Leadership is a very vital aspect of the management of businesses. Companies remain their doors open due to proper management and leadership styles. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, businesses had already started experiencing numerous leadership trends, though the pandemic catalyzed these trends. The pandemic also brought new ways of doing things that every business must adapt to survive. 2021 will see these leadership and management trends taking place at an alarming rate.
The following are three leadership trends that every business leader should be ready for in 2021:
Creating a positive culture in Remote working
Though remote teams have faced numerous challenges in 2020, business leaders will be looking towards creating a positive culture as remote working is here to stay. Leaders will be using technology to communicate in person with remote teams. Virtual communication will help team leaders to learn the body language of their team members and check in to see why they are disengaged.
It is also fundamental to assess whether employees are undergoing cyberbullying in virtual environments. Leaders will have to be innovative in managing interpersonal conflicts within the team. Team leaders will have to be compassionate and show empathy to their remote teams, as people face many psychological and emotional challenges.
Well-being Leadership
Traditionally, business leaders have taken economic outcomes to be the only indicators of business success. However, wellbeing leadership has recently become a driving force in the performance of businesses. Well-being leadership approach balances all the eight outcome components, including economic, cultural, psychological, material, environmental, spiritual, physical, and social. Although businesses need to be financially strong to succeed, leaders will have to ensure the eight components work together for maximum outcomes. COVID-19 pandemic has opened eyes, and leaders have realized the importance of being concerned about the wellbeing of the people, communities, and even the environment.
Eradication of Unethical Behaviors
The pressure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic can make employees act in an unethical manner. It’s the responsibility of business leaders to identify ways of eradicating ethical blind spots. Some of the unethical behaviors by employees are not intentional. Judgment deterioration may cause good employees to engage in unacceptable actions, which seem to be less harmful to the organization.
Authoritarian leadership may also drive towards unethical behaviors as employees tend to get the job done without considering the means and cost of getting the job done.
Business leaders will have to adapt to the above trends and push their businesses to positive outcomes. However, stakeholders need to understand that they have a role to play for their organizations to meet their objectives in 2021.