The festive break created the opportunity for personal goal setting and reflection, but it is now time for leaders to enter 2021 with purpose, passion and conviction. This blog post explores five leadership resolutions to kick start the new year.
2020 may not have worked out as planned, yet it provided leaders with endless opportunities to be agile, innovative and decisive. The business climate remains uncertain and it has never been more important for leaders to take an honest stocktake of their leadership toolkit and set tangible goals and resolutions that matter.
Many leaders have returned to work optimistic that a new year and a few weeks off will be enough to combat challenges and positively lead the team. But change takes time, commitment and a different perspective.
So, what are some leadership resolutions that matter in 2021?
The ability to lead a team through major workplace challenges relies upon a leader’s resilience. 2021 will see organisations commit even further to employee wellbeing and develop new strategies to protect mental health. Raising resilience contributes to self-esteem, a feeling of control over life events and a sense of purpose. Just like the oxygen mask on the aeroplane, leaders must commit to raising their own resilience before being able to help team members.
The left-of-centre business solutions that helped your organisation through the storm probably did not come from a homogenous workgroup. Agile thinking and the skills to continually pivot and evolve are more likely to be achieved through the power of difference. It is time to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Be prepared to ask the tough questions about the current roadblocks. Review policies and make key changes to ensure diversity is more than words on a page or a token poster in the lunchroom.
Pre-COIVD-19, many leaders were on ‘auto-pilot’ and more than comfortable on the path well-travelled. The significant impacts of the pandemic have left many leaders questioning their purpose and passion. It is important to ‘discover your why’. Take some time to reflect on what drives you at work and if you are powered by purpose or drained by obligation. Team members deserve leaders who want to lead, not ones that have lost their way.
Not surprisingly the war wounds of 2020 have left many leaders apprehensive about the year ahead. Large, impactful decisions had to be made overnight without the luxury of time and collaboration. This goes against the grain for the methodical and risk adverse leader, but brave leaders find solutions to challenges that others walk away from. For some, it can also take bravery to show compassion, for fear of being seen as weak or vulnerable. The truth is, with such uncertainty ahead and so many workers doing it tough, it is essential to nurture an environment where positive and authentic leadership is centred around courage and compassion.
Remote working has challenged traditional workplaces, industries and leaders but it has also fast-tracked the future of work. For some leaders, it has been less than ideal to not ‘see their team’ for the duration of the workday. Given the significant research showing that employees want the right to choose where they work, leaders need to overcome the need to work face-to-face and focus on the skills of delegation, empowerment and managing output not hours. 2020 saw micromanagement and presenteeism rise with disastrous results, but 2021 creates a new opportunity to wipe the slate clean and cultivate a culture of trust.
It is a common leadership thought process to need direct reports to be ‘accountable’. This extends to output, productivity, mistakes and behaviours. Whilst this is reasonable, arguably the most important leadership resolution is to learn to be accountable to those that rely on us. This starts with humility, authenticity and having the leadership strength to say ”I made a mistake”. 2020 may have been the year of survival, however in 2021 we will witness the sort of leadership that can only come from surviving great adversity and hardship.
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
