The Thriving Path to Leaders for Emerging Futures

By Virginie Fernandez *

Most leadership has already assimilated the speed of change as a reality of our time. However, it is still very difficult to realize the increasing complexity that technological and behavioral acceleration brings.

The ability to assimilate and deal with an ever-changing environment represents today the greatest challenge for those who take on the responsibility of addressing the uncertain demands of the future. What are the essential attributes for generating leaders capable of handling this pivotal moment?

People development is the number one priority for future leadership, according to the Leadership Outlook 2023 produced by Amcham. The survey indicates that productivity and results-oriented focus (45% of respondents) are giving way to human protagonism: 54% agree that the improvement and development of people are the most critical factor for transformation.

For leadership, the biggest challenges are: adaptability and flexibility (40%), innovation and creativity in problem-solving (39%), and alignment between purpose, values, and culture (37%). This scenario points to clear trends in today’s leadership priorities:

1. Workforce:

Employee retention and engagement are significant challenges, as talent expectations have changed, leading to high turnover. Discontent has spread across all generations, making it essential to offer balance and purpose to employees.

1. New Leadership Styles:

Changes in the workplace demand leadership styles more centered on humanity. There is a need to develop more powerful interpersonal skills and an open-source code change strategy to lead amid uncertainty.

1. Leadership for a New Era:

Leadership is essential for creating thriving organizations. There is a shift from profit to impact, from competition to co-creation, from control to collaboration, and from expectations to fulfillment.

1. Health and Well-being:

Employee mental health and well-being are fundamental issues for companies. Problems like depression, anxiety disorders, and burnout significantly impact productivity. Investing in employee mental health results in higher productivity.

The call for a new organizational model finds particular resonance among younger professionals who are now rising in the corporate world. The Future of Work in 2023 report by Korn Ferry, based on input from 4,000 professionals across 25 industries in the US and UK, leaves no doubt. Millennial leadership demands solid commitments to inclusion and sustainability. For example, 54% see themselves as environmentalists and consider changing careers to take a position in sustainability. Over 60% would feel more inspired and loyal to a company with assertive ESG policies.

Just as a growing number of people believe in the urgency of restoring environmental balance, the same applies to organizations and the purpose of work. This brings us to new concepts such as Regenerative Organizations, which consist on understanding and working with the living-system dynamics of the organization and its wider ecosystem. It’s a way to make business life-affirming.

Changing Yourself: Inner Developing Goals

There is no doubt, therefore, that the key elements for Leaders for Emerging Futures to thrive lie in their own self-awareness and the development of cognitive and behavioral skills to meet the new demands for innovation and engagement from the entire business ecosystem.

This implies communication, psychological, and mindfulness skills to connect, inspire, and co-create, developing critical thinking and perspective in complex environments. Values such as courage, optimism, and perseverance will be crucial on this journey. These are some of the profound and relevant attributes that contribute to the ideals of Inner Developing Goals, a powerful framework for personal and behavioral change, based on five pillars:

1. Being – Relationship with Self:

Cultivating our inner life and developing and deepening our relationship with our thoughts, feelings, and body help us be present, intentional, and non-reactive when we face complexity.

1. Thinking – Cognitive Skills:

Developing cognitive skills by taking different perspectives, evaluating information, and making sense of the world as an interconnected whole is essential for wise decision-making.

1. Relating – Caring for Others and the World:

Appreciating, caring for, and feeling connected to others, such as neighbors, future generations, or the biosphere, helps us create more just and sustainable systems and societies for everyone.

1. Collaborating – Social Skills:

To progress on shared concerns, we need to develop our abilities to include, hold space, and communicate with stakeholders with different values, skills, and competencies.

1. Acting – Driving Change:

Qualities such as courage and optimism help us acquire true agency, break old patterns, generate original ideas, and act with persistence in uncertain times.

Changing the World: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Dealing with an increasingly complex reality and implementing initiatives capable of generating the necessary impact for the greatest human and planetary problems at the same time. In an attempt to achieve these answers, the United Nations established in 2015 the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, which has become a strategic reference in ESG policies, stakeholder relations, and changes in organizational mental models. A broad and multifaceted letter of intent, involving responsibilities of companies, individuals, and governments. In the business context, we can highlight five goals:

1. Gender Equality:

Gender equality is a challenge, with low representation of women in leadership roles. The presence of women in high positions improves ESG scores and company profitability.

1. Decent Work and Economic Growth:

The issue of decent work and economic growth is evident, with a portion of the population living below the poverty line. The disparity between ideal minimum wages and real wages is concerning and requires attention.

1. Reduction of Inequalities:

Reducing inequalities is essential, especially regarding black populations. The representation of these populations in leadership positions is low, and cases of racism are still prevalent in the corporate environment.

1. Responsible Consumption and Production:

The climate warming threat requires a radical reduction of our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce and consume goods and resources. It requires responsible and innovative business models involving the entire global supply chain. For that, we will leaders with a new mindset.

1. Strengthening Partnerships:

The magnitude of the challenges presented in the SDGs requires a new vision of co-responsibility among companies, governments, and leadership. It’s a tremendous opportunity to build win-win relationships with partners, suppliers, employees, and communities.

Change Yourself to Change the World. This premise forms the basis of the methodologies we develop at Omtare to support organizations in shaping Leaders for Emerging Futures. They have never been more needed than now.

*Virginie Fernandez is co-founder of Omtare

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