Are you looking for information about the future trends of leadership employment? For the best way to improve your leadership skills? Or are you seeking career advancement in a leadership position? This article contains a comprehensive guide to strategic leadership skills and new leadership roles in the future workplace.
Why do many employers demand leadership skills for their workers?
In the past, workers and management had clear boundaries between them. But these days many companies encourage their workers to take more responsibility and to go above and beyond. This is to increase business efficiency, but it is also known that happy employees bring more productivity to an organisation.
Why leadership skills matters?
A skilled leader is able to motivate their employees and create a positive and productive working environment. This skill is not limited to senior management alone. Employees in non-management roles can be equipped with the leadership skills to lead a project, task, or their team, with the same result. Choosing your leadership strategically is the key to success when leading an organisation and people.
Current employment trends in leadership – New leadership roles
The rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing not only the way that people work, but has impacted how many industries and sectors develop their business strategies. To move forward in such a volatile environment many businesses are keen to bring leadership skills to their employees; to discover opportunity within uncertainty.
Trends of leadership styles in the employment market
So, what kind of leadership styles are valued in the employment market? Experts say that there is no specific leadership style that is perfect for all employees. As there is no ‘one-size-fits-all' type of leadership style, all leaders need to be adaptable and flexible.
“There is a lot of theory that argues that different leadership styles only work when the context is right for them to work” says Dr Annie Turner, an Assistant Professor for MSc Business and Organisational Psychology at Coventry University. “Otherwise, the leader or the situation will fail.”
Dr Turner points out that a leadership style should not be based on who you are, but should be chosen based on how you want to orchestrate your employees. “A good leader needs flexibility to be able to understand what they want their ‘followers’ to follow, and to be on board with them. To future proof it, leadership styles have moved a long way from being dictatorial and they have started to take [people’s feelings] on board.”
What skills do you need for strategic leadership in the time of VUCA?
VUCA (‘Volatility’, ‘Uncertainty’, ‘Complexity’ and ‘Ambiguity’) is a buzz term in leadership theories as the key elements that leaders need to navigate an organisation for success.
A single leadership style cannot be the Holy Grail in the modern era, but Dr Turner says that one needs to be equipped with well-rounded skills and choose the right ones to use at the right time to show leadership strategically. Here are important skills for strategic leadership:
Emotional Intelligence
Decision-making
Problem-solving
Resilience
Action oriented
Compassion
Principled
Self-awareness
Transparency
Openness to change
Flexibility
How to prepare yourself for a future of work leadership
There are many ways to learn leadership for the workplace and be prepared for future markets.
Learn theories and practices from books
Books are still a great source of information in the modern age. Reading about other inspirational leaders and case-studies gives you learning and opportunities to realise new perspectives.
Interact with other leaders on social media
Social media is a convenient tool to meet with other leaders remotely. You can easily find niche information that only a minor number of people have experienced. Also the information continuously updates, so you can access the latest trends whereas the information in print may be outdated quickly.
Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring and coaching have become increasingly popular for many business people who want to develop themselves. Some successful leaders and inspirational speakers provide their own mentorship programmes, but their curriculum is not necessarily accredited by established organisations and fees can be very expensive.
Studying at postgraduate leadership degree courses
Leadership master’s degree courses offer comprehensive learning. Learning from academics who have their own specialised field of knowledge and experience, you can understand well-rounded aspects of leadership and apply this to your own career advancement and leadership skills in the future.
Learning online leadership maser’s courses rise in the UK
Remote working has become a more acceptable option for many employees, as has online learning. Without the barrier of physical distance one can learn anywhere with flexibility and complete a postgraduate degree while managing your work-life balance. Many professionals who are seeking to move into in-demand careers chose to study an online master's degree for career advancement.
Coventry University is one of the few Higher Education institutions that offers a rich variation of online leadership master’s courses not only in the UK but across the globe.
Coventry University has achieved a top 250 ranking for Business and Management studies in the World University Rankings. Its Online MBA Course is highly regarded, as is its MSc Business and Organisational Psychology. For leaders in educational areas MA in Education is designed to help teachers acquire specialist knowledge and enhance leadership skills in education.
Authentic applied approaches
“We think of leadership broadly and as a dynamic process, but not one that is static. We take an authentic applied approach using theoretical basis and practice, and students develop their own leadership skills with confidence. This is what we offer,” says Dr Turner. At Coventry, students look at the pros and cons of all the different approaches, so that learners build a practical understanding and awareness of the use and efficacy of leadership in the right context.
A postgraduate leadership degree could help you to become a great talent in the coming age. Start preparing yourself now to be equipped with strategic leadership skills.
