Leading Through Uncertainty: Strategies to Develop Stronger Leaders

Change is a constant, especially when it comes to business. Companies and their leaders need to anticipate customer needs, focus on internal business changes, retain employees and grow the company at a rate that is acceptable by their management and shareholders. Navigating through all of this change isn’t easy for leaders today and it isn’t going away.

The Current State

This quote was shared from an article on hrexecutive.com, “increasingly, employers report that new hires lack the necessary skills for the job. According to LinkedIn, only 37% of employers feel that their entry-level employees have the necessary soft skills to do their jobs, while a recent World Economic Forum report found that 54% of all employees “will require significant reskilling and upskilling in just three years.”” Companies need to put a larger focus on preparing all leaders but especially early career leaders, who lack the capabilities and experiences to know how to manage through all these changes.

This same article highlights the following: “According to the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends Report, the No. 1 reason people quit their jobs today is the “inability to learn and grow.” In another study by the American Psychological Association, 91% of respondents say it is somewhat or very important to have a job where they consistently have opportunities to learn, even though only 47% say their employer offers educational opportunities.”  Developing leaders has always been important, but not all companies place the same focus on it.

So What is the Answer? 

I would absolutely love to see companies doing more to develop their people. People are important assets in an organization and there needs to be an investment of time and money to develop them. Imagine how strong these companies would be at navigating change with stronger leaders. I know for a fact that all the changes my company went through would not have been possible were it not for strong leadership.

It is ideal if your company offers opportunities for you to learn and grow, but it isn’t the only answer. You can also invest in your own development:

• Find an internal mentor who is willing to support you and offers skills or experiences that you want to learn.
• Listen to podcasts that share lessons on leadership.
• Read or listen to books on leadership that give you practical guidance to apply.
• Hire a coach to accelerate your learning and help you on your leadership journey.
• Ask to shadow someone who is good at something that you wish to learn.
• Put newer leaders on projects with senior leaders who can help them learn what is needed.
• Ask your manager if you can participate in meetings that will help you learn more about the business or your functional area. Just being in the meetings can help you learn more than you realize.
• Find out what training your company offers that may be online or free that you can take.
• Identify training or programs that others outside of your company offer that can help you.
• Join an employee resource group. Many of them will have speakers to come in to learn from and offer leadership roles to take advantage of when you are ready.
• Listen in on townhall meetings that your management gives and/or business results that offer insights on how the company is doing and plans for the future.

More than 12,000 leaders who are in the Baby Boomer generation are leaving the workforce each day. Who will do the work that they are doing today? AI may be more involved in companies in the future, but it won’t be the answer to everything. You still need strong leadership to help companies grow, innovate and make decisions based on changing conditions. We all have a vested interest in helping leaders grow to be the best leaders that they can be.