Top 7 Leadership Trends in 2018

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leadership trends

The world is changing and it’s changing fast. That’s a fact.

So, as a team leader, how can you keep up with change and still manage your team efficiently?

Business Optimizer takes a look at some of the 2018 leadership trends that can help you and your team.

Good leaders adapt their approach to the people with whom they work and to the environment in which they are operating – but some trends affect us all.

1# Encouraging All Team Members to Be Brand Ambassadors

Leaders are beginning to realize there is huge untapped potential for employee-driven social amplification. 

Tools like welikeit.io  have been developed to help organizations harness this potential to maximize the impact of their social messaging.  Not only is employee social sharing effectively free PR, but it also comes with a high degree of authenticity.

2# Increasing Emphasis on Empathetic Leadership

As millennials enter the workforce, leaders need to adapt their management styles to meet the expectations of this new generation – an increased focus on collaboration and empathy will drive an increased need for affiliative and coaching leadership styles.

3# Leading by Example

Inspirational leaders have long understood the power of leading by example.  With leaders under increasing scrutiny, no one can any longer get away with a disconnect between talking the talk and walking the walk.

4# Embracing a Better Work-Life Blend

In 2018, initiatives to improve the work-life balance need to go beyond a table-football and some beanbags in the office canteen. 

While technology has freed many companies to experiment with home working as a way to boost productivity and reduce overheads, flexible working needs to be more than the opportunity to work from home occasionally. 

Today, organizations that want to lead on flexible working practices must be looking at new ways to offer flexibility and reduce burnout.

5# Proactively Elevating Women Leaders

The Womens’ March in Washington and the global #metoo movement has opened up a wider dialogue about the role and treatment of women in society and the workplace. 

We know diverse workplaces perform better regarding innovation and productivity – so it is incumbent on every business leader in 2018 to accept this challenge and work to develop diverse talent and promote women within their organizations.

6# Implementing Agile Talent

The continued rise of the gig economy opens up many possibilities for businesses to source new talent and optimize costs. 

The challenge businesses face in 2018 is how to tap into this talent pool without negatively affecting organizational culture.

7# Promoting Continuous Education

Work is changing.  Our skills must adapt in response.  This requires businesses to think strategically about what skills are required within their business and what they need to do to ensure their workforce is primed with the right skills to meet the new requirements and opportunities.

These seven trends reflect the changing environment in which we all now find ourselves.  Of course, there is no “right way” to be a leader, but all good leaders will be thinking about how to respond to these challenges in 2018.
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