and self-awareness, The old model of manager as the job expert, planner, coordinator, scheduler, analyst and manager is past. It's not that these functions are unimportant but that they remain important in a much broader context.
Ed Yager is president of Yager Leadership and Team Development, a consulting, training and testing firm located in Sandy, Utah. (801) 643-3642