The last few months have been a huge challenge for many organisations and institutions. The pandemic has caused many changes in our professional and private lives. There’s been a huge increase in the volume of remote work, the standard working hours have also changed, many companies have entered or strengthened their position in the virtual world, a great number of services (shopping, doctor’s appointments, education) have become available online.
It is highly probable these changes are not just temporary. They may actually become part of our reality. It’s also fair to claim that the pandemic has accelerated some changes which would occur anyway in a matter of years. That’s why organisations can’t afford to wait for the situation from before the epidemic to return. The businesses that take the most drastic measures to adapt to the new normal and adopt new ways to operate can actually take advantage of the epidemic-triggered crisis.
The new normal calls, in particular, for new leaders, who will quickly devise a new, innovative vision of the organisation, inspire employees, and motivate others to act. New leaders will have to demonstrate a few essential competencies. Below is a list of five areas of leadership competencies, crucial to the successful functioning of organisations in the new normal.
First: competencies connected with working in a digital environment. This is not only about being proficient with digital tools, it’s also about the right leadership style, the ability to engage in different types of interactions, to motivate others, and to build and maintain a network of relationships. Second: competencies related to collecting and analysing data, which will enable the leader to predict trends or draw conclusions based on the activity of their employees.
Third: competencies required to form flexible, learning teams reaching beyond the boundaries of an organisation. Thanks to them, organisations will be able to adapt quickly to the changes taking place in their environments. Fourth: competencies related to analysing and implementing innovation at work, including solutions such as office work automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or augmented reality.
Fifth: competencies in the area of improvement of the comfort of work in the organisation. This is not so much about equipping employees with the right tools. The more important factor here is the employees’ mental well-being, which can be lowered due to remote work in a changing, uncertain, complex, and multifaceted environment.
The text is part of the publication "The New Normal. Reality in the times of the global Covid-19 pandemic. A commentary by the faculty of Kozminski University".
