exploring the leadership skills of the future.

Our world is experiencing what many refer to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an era that is completely transforming how we work. More specifically, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics and other innovative technologies are changing how we operate and providing added flexibility and efficiency. As a consequence, we have experienced a dramatic shift in the overall profile of the workforce. As technology continues to influence industries, our workplace will inevitably progress and change.

Our future work is heavily dependent on new technology. Business leaders need to deliver the necessary skills to support their organisation in maintaining its competitiveness and taking control of up skilling and implementing the mentoring support and development for their teams. Technology has a direct impact on our workforce. According to “Robots and Jobs: Evidence from the U.S. Labor Markets”, every robot integrated per 1,000 workers generates a 0.2% decline in the overall employment-to-population ratio, equating to a total loss of approximately 400,000 jobs.

The World Economic Forum anticipates that technology innovation in the workplace will eliminate nearly 85 million jobs worldwide by 2025. While this may be a worrying figure, the rise in technology will reportedly generate 97 million jobs with different skill sets to meet the rising technology demand in business.

Finding suitable candidates to fill these positions will be challenging as the overall demand generally exceeds supply levels. Levels of productivity haven’t maintained pace with the growth and development of technological innovation. Eventually, workplaces will catch up as employees become more familiar with adopting new technologies.

Business leaders will then shift their focus closer towards results, accountability and flexibility, rather than where and how their team can get the work done. Many job roles will require changes, but this requires time, and often people will be uncertain of new technologies.

Business leaders will need to circumnavigate through this transition. With more manual tasks managed by technology, employers will see a rising demand for candidates with strong technical skills within various areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, analytics and cloud computing. People will turn their attention towards value-added responsibilities, strategic decision-making and problem-solving. Critical thinking skills are a necessity for employees and their leaders.

Technology is advancing rapidly, and businesses are continuing to integrate the latest and the most innovative systems to remain competitive. Achieving this requires a certain quality of leadership that is agile and capable of enabling this evolutionary path. Larger teams aren’t necessarily as flexible and agile as a network of smaller groups capable of moving between new projects and challenges.

As a business develops and its resources change, a growth mindset will ensure leaders remain strategic and driven while following the latest innovations and industry trends. Companies need to adapt before their competitors do and have leaders that act as advocates so that their teams can achieve their goals. Business leaders today need to provide their team with the necessary resources and guidance. Understanding individual strengths and weaknesses and providing training to deliver the right skill sets is critical.

HR leaders, the heads of other industries and decision-makers in technology may not have spent much time working together in the past. Their positions and responsibilities are often being siloed and In a tech-dominant world, strong communication skills are critical. Employees need constant feedback so they can shift their goals and move to more appropriate projects. Regular communications improve transparency, a vital asset to developing a team and progressing as a business.

Aside from providing clear direction and strategy, future leaders will adopt the role of being an influencer, using their success to share valuable insights and motivating other individuals in reaching their goals. The need for collaboration separated from other disciplines. In the new working world, this is all changing. Senior leaders from across a broad set of industries are being encouraged to collaborate and tackle the challenges faced by a modern working environment. Failing to work together will inevitably influence success rates in the workplace. As we work our way into the post-pandemic workplace, the strategic challenges and implementing the best measures for now and future will be a top priority.

Addressing the opportunities that exist within the workplace and utilising greater collaboration between different teams and sectors will be vital to developing the future workplace. The pandemic has accelerated the progress of the workplace, and businesses worldwide continue to reassess their priorities and adapt to a new normal. It has come with its challenges but has also offered new opportunities. Those businesses that put people at the core of their workplace strategy will likely be the ones that succeed in building a workplace that empowers and retains a positive, productive and motivated workforce.