Effective leaders in today’s world are learning to live and thrive with constant change and uncertainty. Without a new mold for what a leader should be and do, we have opened the door to expressing our own humanity as well as creating more humane workplaces. Rather than a recipe for chaos, leaders in companies of every size and industry are seeing greater engagement and satisfaction, increased teamwork, and more innovation and productivity.
Now that there are more job openings than people to fill them, 2019 is the time to get really serious about being the best company you can possibly be. This year we see the rise of the individual, where top talent takes over the catbird seat—able to pick where they want to work rather than wait for you to pick them. This leaves you no choice: You have to put significant resources into winning great people in order to grow.
I believe in men and women leading together. Everything is better when we do. That said, if you’re a woman you probably have a #metoo story of one kind or another. Me too! And that fact complicates things. My fear is that if we don’t keep our heads and resolve workplace harassment issues together, it will be women who become the big losers in companies across the country. If men, who still hold most of the power, are uncomfortable, women risk being cut out of important interactions and opportunities for promotion. That’s not the outcome we want.
Entrepreneurial environments cannot function without people who are comfortable with rapid growth and change. Most of the people you hire should not see security as a priority; they should, instead, get “jazzed by chaos.” But that’s not all that’s needed. You want to create a balance of people who thrive on “different, new, and exciting” and people who provide underlying stability that supports the constant change. As a high-growth company, you need a mix of spirited innovators and support staff who can come up with the right processes and procedures as your company evolves.
Micromanaging comes naturally to entrepreneurs, but it frustrates employees and stifles growth. It’s important for leaders to empower their people to run the business and make decisions. With trust as its foundation, empowerment provides the oxygen for innovation and growth. That doesn’t mean you can’t sweat the small stuff, it means that you’ll have a team to do it. Companies grow in stages, and effective leaders let go as their company moves through its lifecycles, often evolving in ways they never imagined.
