B6027 M5A1 Discussion - Critical Leadership Competencies Needed in 2020

Peer #1:

Key competencies needed in 2020 are awareness and empathy. If you expect personnel to work for you supervisors at any level has to get this right. According to our readings it is important to understand the short termed thinking of most employees and the need to deliver on short-term goals to maintain loyalty. Although that loyalty may be short lived, it is at very least sustained over time if strung together correctly. My opinion is that this is simply awareness. Awareness that not only will you have employees who seek the short term goal competition but also those who are looking toward the future. So awareness is important to determine the right balance for an employee, and definitely chemical balance that comes with experiences. This also means that the impression you can leave on someone will not likely have instant gratification. It may be years past where the examples you’ve exhibited as a manager become visible. (Kouzes, & Posner, 2012) The next area is empathy. In order for someone to execute in the manner you set as expectations you must be aware of their challenges. If those challenges are not belting you in the face then investigative methods are expected. Stressors for young employees are the wasted labor of performing a task that they think can be made simpler or easier. The technological wave of this generation has the answers to many business related problems but has not seen the problem to assess fixing it. In order to leverage that as a leader we must exhibit the right qualities to follow. (Kouzes, & Posner, 2012) The most important part of leadership in mind is setting the example. People need a strong character and example to emulate in order to be assured the path they are taking is either honorable, fruitful or both. This is by far the most difficult as it is much easier to opt not doing the right thing. I look at examples in the United States Air Force when doing the right thing as drill instructors were hard for them to accomplish and thereby degraded the quality of our boot camp training. Although misguided, it is our role to help keep these younger leaders engaged. We need to provide them with direction so hopefully not be distracted by doing the wrong things (Lawerence, 2012). Leader will have to become creative in future business. It will be immersed with an even more diverse workplace that will have the added challenge of people with little experience with face-to-face communication. This era transmits messages rather than talk with someone. Adaptability is key here as well and although this will be hard to grasp for older leaders it is also a blessing. Employees will have skills resident in them far earlier than anticipated. New skills will emerge as our most treasured abilities. I had a young man who worked for me build a program in access that is a bit of a challenge for me and he was able to link multiple databases together to talk amongst our own systems. For me that s invaluable! We are incrementally working on his people skills and conformability.

References Kouzes, J. M., Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, 5th Edition. [Argosy University]. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/9781118650165/ Lawerence, C. (2012, June). 31 victims identified in widening Air Force sex scandal - CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/justice/texas-air-force-scandal/index.html

Peer #2:

Leaders will need to develop key competencies to move their company towards 2020 and years to come. Key competencies that were completed in 2011 by A.J. O’Connor Associates researched 10 key competencies that leaders will need: collaborative orientation, developer of people, learning agility, digitally proficient, global mindset including cultural agility, conscious leadership, future focus, adaptability/change orientation, innovative/creative champion and 360 communicator. Having these key competencies are important because it will help the organization be proactive and thrive in this changing world.  

The most significant leadership trend that will require a change in leadership approach by 2020 is bridging the gap between employee diversity. There are five generational gaps: Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X'ers, Generation Y'ers and Millennials. Leaders must understand the preferred work styles for each generation because it can impact communication and retention. With the upcoming workforce being the millennials, it is important to know how to relate and communicate to millennials.

An external trend that will influence leadership changes would be the increase use of technology. Including the millennial workforce that grew up with technology, we now live in a world that are accustomed to digitization and speed. Leaders will need to learn what the trends are in technology and how to incorporate that in business to attract new customers and keep current customers. Technology can also increase new employees and engage current employees for retention.

Another external trend is outsourcing. Many companies are outsourcing to decrease costs and improve financial performance. That can also mean a decrease in workforce. Harley Davidson, an American based motorcycle manufacturer outsourced its data center to an Indian based company, creating the loss of 125 jobs (Chernicoff, 2015).

Employees of 2020 will be experienced in technology and will expect companies to adapt to new technology and look for ways to engage customers using advanced technology. That workforce will also be expecting a speedy response time in internal and external customer service, with being accustomed to “instant this” and “instant that”. It is important that leaders understand the upcoming workforce and how it will impact the organization. 

References:

Chernicoff, D. (2015, December 04). Harley-Davidson Outsources Datacenter to Indian Company, Increasing US Jobs by 50%. Retrieved September 28, 2017, from http://www.zdnet.com/article/harley-davidson-outsources-datacenter-to-indian-company-increasing-us-jobs-by-50/

(2011, December 07). Leadership 2020: 10 Workforce Trends 10 Critical Leadership Competencies. Retrieved September 28, 2017, from http://www.ajoconnor.com/blog/leadership-2020-10-workforce-trends-10-critical-leadership-competencies