New ways of working require new ways of leading

Securing a leadership role does not necessarily mean you know all you need to know to get the job done, but rather that, to remain effective in your role and to support others, you now hold a greater responsibility to yourself and to those you lead to continually invest in building your skills – both practical and personal.

With workforces no longer confined to the bricks and mortar of the physical office, it’s vital to get those personal skills right. Leaders must fully appreciate the power that relationship building can have in influencing, empowering and aligning their people.

While the many months spent working in lockdown revealed the sheer resilience and adaptability of workers, there was also a significant fallout.

The separation from colleagues, the blurring of boundaries between home and professional life and the reliance upon new, often impersonal, technologies posed significant hurdles for employees and leaders. And while technology can help bridge physical divides and offer new ways of recruiting talent, there’s only so much it can cover.

Embracing new ways of working, building for the future and navigating challenges must also go hand in hand with developing more human ways of leading. These include prioritising relationships, cementing trust and empowering other people to deliver their best.

Balance relationships with tasks

During the pandemic, those teams that performed well and showed the most resilience were typically ones with leaders who prioritised nurturing their relationships with their employees.

Genuine human interaction – however seemingly small or insignificant – can have a catalysing effect on employee engagement and wellbeing. Now that staff are being welcomed back into the office, we should not be so quick to get back to business as normal. Proximity to staff does not guarantee connection. When we put relationships first, performance and execution improve.

Simple steps such as asking staff how they are – rather than what they’re doing – during meetings can provide the foundation for a better working relationship as well as unearthing any underlying concerns. Remember, the simple act of listening will give you deeper insight and understanding of your team members while simultaneously ensuring that they feel heard, valued and respected.

Build psychological contracts, trust and safety

Where there is trust, there is more space for communication, information sharing and idea generation.

With trust comes safety, enabling staff to feel they can be themselves, feel empowered to experiment and, crucially, make mistakes and learn from them.

Trust is also earned, so leaders must model the behaviours they wish to develop. Acting with transparency, authenticity and openness – even voicing vulnerabilities – will encourage staff to be more forthcoming with their own concerns.

Expand from ‘managing’ to ‘leading’

Most employees prefer to feel inspired, trusted and appreciated, rather than managed, controlled or simply dictated to. Therefore, giving staff autonomy will not only boost their job satisfaction, but also empower them to develop new skills, to make their own decisions and to contribute to the team’s success.

Making this shift separates ‘managers’ from ‘leaders’, as it represents the transition from leaders seeing themselves as the principal player who makes everything happen to someone who can maximise and multiply their impact through others.

True leadership is about giving other people the context, the culture and the environment to shine. And that means being courageous about building the bench strength around you for the whole team (and organisation) to succeed.

You might worry that by empowering others you’re training them to leapfrog you up the career ladder. But in my experience, as the tide rises, all ships rise with it. The best leaders realise they have much to learn from those around them.

More about Frans Campher

Frans is Programme Director of the Executive Education programme Leadership in a Technology-Driven World, Imperial College Business School.

As a seasoned executive coach, trainer and facilitator, he has extensive knowledge of global markets, business practices and protocols. He has worked with CEOs, managing directors, senior executives, leaders and partners in national, international and global organisations, in both the public and private sector.

Understand leadership mindsets for the future

We know that the world of work is evolving fast, with changes in technology, employee expectations and the skills needed all impacting business.

But what role does leadership have to play in creating future-ready organisations?

Explore leadership mindsets for the future in this Future Talent Learning produced whitepapers in partnership with Hudson RPO.

Embed learning in your leadership development

Future Talent Learning can help employees develop the human skills needed to transition from managing to leading.

We provide immersive learning experiences for busy professionals at all levels. Our courses focus on the most in-demand human-centred skills that can be applied and practised in the flow of work.

We offer a range of ready-to-go short courses and 100% virtual mini-MBA that delivers against two management apprenticeships, funded through your Apprenticeship Levy.