Modern leadership - Now is the time for the future of leadership
In our last article, we looked at the new demands and challenges facing managers as a result of the coronavirus crisis and the increasingly rapid pace of change. As a result, interest in a management position seems to be dwindling more and more. Command and control no longer work under VUCA conditions - new/modern and agile forms of leadership are the future. How can the transition to modern leadership concepts be successful in order to ensure the long-term viability of an organization?
Not interested in management responsibility?
According to the "The Death and Life of Management" survey on modern leadership conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) among 5,000 managers (1,000 employees in Germany, Spain, France and the UK)...
- only around 7% of employees in Germany are still interested in a management position,
- the majority of managers find their job more difficult than before,
- Middle managers do not feel comfortable in their position.
Increasing dynamics require new forms of cooperation. Leadership with key figures or from the top down is therefore not enough. For example, 37% of middle managers are convinced that their role will disappear in the future.
In the future, it will therefore be necessary to readjust the role of managers, prepare them for change and enable them to become modern leaders.
Modernization of leadership: How is leadership currently practiced in future-oriented companies?
According to the trend study Leadership of the Future "Between Inspiration and Empowerment" by the University of St. Gallen, around 46% of the companies surveyed stated that they had not yet established a "modern leadership culture". The general trend is moving away from concentrated leadership responsibility towards shared leadership responsibility and inspirational leadership. Establishing shared and inspirational leadership in equal measure results in 360° leadership - the future of leadership.
Concentrated management > Shared management
- Responsibility is no longer concentrated solely on the individual but is distributed across the collectiveleader together with team or project group).
- Rigid hierarchies give way to network-like cooperation.
- Fluid forms of collaboration and project-based structures are eliminating the previous formalization into departments and traditional management roles.
- Managers hand over part of the responsibility to the team or share it. In return, employees must take on more personal responsibility in order to do justice to this new form of shared leadership.
Inspiring leadership
The leader encourages employees to act independently and responsibly and to put their own interests behind those of the company.
Distribution of results on the topic of how the respondent's company is managed
Source: TOP JOB trend study
The study shows: The two key success factors for employee performance and engagement are inspiring leadership and shared leadership responsibility
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Paving the way to modern leadership for managers
How can line managers enable their leaders to take the step towards modern leadership? They must exemplify the desired leadership style and set a good example. Corporate values determine decisions and behavior: A leader must therefore inspire their team and know and live the company vision, just as consistently as their employees. The line manager must share and live this vision just as clearly.
The role boundaries must also be clearly defined so that managers can act independently. Allow freedom and give the leader a leap of faith - because too much interference hinders work and lowers motivation; trust in decisions helps managers to assert themselves in front of employees.
Managers must also provide the necessary resources so that leaders can implement their ideas and visions.
Those who do not criticize their managers in front of their employees or give tasks "over their heads" strengthen the leader 's back. Feedback and a productive error culture are a sign of appreciation and provide the opportunity to learn from mistakes. The strengths of managers and employees are recognized and encouraged.
Watch now: MTI Expert Talk on the topic of modern leadership
Who can you learn more about modern leadership from if not directly from the experts? In our expert talk, the participants and the experts engage in an interesting exchange. Take a look!
360° Leadership with MTI
Modern leadership does not happen from one day to the next and even if managers are enabled to take the path to modern leadership, they must acquire a great deal of knowledge and behavior in order to implement it successfully. MTI has developed the Digital 360° Leadership Program for this purpose. Here, managers have the opportunity - in 5 modules of 8 learning nuggets and web sessions each, as well as a knowledge check after each module - to learn all the important skills required for 360° leadership online.
Overview of the modules of the Digital MTI 360° Leadership Program
Get to know now: Digital MTI 360° Leadership Program
Sources:
Boston Consulting Group (2019). The Death and Life of Management (Survey). BCG September 2019
TOP JOB study "Leadership of the future - between inspiration and empowerment". January 2018 (link to download: https://www.topjob.de/wissenswertes/detail/trendstudie-leadership-der-zukunft-zwischen-inspiration-und-empowerment/)
Cover picture: ©G-Stock @ Freepik
WE BRING YOUR STRATEGY TO LIFE
Modern leadership needs new approaches. Traditional models no longer work in times of change - trust, inspiration and clear visions are needed. With the Digital 360° Leadership Programme, we support managers in redefining their role and making organizations fit for the future. If you are considering how you can anchor modern leadership concepts in your company, please contact us - together we will develop solutions that have a lasting effect.
You can find out what this can look like here: Case studies & experience reports