Ten Essential Qualities Of A 21st-Century Business Leader: Leadership In A Changing World

Michael Ede, Entrepreneur, Football Agent, MD/CEO of Uplift11 Sports, one of the U.K.’s fastest-growing sports management agencies.

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Two decades into the twenty-first century, the talents required to manage an organization have evolved. Over the previous half-century, we’ve moved away from all-powerful, top-down leaders who can say and do anything they want. Employees under these past leaders tended to have limited work options and were tied to jobs that were commutable from their homes.

Today’s Workforce: Diverse, Diffuse And Mission-Driven

Today’s professionals can pursue options all over the globe from the comfort of their sofas. For example, an entrepreneur can own a worldwide marketing firm and relocate from L.A. to Geneva with nothing more than jet lag. The Covid pandemic accelerated this trend, and corporations seek talent wherever they can find it. Moreover, there is less need for workers to be present at the company’s physical site. Therefore, any professional with an internet connection can work full-time for employers worldwide.

In addition, there are ethical and moral concerns about engaging with individuals from other cultures, groups and generations. Today’s leaders must have cultural and intellectual curiosity, empathy and listening abilities. While it is easy to land an employee from another continent and access their talent and perspective, it is equally easy to lose them to any number of other companies that better represent their values. Business is not just about money anymore; for many, mission is everything.

The Skills Governing Entrepreneurial Ideology in 2022

Gone are the days when the CEO or manager had a single talent—math skills, salesmanship, etc. Instead, the modern business leader must build an array of outward-facing skills. Essentially, they need to become drivers of progress, not just for themselves but for their employees and the global community. In this spirit, here are the ten talents and competencies that govern successful entrepreneurial ideology in 2022—in other words, the ten essential qualities of a 21st-century business leader.

1. Intellectual Curiosity

Business is evolving rapidly. Therefore, the leader must be intellectually inquisitive and willing to support and drive innovation in goods and services for customers. In addition, they need to focus on the company to enhance efficiency and work culture.

2. Inclusivity

Research has shown that hiring individuals from varied cultural, economic and geographic origins boosts income and attracts other bright, hardworking workers. In addition, the modern talent pool seeks out new perspectives and points of view. Successful business leaders will make it easy for employees to satisfy their own needs to expand their worldview.

3. Communication Skills

Communication skills include expressing ideas and explaining plans clearly and succinctly so that workers, customers and prospects of all levels can understand. When communication is inadequate, errors occur, morale suffers and the ship feels adrift. Leaders must ensure that everyone in the organization, from the leadership team to the end consumer, understands their vision.

4. Listening Skills

Employees and consumers must believe that the leader sincerely listens to and absorbs their ideas. This is known as effective listening. Moreover, they want to know if they are included in the company’s master plan and have input into product or service development. So whether it’s an employee with an outside-the-box idea or basic customer feedback, leaders must listen.

5. Collaborative Ability

The leader must be able to work not just with the management team but also with strategic partners and the community. In this cynical age, a little credibility goes a long way. If leaders do not collaborate authentically, they may miss out on building critical relationships with people who can help the business. Some strategies to make sure you are a collaborative leader include modeling collaborative behavior and making sure you facilitate connections within and outside your company.

6. Employee-Centric Thinking

With so many job options, leaders must be interested in essential aspects of their employees’ lives, such as childcare, social development, team building and elder care. Employees demand more than a commercial transaction from the organizations to which they devote their time and energy. Great leaders allow their teams to meet family, social and work responsibilities fully.

7. Talent Growth Mindset

Employees want to challenge themselves and improve. Therefore, leaders should focus on developing their talent pool. Furthermore, workers don’t want to develop skills solely to help the company. Instead, they desire enriching new abilities that will make them more marketable in a larger sense.

8. Available And Present

Employees want to know they can talk to the leader. The best leaders are good listeners who actively solicit the opinions of everyone in the organization. Hiding in a top-floor office guarded by a secretary is a relic of an earlier time. The modern entrepreneur must be visible and approachable.

9. Technology Skills

Understanding and utilizing technology is vital. Business leaders do not have to be IT specialists, but you should have a digital mindset. Your role is to make it easier for the employees to do their jobs. Investing in technologies that workers appreciate is vital to productivity. Even if the leader does not have expert-level tech skills, they should have enough expertise to understand the needs of their employees and make relevant decisions to ensure a robust and effective tech infrastructure.

10. Strong Moral and Ethical Vision

Stories from big businesses of the last century, like falsifying quarterly data for a greater bonus or causing havoc on the environment, are not things that today’s workforce will tolerate. Modern business leaders need a solid moral and ethical vision to communicate to the organization and beyond. Likewise, talented employees want to know their company is doing good in the community and promoting equity across the entire development chain.

21st Century Leadership: Leading Through Growth And Development

While, for leaders, going to an excellent school and being a top creator, math wizard and salesman are all desirable things and may have sufficed by themselves in the past, ultimately, the 21st-century entrepreneurial ideology is outward-facing. Talent now flows to where workers can believe in the leader’s vision. Therefore, a great business leader is now more a resource to their team and the community, working for them to facilitate growth and development.

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