Here are the trends to incorporate in order to be better leaders in 2023. These skills are designed to ensure the sustainability of organizations, because not only must leaders continue to improve, but they must also foster the growth of their teams. Here’s how:
Here’s what the best leaders are doing in 2023
#1: Embrace (and provoke) change
The leaders who stand out in 2023 will be those who welcome and bring about change.
Leadership starts with yourself. This is the basis of coherence. “Do as I do” and not “Do as I say, not as I do!” Inspiring and consistent leaders don’t need to say much, they take action and step out of their comfort zone. Naturally, we let ourselves be inspired.
An example I see quite often is a leader or management team that is not very comfortable with computer tools. In 2023, it’s time to get started! If you don’t get out of your comfort zone, how do you want to move forward? How do you want your team to progress?
Let’s put it in context, with the labour shortage, there are fewer people to do the job. Isn’t it? So, if you don’t dare to take advantage of technology, what are you protecting?
In 2023, leaders dare to adjust their tasks in order to create more value. Imagine what you could do if non-value-added processes were automated? Maybe you could spend more time on important files, innovating and focusing on your teams?
The best leaders of 2023 will dare to face what could be transformed in order to prioritize value-added work.
#2: Manage Change
Being more comfortable with the change yourself, or even causing it, should give you more motivation and confidence to better manage the change with your teams so that they buy into it!
Change management skills are an essential to master in 2023! There is no longer any doubt. The many changes of the last few years have left most people out of breath. If you had only one choice to make from the list, this is it!
You have to know how to reduce resistance to change and manage a major change according to the rules of the art.
Takeaways to drive adoption of the changes:
- People don’t read your head, they need a minimum of information to understand the legitimacy of the change.
- Just because you’ve finished your thinking and come to a conclusion doesn’t mean that all people are at the same point. Take the time to explain. Consider the pace of each in the announcements of change.
- Last but not least. A change is much better accepted when it is proposed by those who are affected by it. In other words, a leader in 2023 involves the key people in the decisions of change! He doesn’t manage the changes on his side and bombards people with announcements 😊 (I know, I’m caricaturing, but do you get the point?)
Good communication is often enough to manage change in a positive way and thus avoid wasting time and energy in order to adjust what could have been proactively enacted.
#3: Kindness
At the beginning of this year, people are mentally and/or physically tired from what they have experienced over the past few years (reference: COVID-19 pandemic).
Benevolence in 2023 means:
- Don’t forget that everyone has lived the last few years in a different way and that some need to be listened to, rested and understood.
- Considering that the need for well-being is taking up more space than in the past. So it’s about considering work-life balance, hybrid work, the need for socialization, etc. The “before” no longer exists.
(I know managers are not psychologists! That said, they are people who
1-see the behavioral state of their team members
2-often act as confidants.
If you don’t yet have internal programs, or resources to refer your employees to, don’t hesitate and go!
In 2023, the best leaders and organizations offer support to managers AND employees. I’m dividing the two categories on purpose: don’t forget the managers!)
- Be empathetic. Empathy is seeing through the other person’s glasses. It doesn’t necessarily engage you emotionally, but it requires all your kindness. Honestly, I admit that it’s not easy to manage employees who have personal problems, but it’s part of life. Once again, the “before” no longer exists. If you are not able to accept that children, family, pets and renovation problems are part of the reality of the world of work, you have to adjust. Yes, it has an impact on the world of work, potentially on productivity. At the same time, it connects us all a little more. You have to accept it and have the necessary conversations at the right time. Empathy does not mean accepting everything; Empathy and kindness are ways of reacting to situations and having conversations that are authentic, transparent, and aim to create satisfaction for everyone.
#4: Authenticity
Being authentic for a leader in 2023 means being able to have open discussions with their team and immediate supervisor, and vice-versa.
Being authentic and acting according to your values is important, but never against the values of the organization. This is where the role of leader gets complicated. You are not there to please, but to be brave and open. This article on the courageous leader is excellent follow-up reading.
Here, what authenticity means is being able to allow an open and true discussion between the leader and the employees. You can measure this by observing the degree of openness of your employees. Are they telling you the truth (or are you learning it from others)? When you are given an opinion that is different from yours or a criticism, how do you react? Are you more on the defensive? In justification mode? In question & curiosity mode?
Start by connecting with the other person by trying to understand, explain your point of view if necessary, and then come to a conclusion.
We must not only listen, we must act! A conclusion or an action can be to do nothing, but at that moment it must be said 😊
Another way to be authentic when it comes to developing an employer brand, increasing talent retention or attraction is to have leaders who act authentically and in line with the values and messages sent by the organization.
Avoid:
- Have a message of openness to atypical profiles and new ideas while asking newcomers to fit into the mold “before” listening to their ideas. Here’s a companion article on how to handle new ideas!
- Have a message of inclusion and diversity that is not applied on the ground.
- Have a message of telecommuting, hybrid mode or schedule flexibility if this is not the case.
In other words, avoid saying things that are not applied.
You don’t have to be perfect, but don’t “sell” an experience that isn’t executed in the field. You are only harming yourself. Don’t let recruitment teams be disconnected from the real experience and measure the success of your onboarding program by your retention capacity, not your recruitment numbers!
#5: Emotional Intelligence
You’re probably not surprised to see this item on this list, are you? In 2023, if you haven’t yet developed or don’t have a better knowledge of managing emotions (yours and others’), put this on your list!
Emotions are a part of life. Every day, you have them and you are surrounded by multiple emotions: joy, frustration, fear, surprise.
Emotions are messages, you have to know how to communicate and manage them.
Tell yourself that your intelligence quotient is absolutely useless when it is under the influence of emotions. Develop your emotional quotient and become a better leader. You will see positive impacts on yourself and others, whether in your professional or personal sphere.
In conclusion
The best leaders have understood that their skills are constantly improving! Just take the hybrid work mode: tell yourself that for employees working remotely, their only connection to your company culture is their manager. If this person does not know how to convey the culture well, does not pass on the right messages, does not manage priorities or time well, you are missing out on great opportunities.
Offer your managers more clarity on priorities, on the messages to be conveyed and offer them the freedom to train.
My corporate experience has been generally negative in terms of training. I had to justify everything, no matter the cost. The budget was limited. Time non-existent. It was necessary to provide an essay on the benefits and the learning afterwards. I understand that we want a return on investment following training. That said, make sure that the barriers to entry are not greater than the opportunities to grow.
In 2023, everyone wants to progress and develop!
Encourage your leaders to be even better in 2023 by offering them several coaching and training opportunities. On the Unique coaching side, asynchronous self-training is popular , as well as team coaching!