Smart leaders know they have to pay attention to both trends and predictions in their industry. Society, culture and business are all changing at a rapid pace, so it’s important to stay on top of what’s going on out there. Many businesses now employ four or more generations of people who all have different ideas, work ethics, and lifestyles. Sitting back and waiting to see what happens is not a plan. Being unprepared in business is dangerous. There will always be threats and opportunities out there, so learning about trends and predictions can be very helpful for leaders to work smart and fast.
Agility is Key
Since things are always changing, it would not make sense to be rigid as a leader. You know the old saying – “Most people don’t like change”? This cannot be true for smart leaders. For them, change is the name of the game. Today’s leaders need to be flexible and agile and they need to teach their employees to be the same. Specifically, this means cross-training staff to perform multiple tasks throughout the organization. Not all employees may be eligible for cross-training, but taking a small group of interdisciplinary employees and preparing them in multiple roles can lead to higher performance, greater teamwork, faster responses, and better relationships with each other and those they serve. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Be agile.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)
Learn Faster
Leaders must learn faster and then transmit information to their employees faster and faster. Great leaders are always learning and high-performing teams must learn at faster rates to keep up with changes and trends in their industry. Never allow stagnation to occur in the workplace. Mediocre performance and results are unacceptable to smart leaders. Put policies, practices and systems in place for continuous learning opportunities and communicate about learning on a regular basis. It should become a leader’s everyday practice to talk about learning at a faster pace.
Employee Engagement
Getting employees more involved and engaged in the workplace is something that many leaders are learning more about and practicing in their industry. Engagement today can be a little tricky because of the multiple generations of employees in the workplace. How do you engage a 23 year-old and a 70 year-old employee? You certainly don’t use the same tactics for both generations because people of various ages and backgrounds are motivated and enthused by different things. Regardless of their age, what is true about engaged employees is that they are more passionate about work, they feel a profound connection to leadership, they are more innovative, and they will go the extra mile.
Mindful
Today’s leaders must be self-aware, conscious, and mindful of their impact on the organization. Their energy, personality, and style of leadership matters greatly and can impact a workplace in positive or negative ways. Great leaders do a lot of self-talking. They think about their thoughts. They gage how they are affecting their team and the organization. Smart leaders are always reflecting on how they shape and change employees and the workplace. They also try to be fully present when they interact with their team. They give 100% of their time, energy, and spirit to create a positive work culture.
Final Words on Leadership Trends
Times are changing at such a rapid pace that it’s a constant challenge to stay on top of trends and predictions concerning business. Despite this, smart leaders have their fingers on the pulse of what can help them become even better and help their team to be the best they can. Although there are many new trends in business and leadership, remaining agile, learning faster, getting employees engaged and understanding one’s impact are among some of the most important trends to put into practice today.
(NOTE: Interested in learning more about Leadership in health care? Checkout my Leadership CEUs on CEU Academy and try a FREE CEU today!)