It has never been more difficult for leaders, whether they run a large company or lead a small team in a small business, to focus on “what’s next” in the global contemporary market.
 

By Mia Kollia
Translated by Alexandros Theodoropoulos  

#leaders #performance #leadershipdevelopment #transformation #marketchange

Leaders are facing two relentless sources of pressure right now. The first is the strong demand for performance - the need to deliver great results in a relatively short period of time and without taking into consideration the radical changes in customers’ requirements, where and how people choose to work, how supply chains now work and how long the global crisis that we go through will last.

The second source of pressure is the urgent need for transformation; leaders need to rethink the future of the market and the workplace, given these changes, and rediscover their company's strategy and culture to emerge victorious in a competitive future market.

There are three main areas where the pressure that leaders face is focused on and the way they approach each one plays the most important role in whether they will be able to have positive results.

Time Pressure

The current situation in almost all professional sectors has created an extremely noticeable time pressure as leaders are called upon to perform in the present but, at the same time, to inspire innovative ideas for the future.

It is up to anyone in a managerial position to choose how to deal with time management directly and effectively, so as not to waste time unnecessarily. Many high-ranking business executives, not wanting to sacrifice precious moments of their lives, have come up with an intermediate way to manage the everyday life that impresses.

The goal is to find the golden mean in the way one divides one's workday and in how one expends one's strengths: from the beginning of the day, we deal with current issues with great concentration and focus, we keep good contact with others and manage our accounts effectively. Then, we can dedicate predetermined hours to our staff for brainstorming sessions and work on the development of innovative proposals based on the future evolution of the business.

leadersperformance

The Stress of Leadership

How can we solve problems that our body has never faced before, without "burning out" or giving up? How can we keep ourselves prosperous in a role that seems bigger and harder every day?

The first step is to recognize and accept our weaknesses even those we may not know. It is clear that no modern leader who dreams of a strong future for his business, can operate with an outdated mentality. Especially through the changes that have occurred in the years of the pandemic, it’s a necessity to develop radically new approaches to our leadership.

Something that can help in these situations is an organised contact with other leaders, regardless of field of work, in order to create an environment of support and fermentation. As individuals we usually learn more easily altogether, collectively and a safe place for discussing problems and difficulties can serve as a point of flourishing self-confidence and new ways of thinking. 

Personnel Management

How can we encourage our employees to remain optimistic and energetic when they are easily disappointed or give up on dreams and goals? When we ask people to invest so much of their time and themselves in their work, we also need to help them enjoy it. How can we do that?

Just asking ourselves this question means that we sincerely want to help people regain something that is missing in so many organisations - a sense of pleasure, even joy in daily work, but also the excitement of looking forward to an innovation or even more. It’s about looking for a more interesting future.

It’s important to realise that in most cases we aren’t talking about insufficient employees but about certain systems that, over time, form insufficient employees. It is extremely important for leaders to understand that dissatisfied people will never be able to focus and do the hard work needed to get the most out of it.