The 5 key competencies leaders are going to need in 2021 (in the post covid age)

Having been a trainer in leadership for the last 20 years, a visiting faculty in leadership related behavior at organizations like the IIM and ISB, having consulted and coached in over 20 countries in Asia and Africa, also heading my own organization and having a business degree from IIM Calcutta I do believe I have a grip on what leaders need to have in the new era which is coming up birthed through covid, but already popular through terms like the VUCA era. It becomes imperative that organizations need both left brain and right brain leaders who can manage in these troubled times and lead organizations through the shoals of uncertainty and volatility. let’s get down to the list and see why these may be the key skills all leaders need to build

Motivate Others And Building High Performing Teams
Analytics Skills
Emotional Intelligence
Digital Intelligence And Technology Skills
Innovation And Design Thinking

1. Motivate others and Building High Performing teams

In the 2014 classic Harvard business review article on leadership competencies by Zengar and Folkman 332,860 Senior leaders , peers, and subordinates were asked what skills have the greatest impact on a leader’s success – The number one competency which came up was “ Motivating others “ , today more than ever this has become more critical than ever . The capability as management trainer brain tracy puts it “ to get extraordinary results from ordinary people”
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2. Analytics skills

From the extreme right brain area of motivating people which is the most intangible people skill to the most left brain of skills – analytics – the ability to look at data , discern patterns and make structured decisions becomes the most critical of skills in the VUCA world as missteps could be expensive and difficult. With the availability of data , comes the responsibility to manage this , move out of costly intuition based mistakes which are based on the past and concentrate on making sense of the future . This requires us to develop analytical skills as leaders.
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3. Emotional Intelligence

Multiple studies have shown that EI is far more vital than IQ. Recent events have also lead to high emotional distress and stress in teams. Leaders and managers need to build Emotional intelligence and emotional resilience

4. Digital Intelligence and technology skills

it is imperative for managers and leaders to be digitally intelligent and aware of functional technology whether it is HR, Marketing or any aspect of management. Automation and Machine intelligence are becoming key to every companies to survive and Grow. The digital transformation inherent in all business is shown in the diagram below.

5 Innovation and design thinking

The inherent aspect of a VUCA world is that Change is the only constant. The ability to do design and Innovate in the organizations has become more critical than others. In today’s age the 5 skills of design thinking are becoming a must have skill for managers.