How are you future-proofing your existing leadership bench strength and leaders of tomorrow?

In last week’s blog, we talked about the importance of defining what leadership means to your organization by identifying the key competencies, skills and behaviors required to be an effective leader and influencer of people.  

This week, we want to zoom in and explore a concept called Sapient Leadership, and the skills required to lead through change.

In a study conducted by Harvard Business Review, they highlight that a new form of leadership is required for leaders to navigate this unprecedented kind of change we have been experiencing.

Sapient Leaders exhibit authenticity, humility, and vulnerability, inspiring the necessary trust and psychological safety that drives shared learning and intelligence, resulting in enhanced collective performance and leading to a better future for all.

If you want to strengthen your bench strength and prepare your leaders of tomorrow, then help them develop the skills and competencies that will enable them to lead and navigate through change in a more impactful way. It is a core skill that is demanded in today’s world and is necessary at all levels within an organization.

The HBR insights also highlighted that the pandemic has laid bare a “new normal” of change, marked by three dimensions:

• It’s perpetual — occurring all the time in an ongoing way.
• It’s pervasive — unfolding in multiple areas of life at once.
• It’s exponential — accelerating at an increasingly rapid rate.

This three-dimensional (3-D) change is defining our emerging future and, therefore, effective leadership will be defined by the ability to navigate this new reality.

Defining Sapient Leadership

Sapient, in its definition, refers to the nature of humans - it is in our nature to either adapt or risk perishing. 3-D change amplifies the pressure on leaders, teams, and organizations to evolve and adapt faster than ever before.

There are four pillars of Sapient Leadership that have emerged to help leaders of today and tomorrow navigate change more effectively: 

1. Leaders need to act with humility, authenticity, and openness by instilling trust and creating a psychologically safe environment.
   
   
2. Developing trust and creating psychological safety empowers individuals and teams to perform at their best.
   
   
3. Growth mindset and continuous learning enables effective navigation of 3-D change.
   
   
4. Shared purpose and values enhance focus and resilience to handle our new normal of change.

Sapient Leadership is a framework that enables accelerated adaptation in a wise and humane way. It is about continuous evolution, having a growth mindset and resilience that allow us to overcome 3-D change. 

Time for Self-Reflection

The foundation of effective and impactful leadership is built off our level of self-awareness. It all starts and stops with how well you can self-regulate and self-manage yourself first.

To build on this notion of internal self-awareness, it is also critical that you are externally self-aware (the ability to build relationships, possess EQ to dial into the emotions of those around you, and adjust your approach according to the situation at hand).

How are others feeling?
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Can you read the room both virtually and in person?
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Are you giving your people what they need, creating trust and a safe space for them to perform at their best? 
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Have you taken the time to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with others, so you know how to inspire, motivate, and empower them?  

Do you possess a growth mindset and are you investing in yourself and others? 

Lastly, how are you aligning your people and rallying them around what is most important for your team and organization to succeed? Are being agile and resilient at the core of your team and company culture?

What else can you do to help future-proof your existing and future leaders?

As the world continues to change and present us with new challenges, what are you doing to prepare and amplify your leadership bench strength?

I would like to hear what your thoughts are on this topic, so I encourage you to reach out to me as I am here to help support your success.

You can email me at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me at 1.855.871.3374.
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