An Informed Leader is a Good Leader

By Shawn Doyle

Well it’s that time again. It’s time to wrap up the projects for the year and get ready to celebrate the holidays.

Here is a question: how will our world of work change in 2011, and how do we as leaders adapt to the changes? I spend on average 120 days a year working with different companies in different industries around the country. So here are the trends that I am seeing from the businesspeople that I’m working with each week. These are the trends that may shape how we lead people in 2011.

Trend #1: Speed- I recently had someone e-mail me at 10 AM in the morning. Two hours later at noon, they forwarded me the same e-mail with some red italicized letters which read “no response yet did you get this?”  Two hours. As it turns out I was working on an important project. In the old days, (back in the early 2000’s) we were actually given time to formulate a response. That day is over. People and customers now demand speed. Time for response has now gone from ASAP to instant. Leadership competency: we are going to have to teach people to handle a faster pace in the workplace, while still doing quality work. It’s not going to change.

Trend #2: Social Media- Everyone has jumped onto the speeding train of social media. I was talking to a prospective customer on the phone, and started to review some of my qualifications with him. “No need” he said “save your breath, while we were talking on the phone, I looked up your profile on LinkedIn.” Hmmmm. So the question is will you suffer by not being on LinkedIn Facebook or Twitter? If you are on social media how will you use it? It is a very tough question. Leadership competency: I think leaders need to have a familiarity with social media and decide from a strategic standpoint if employees will be on social media during work time or not. If they are, what are the metrics that will be used to measure its effectiveness? The question is going to come up so you might as well think about it now.

Trend #3: Focus on Customer Service- I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is now more competition not less. As the world becomes smaller- being a local company may no longer be as relevant as it used to be, and with the use of technology customers can buy from many different resources. They also have the ability to do research at the touch of a button. That means that there will be much more of your competitors trying to take your customers. The key in this battleground is to make sure that every one of your employees are customer service obsessed. The era of mediocrity is over, and customers used to Zappo’s style remarkable service will no longer find service that is mediocre acceptable. They will leave. Leadership Competency: you must right now start building a service culture of excellence or you and your organization will fail.

Trend #4: Need for Creativity and Innovation- We are now all expected to do more with less. Companies are running lean, payroll is low and productivity is expected to be high. In order to get results companies will have to focus more intensely on creativity and innovation. Leadership competency: you must develop your own critical thinking and creativity skills and invest in developing the skills of your team. Your company  must also reward and encourage creativity not squash it.

Trend #5- Alliances and Partnerships-I have had my own business for over seven years, and this year have formed more alliances and partnerships than ever before. I see this as a dramatic new growth trend. Many companies are partnering and creating alliances in order to serve customers better, increase their range of resources, and enhance success for both parties in a classic “win-win”. Leadership competency: encourage your team to look for possible alliances and partnerships that would be advantageous for your company.

Trend #6- Increased Demands- I see people working longer hours, being asked to do more with less, and being told that there will be raises for the next two years. One salesperson at a company that I met said “I was asked to increase my sales by 30% this year which I did. Now they’re asking me to increase my sales 30% in 2011. How many times can increase 30% and when will they stop expecting that from me?” My not too encouraging answer was “the more you do, the more you will be expected to do.” My clients are overworked and overwhelmed and under rewarded. Yet they are expected to do more. (There’s even the implication that they don’t get it done there someone out there in the marketplace that will take their job.) The demand at work has also been combined with increasing personal demands at home with their families. Result: people that are carrying a high level of stress. Leadership competency: I think great leaders know when to push in order to get better results in the business, but I think leaders also need to know when to give a team member a break.

Trend #7: Focus on health- I know that this is ironic to mention based on the trend in number #7, but I am seeing an increased focus in companies on employee health, in order to reduce insurance cost, reduce absenteeism, and increase productivity. So let’s work incredibly hard, but make sure you work out at lunch because it’s expected of you. I see companies putting increasing pressure on employees to be part of health and wellness programs. Leadership competency: you need to “walk the talk” by getting healthy yourself. You will be modeling this for your team, and as a side benefit you will just feel better.

So these are the tumultuous issues that we face in 2011. The question is are you going to wait for them to happen to you and your team, or are you going to be proactive and address it now? It’s up to you.

Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development Inc. (www.newlightlearning.com) a company specializing in leadership development and sales effectiveness. He has also authored 10 books on various topics.
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