IBEM : UK News Group

UK News Group, a publication house in the UK that focuses on Business & SME News from around the UK including; Finance, Legal, Construction, Manufacturing, Retail, featured IBEM for an article named ”Focus on Leadership.”

Geoff Hudson-Searle, CEO said ”Leadership today is no longer just about managing the present and navigating the present challenge. It’s about embracing a forward-thinking and visionary mindset while learning and adapting quickly, making data-driven decisions, leveraging and inspiring diverse teams with trust.”

The pace of change that organizations face today has moved into overdrive. Leaders must be prepared to adapt to continuous disruption, and to lead their teams in new and innovative ways.

Whether it’s leading a group of people in an office setting, managing teams remotely, or more likely, leading a hybrid workforce, it’s critical for leaders to build and maintain trust with their people.

Leadership trust creates the stable foundation for employees and their organizations to flex, adapt, and thrive in times of continuous change.

The behaviors that build trust are the very behaviors that manage change. Trust building helps teams step into ambiguity, stay committed to managing the unknown with confidence, and embrace change as an opportunity to learn, grow, and do great work together.

During any kind of disruption, what we do as leaders reflects on the reputation of our organisations.

Leaders play a critical role in creating a sense of shared commitment to ride through the uncertainty to survive, thrive and be stronger, and undoubtedly changed, on the other side.

Whether it’s the upsurge in armed conflict, the redrawing of the global energy-resources map, rapid progress in artificial intelligence (ai), the world is changing at mind-boggling speed.

Things look very different from the way they did just a year or two ago and show no evidence of slowing down.

“Today’s leaders need to understand that they, themselves, have to embody continuous learning and change, or they will quickly find themselves left in the hands of history.” –Douglas Conant -American businessman who served as President and CEO of the Campbell Soup Company.

It’s no coincidence organizations are focused on developing leaders. In fact, according to Gartner, the top two priorities for HR leaders going into 2024 are leader and manager development, followed by organizational culture. With the rise of AI, Gen Z finding their place in the workforce, the hybrid workplace and an economy that won’t stay still, it’s imperative for leaders to rise to the occasion in 2024 to retain and engage employees. 

Leadership today is no longer just about managing the present and navigating the present challenge. It’s about embracing a forward-thinking and visionary mindset while learning and adapting quickly, making data-driven decisions, leveraging and inspiring diverse teams with trust.

We must become future-focused leaders to navigate the complex challenges of the future with confidence and agility and effectively lead and thrive in the upcoming fast-paced, and dynamic era of work.

Corporate leaders today are measured by a new yardstick. The supreme test of a CEO and board of directors is now the value they create not just for shareholders, but for all stakeholders.

The shift to stakeholder capitalism creates pressure for corporate leaders to try to satisfy a wide range of constituencies with different, sometimes conflicting interests and perspectives. Earning their trust is key to navigating this tricky terrain.

Research shows that trust is the key to success. Yet growing distrust, cynicism and misinformation are eroding confidence in corporate impact and Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) claims.

To prosper in the age of stakeholder capitalism, companies must actively cultivate the trust of employees, investors, customers, regulators and corporate partners: developing strategies to understand these stakeholders more intimately, implementing deliberate trust-building actions, tracking their efforts over time, and communicating openly and effectively with key stakeholder groups.

We have entered the trust era: a time where (mis)information is omnipresent, individual perceptions reign supreme, and digital security and data privacy are constantly threatened. Now more than ever, stakeholders expect organizations to do the right things and do them well. These expectations range from entrusting an organization to safeguard one’s private data to requiring a company to have a strong stance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.

Trust also drives performance. When stakeholders trust an organization, their actions will reflect that trust can affect more traditional key performance indicators that directly affect financial performance. Trust elevates customer and brand loyalty, which can lead to revenue. It enhances levels of workforce engagement, which can result in increased productivity and retention. And the data confirms it.

