7 Prominent Leadership Trends For Companies in 2021

2020 has been a year of change. A change that nobody envisioned. The second quarter of 2020 had the business leaders strategize and implement new policies that can help the company sustain amidst the pandemic. Remote became a new normal with HR professionals making new work from home policies to provide a better work experience. It has further defined the leadership trends for 2021.

Corporate observers and researchers have been publishing materials on the drastic changes that businesses worldwide would experience post the pandemic. And the measures that leaders must take to fight the ongoing challenges and provide a work environment that concerns overall employee well-being.

Here are the Latest Leadership Trends for 2021

1. Building The Right Culture For Remote Teams

They say culture is the personality of a company. And it is a fact. The nature of the people in a company has a considerable influence on its culture. You can define your culture but may not sustain it if you do not make the right hiring choices. When you are in a physical work environment, you can build a culture that suits your brand and business. But imagine your workforce going remote or hiring remote employees who are alien to the culture you practice? That is when you need to build your culture again. It could bring a significant change in your existing work culture or impact your employees' internal communication.

Leaders must put some thought into building a culture that aligns all the team members irrespective of their geographic location. Remote workers could disrupt the work environment. Even with remote teams, employees could experience unwanted behavior from their peers or face virtual microaggression virtually. We are aware of how common workplace bullying is.

Therefore, it won't be easy and the most crucial aspect for leaders to translate the in-person communication virtually via technologies to build a positive work culture.

2. Developing A Change Mindset

Learning agility is one of the most essential attributes of any successful leader. Agility helps leaders make quick decisions in times of crisis or change. Many companies fail to sustain their business since the leaders fail to make the right decisions in time. Developing a change mindset is therefore so crucial and tops the leadership trend for 2021. A leader must imbibe a sense of awareness to the company’s members to prepare for any unwanted events.

It is impossible for business leaders who struggle to break from the past to follow new practices to succeed. Leaders must review their strategies that are obsolete and set new models that are relevant to present times. The shift must be viewed with positive effects to identify profitability, productivity, and development prospects.

3. Invest In Employee Wellbeing

The other leadership trend that everyone will invest their time and effort into is employee well-being. Covid 19 has impacted people worldwide, and it has also made people aware of the company's responsibilities towards its workforce. Also, people's mental health has taken a toll due to the pandemic and its uncertainties. It imprinted a significant impact on employee well-being and productivity. Companies now are more concerned about their workplace’s well-being and ready to provide them with the necessities and support for their wellness. A few of the practices that companies are implementing for employee well-being are-

• Work-life integration.
• Flexible work hours.
• Wellness programs.
• Employee benefits for a remote workforce.
• Health benefits.

4. Work From Anywhere

Companies and their HR leaders are more open towards working from anywhere concept. 2021 will witness this massive cultural shift, and more and more companies are going to adapt to this new normal. A few of the apparent benefits of working from anywhere are-

• Lower business expenses.
• A vast pool of applicants and skills
• Better disaster management.
• Improved employee satisfaction and retention.
• Reduced carbon footprint.

Everyone needs to adapt to any upcoming uncertainties by moving to the work-from-home workspace smoothly. The pandemic has taught us that the critical business trip could be your next zoom call. Thus, leveraging the benefits of remote work does not seem like a bad idea at all.

5. Empathetic Leadership

Take your humanity to work. Leaders must give up stereotypes of leadership and think beyond the obvious. A genuine and truly open human being is what workers and others want. It means connecting yourself with even other people and not just your successes. Leaders must work for and behave with their teams with respect. Showing empathy towards the workforce during any crisis builds a loyal team. When you need to take charge of your team, support them, and be the compassionate leader they want you to be.

Leaders have understood the importance of empathy in the workplace and how it's essential to build a positive culture. We hope this trend sustains beyond 2021.

6. Shifting In Leadership Style

To overcome of the covid crisis, leaders must emphasize its leadership practices and inquire about their existing leadership style drawbacks. The business world now needs a flat culture with democratic leadership practices. A Flatter culture helps organizations to build internal communication of the employees and boost their morale. It gives everyone the ability to make quick decisions and adapt to cultural changes within the organization. With democratic leadership, leaders give their employees the voice to put forward their ideas and opinions. It helps build a collaborative and creative work environment, builds employee productivity, and fosters mutual respect for all.

7. The Need To Develop Self And Others

To keep up with the constantly evolving technology environment, leaders can't sit back and think, "I know what I need to know," because what they know now is tomorrow's obsolete. The desire to improve yourself and your teams are now increased. Covid has shown everyone the reality check. Many HR leaders failed to develop suitable strategies in response to the pandemic because nobody was prepared to respond to such uncertain situations.

Also, compared to the past decade's work culture, workers are less committed to jobs, which means that employers must do all they can to retain their employees in the workplace as long as possible to enhance their workforce turnover. Is it not time to fix something here? The need for self-development to be more relevant and proactive is the key.

Finally!

At the beginning of 2021, the business experts had predicted remote working to be the next big leadership trend for organizations worldwide. But none of them would have imagined how remote working will shape the future of work in the faintest of their dreams. If not anything, Covid 19 has taught adaptability and its importance to the world.

Leadership trends are meant to provide insights and the needs of the current work culture around the world. We hope the blog can give you some insights on the prominent trends that will sustain this year. Do let us know your views on the leading trends and how we can make a work culture satisfying and fulfilling for everyone.

Related: 25 Leadership Qualities That Makes You A Good Leader

This article is written by Braja Deepon Roy. He works as a Content Creator and Digital Marketer at Vantage Circle. He actively participates in the growth of corporate culture and keeps himself updated in this space. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com