The pandemic caused workers to rethink their relationship to work, leadership needs to adjust.
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For many, the workplace looks vastly different than it did two years ago.
The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed many businesses into remote-only work and, in the process, changed company dynamics, expectations of employees, and much more.
At the same time, workers are rethinking their relationships to work and are leaving their positions for potentially greener pastures.
It’s never been a better time to be an individual contributor—companies are scrambling to offer better perks, better salaries, and better work-life balance in an attempt to prevent expensive and time-consuming people losses.
What does that mean for managers and leaders?
Morning Brew’s GM of Education Karen Hebert-Maccaro talked to Nora Ali and Scott Rogowsky on Business Casual about the fundamental shift that needs to occur for business leaders in today’s work environment.
The three most important skills for leaders today are:
- Adaptability
- Psychological safety
- Sustainability
Adaptability. Today’s environment is shifting often and quickly, from CDC recommendations around the best Covid-safe practices to the expectations and needs of the workforce. Adaptable leaders are quicker to act, more comfortable accepting change, and better at taking risks and being wrong. For many, there’s no established playbook on how to act.
Psychological safety. Mistakes happen. Conflict happens. The best teams admit those mistakes, embrace healthy conflict, and learn. Leaders who encourage a culture of psychological safety have more innovative teams and more independent employees with a greater sense of ownership over their work.
Sustainability. Employees want to work at places that actually enrich their lives. People may enjoy comped lunches or nap pods, but it’s not what makes them love their job or stay at a job. Developing long-lasting strategies for the development of your people is key.
Bring the human back to leadership
Our advice for leaders:
- Adopt a growth mindset—mistakes are inevitable, and they’re also learning opportunities for you and your team.
- Embrace healthy conflict.
- Encourage work-life balance in a way that works for everyone.
- Build a solid team that complements each other’s skills.
- No assholes allowed—great people like to work with great people.
Bottom line: Foosball tables and company happy hours are no longer enough to keep employees happy (and many will argue that they never were).
The companies best positioned in today’s workforce are those with adaptable leaders, high-quality work environments, and real perks that upskill their employees.
