In the developed world, our organizations are now composed primarily of knowledge workers– people who are highly educated and experts in their individual fields, and who need each other’s mind and skill in order to achieve organizational goals. These people are too smart to accept top down dictatorship and to believe that a few at the top know what it will take for success. There has never been a time in history for employee engagement to reach exponential levels of motivation as there is today. With the right leadership, the knowledge work force will be able to reach successes never dreamed of.
So what will the ‘right’ leadership look like? Unfortunately, there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer, but on the other hand, leadership qualities can be found and developed in everyone, at every level of the organization. For success in today’s fast-paced ever-changing global environment, leadership will be about managing the individual flow of energy and information in a quick and efficient manner. Information at the front lines will need to be relayed in real time to the top in order for barriers to be removed, opportunities to be grasped, and strategies to be adjusted to accommodate the environment in real time.
At the big-picture level, leaders and managers must learn to be effective conduits of information, both tangible and non-tangible alike, in an environment of safety and respect. Successful organizations will be a continuous looping and re-looping of information, feedback and adjustment. Organizations will have to flatten right out so that information is being transmitted quickly and efficiently. Managers will be the eyes and ears between where the work is being done and where the strategy is evolving. Power lines for informed decision-making will have to be free of bureaucratic static and barriers, and it will be up to managers to become experts at mitigating the bureaucracy that often weighs down efficiency.
For efficient information transfer and sharing there will need to be high levels of cooperation, coordination and collaboration among leaders of all ranks to ensure information is communicated clearly, succinctly, and consistently through all channels. This level of communication will require highly effective relationships and a special connectivity among organizational leaders. It will require the type of connectivity that only comes with an understanding of emotional human energy that leads to connectedness – how it works; how it evolves; and the behaviours needed to get there.
We need to look to the neurosciences and the plethora of evidence that is coming forth using advanced neuro-imaging technology within the realm of cognitive behaviour (among others). And then we have to develop the necessary cognitive and behavioural skills in our leaders, beginning with the skill of Positive Presence. These skills are paramount to leading with high levels of connectivity, and these skills must be continuously accounted for and supported through the overarching organizational culture.
Catherine is the President and CEO of CORPORATE HARMONY, providing virtual solutions for leadership development and organizational culture change. Her leadership and coaching experience as a Project Manager in an ever-changing, fast moving technological organization with unrelenting demands drove her to the realization that a positive mindset and strength-building behaviors are essential for today’s complex and chaotic organizational systems. CORPORATE HARMONY’s virtual platform of programs, coaching and performance measurement, is an innovative online technology of tested proprietary content. The world-class content of CORPORATE HARMONY’s Positive Presence Program develops the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and the necessary ‘Positive Presence Behaviour Competencies’ for maintaining a positive and energized mindset and increased performance in today’s complex work environment, and leading to a culture of collaboration and connection. Catherine’s vision for Corporate Harmony is to bring the skill of “Positive Presence” to the corporate world as it becomes more complex, ambiguous and chaotic. Catherine is uniquely positioned to impact organizations’ productivity and long term success, with her powerful vision of eliminating bad stress from every workplace around the globe, bringing purpose into the people equation to promote healthy, productive and meaningful work cultures and turn the tide on the neglect of mental health on a global scale. Catherine is author of the book: “CORPORATE HARMONY – The Performance Link for Today’s Modern Organization” Catherine can be reached at: Catherine.Osborne@corporateharmony.ca or go to ‘contact us’ on our website www.corporateharmony.ca. Catherine is available for consultation, and can be reached by 519-695-3407.