Leadership Skills for the Future of Work

The professional landscape is transient in nature and at present, it is constantly moving towards rapid changes. More and more demanding jobs are coming in the picture as most of them are automated by technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, Robotics etc. Globalization has given a major thrust to this frequent changing scenario as more Team members are becoming desperate to take up more and more challenges.

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Simultaneously as more and more millennials are taking up management roles the workspaces are sure to undergo changes by 2025. This change will be so rapid in nature that 50% that the human resource that is employed today for the job will be disappearing in 10 years from now. Thus the environment that we will be heading to is going to be extremely adaptable and inconsistent. Another challenge that will be forthcoming is that the managers will have to constantly hone their skills amid all these uncertainties in the work to exist in the market. Hence it is critical to plan your future career in well advance and certainly be updated with your soft skills.

Needless to say that Globalization and Technology have played a major role in changing the face of work landscape. In this changing scenario identifying people with the right skill set and training them to become a good resource for the company will be an important factor for the growth of the Business or company. However, there are challenges where companies are struggling to foresee things and support the potential managers or leaders to develop the skills that they will be required to build a strong base for themselves.

Significance of soft skills

• A person’s ability is depicted by his or her personal attributes that enable one to interact effectively and harmoniously with others and this is primarily decided by the kind of Soft skills the person displays.
• Soft skills are basically the differentiator from the average to the exceptional performers. Soft skills does not necessarily mean Technological skills.
• “Supportive communication” is one of the most important soft skill which includes active listening, being specific, and focus on problems vs people. Skilled at other soft skills such as facilitation, emotional intelligence, negotiation and conflict management  are all very critical as the foundation.

There are many courses available that are designed to support which primarily targets technical employees aiming to grow their skills and move into a lead role.

Few such courses that are available online are:

1. Technological Management Skills - From machine learning to robots taking over the workplace, technology will be omnipresent in the workplace giving rise to new challenges like conflicts, and opportunities related to skill building, workplace roles, data management, privacy, and others. Managers are supposed to have detailed Technology understanding to keep abreast of all kinds of emerging issues.
2. Out Centric Leadership Skills - Effective managers and leaders are going to need more and more interaction with its employees and the best managers will always look at the overarching need, and then build and develop a team to meet that need after receiving their feedback.
3. Soft Skill Assessment - Effective managers are going to have to be as good at evaluating candidates and employees for soft skills as they are for technical skills.
4. Tension-Tolerant Collaboration - As teams become more disparate with contractors, consultants, remote employees, and office-based employees working together, managers are going to need to learn how to build culture in nontraditional environments.
5. Transparency - Being effective at building cultures in nontraditional teams will require new levels of transparency and communication
6. Emotional Intelligence - A high EQ is synonymous with being self-aware, of knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, or seeking the assistance of colleagues and mentors to help.