Trustworthy companies outperform non -trustworthy companies by 2.5 times, and 88% of customers who highly trust a brand will buy again from that brand. Furthermore, employees’ Trust in their leaders improves job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organization and its mission.

Despite the data, however, many leaders and organizations still view trust as an abstract concept. Trust should be managed proactively because, when trust is prioritized and acted upon, it can become a competitive advantage. An organization that positions trust as a strategic priority—managing, measuring, investing in, and acting upon it can ultimately build a critical asset.

No heroic leader can resolve the complex challenges we face today. To address the important issues of our time we need a fundamental change of perspective. We need to start questioning many of our taken-for-granted assumptions about our business and social environments.

During any kind of disruption, what we do as leaders reflects on the reputation of our organisations.

Leaders play a critical role in creating a sense of shared commitment to ride through the uncertainty to survive, thrive and be stronger, and undoubtedly changed, on the other side.

So, where should leaders focus?

For sustaining high performance in virtual settings, the following framework identifies six interrelated dimensions that are crucial for leaders, teams and individuals:

Resetting expectations for clarity and alignment

Are leaders keeping teams and staff updated on the evolving context, changes and impacts as they occur?

Are people clear about what they need to deliver and the way they need to work?

2. Evaluating and reviewing performance with limited visibility

Are leaders and teams sharing information about work underway and how people are progressing tasks and activities?

Are there mechanisms to regularly discuss how the flexible arrangements are working and their impacts on the individual, team, clients?

3. Maintaining and sustaining motivation for goals and outcomes

How is motivation being impacted as people move to engage in new ways of working?

Are leaders and managers’ actions providing people with positive role models in terms of working during disruption?

4. Leveraging the right infrastructure for virtual arrangements

Are there effective channels for information sharing – both formal and informal?

Have leaders checked in with individuals about the viability of working remotely and issues they may need to navigate, e.g. care arrangements?

5. Establishing new avenues for support

Are there mechanisms in place to maintain contact with those who are working remotely?

Have leaders developed strategies to replicate ‘water cooler’ conversations?

6. Aligning capability and capacity

Do leaders have the skills, confidence and capabilities required to lead and embed the new ways of working?

How are leaders monitoring people’s levels of stress and mental wellbeing during the disruption? What channels are available to discuss concerns?

Leaders serve as role models for their followers and demonstrate the behaviour  boundaries set within an organization. The appropriate and desired behaviour  is enhanced through the culture and socialization process of the newcomers.

Employees learn about values from watching leaders in action.

The more the leader “walks the talk”, by translating internalized values into action, the higher level of trust and respect he generates from followers.

To help bridge the trust gap we recognise that organizations need to work with each other and with wider society to identify practicable, actionable steps that businesses can take to shape a new relationship with wider society: a new ‘settlement’ based on mutual understanding and a shared recognition of the positive role that business plays in people’s lives.

To create such a settlement, businesses need to see themselves as part of a diverse, interconnected, and interdependent ecosystem – one that involves government, regulators, individual citizens, and more. Trust within and across this ecosystem is key to its long-term sustainability and survival. That’s why trust needs to be restored to the heart of the business world.

A good example of focus in leadership is the new organisational structure which shifted power in Disney from bean-counters back to creative teams. That started reversing the changes under Bob Chapek, whom Bob Iger hand-picked as successor in early 2020 and then replaced in November. Operating costs were slashed by $2.5bn, with a further $3bn to be cut from content spending, together equivalent to 8% of expenses. These changes do not come without leadership focus and trust to shareholders and stakeholders.

As we enter 2025, global leaders must be prepared to embrace these anticipated leadership trends to inspire their teams and organizations. By adapting to the changing landscape and adopting the best practices of inspirational leadership, leaders can set the stage for a successful and impactful future.

A great quote in the the words of Bob Iger CEO of Disney

“What I’ve really learned over time is that optimism is a very, very important part of leadership.”

To find out more about our leadership training and how we can support your business growth please reach out.