4 Leadership Trends You Can Put Into Practice for 2019

There are 4 leadership trends you can put into practice for 2019.

Research by PwC found that workers want the following elements of a positive workplace:

• 61% want a soulful work environment
• 53% want an employer that has multiple locals (multinational or regions)
• 25% want flex space and multiple use space in their workplace
• 47% want a collaborative workplace
• 90% of respondents said that their leaders need to improve their workspace environment

As leaders leading into the future of work,  the way to lead people has to go to the next level.

Foundational leadership skills are a must of course which include communication skills, conflict management skills, decision making skills and more.

The future of work is calling for leaders to be on top of the trends that are shaping worker attitudes and work preferences.

In addition leaders need to adapt his or her leadership skills according to the rapid changes of employees needs.

Our trends research in worker attitudes, leadership strategies and technology shifts  has found very clear patterns impacting the future of leadership.

Research identified the 4 leadership trends you can put into practice for 2019:

Trend #1 – Rethink the the word ‘job’ and think of work as ‘work design’ – a major trend is that workers are no longer looking for ‘jobs’ per se. The notion of finding a nine to five job is going by the wayside. Workers are seeking work that is designed to fit their lifestyle. Take a look at Uber for example – ask any driver and they choose to drive for Uber because they can decide when they work, how long they work, and how much money they want to make. The future of work is about freedom and leaders need to be thinking about how to create work that fits with a workers desire for flexible work, creative work and work that is designed to add value to their lives.

Trend #2 – People first focus versus technology as king – over the past few years there has been intense focus on digital transformation and that trend is going to continue. However what is changing in 2019 is a shift towards a people first focus rather than glamorizing the technology. This means that leaders need to re-think digitization from a new perspective. Leaders who spend time on meeting with workers one on one, engaging workers in creative solutions with new technology and providing resources will win in 2019.

Trend #3 – Speed of learning is accelerating – the days of reactive learning are officially over. In 2019 and beyond leaders need to recommit and practice consistent and daily learning on how to be a better leader. This can include learning more about trends and predictions, as well as design thinking. Leaders who use ‘busy’ as an excuse for not staying on top of learning will struggle in 2019.

Trend #4 – Need for identifying and building talent will increase- in addition to rethinking the term ‘jobs’ leaders will need to look at talent in a new way. Creative solutions are needed to identify potential workers such as increasing opportunities for remote work. Many organizations are eliminating the need for college degrees for new hires. In the competition for skilled workers leaders are looking at places that have not been considered before. Finding workers from different industries, cultures and backgrounds will be a future trend. Leaders will need to invest more time and effort into growing, mentoring and coaching workers to increase worker abilities.

Want to stay on top of the trends impacting the future of work? Sign up for our white paper here.