rethink: 6 mindsets of the modern leader

Words / Emma De Vita

We spend a lot of time studying the latest thinking about management, and right now we see a new image of leadership emerging. Where the traditional leader was meant to be assertive, thrusting and hyper-ambitious, the modern leader has a student’s spirit, a balance of interests, and is self-reflective.

01 / THE ABILITY TO DETACH

Many leaders wear their busyness as a badge of honour. Yet Elizabeth Uviebinené, author of The Reset: Ideas to change how we work and live, argues that it’s smarter to step away from your desk to allow time for reflection. This, she says, will not only help you to see the bigger picture when it comes to managing yourself and your team, but it will help you detach yourself from your job. And that is A Good Thing. People are happier, more fulfilled and work better if they have a full life outside of work. We may have been sold career dreams, but it’s best not to conflate your identity with your job title.

02 / WHOLESOME SELF-AWARENESS

Gary Vaynerchuk is a super successful entrepreneur and author, so you might expect him to advocate bulletproof leadership behaviours. In fact, in his book Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the emotional ingredients necessary for business success, he says that leaders need to be able to unpick their strengths and weaknesses. Becoming more self-aware forces you to acknowledge your shortcomings and navigate around them, he says. It also gives you the emotional intelligence to put yourself in the shoes of the people you manage, giving you the empathy and understanding to lead a strong team. Oh, and it might just prevent you from becoming one of those “bulldozers” or “gaslighters” that Tessa West warns us about in Jerks at Work: Toxic coworkers and what to do about them.

03 / A SELF-COACHING SPIRIT

We’re all encouraged to cultivate a “life-long” approach to learning, and a good way to achieve this is by becoming your own coach. That’s what Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper argue in You Coach You: How to overcome challenges and take control of your career. For example, it’s useful to ask yourself: “What do I want to be true in 12 months’ time that isn’t true today?” Answering these kind of “coach yourself” questions fast-forwards you to the future and prompts you to identify what positive action you need to take today. In turn, having a student mindset means that you can lead yourself through setbacks.

04 / BEING A NETWORK NAVIGATOR

As we move into a world of hybrid workplaces, it pays to be connected to other humans – in the real world and virtually. You achieve this by thoughtfully creating and maintaining the right networks, says Julia Hobsbawm in The Nowhere Office: Reinventing work and the workplace of the future. “Network navigators” configure their workspaces to prioritise social engagement, says Julia. They also get actively engaged in digital social networks. Julia encourages leaders to be community-minded, which will help you be socially healthy and effective at work.

05 / A STRONG REASON FOR BEING

In her book The Reset, Elizabeth Uviebinené references the Japanese concept of Ikigai, meaning “a reason for being”. Leaders, she says, should be able to cultivate a deep sense of purpose and motivation in themselves and their team. Essentially Ikigai is about aligning your internal needs with the needs of the external world. It’s also a way of matching up what your organisation needs with the different talents and experiences across your team. If you can figure out where your team’s values lie – and give them what they need through their work – then you are able to create a fulfilled group of individuals.

06 / REGRETS... I’VE HAD A FEW...

The pandemic has made everyone think more deeply about their lives, including their regrets. Daniel Pink, author of The Power of Regret: How looking backwards moves us forward, created a World Regret Survey, which found that a big regret for many people is not being bold enough at work. That could be speaking up about something bad, role-modelling new ways of working or taking a risky job opportunity. We most regret things we weren’t brave enough to do, the survey found. Looking forward, it may be that fortune will favour those who challenge pre-pandemic ways of thinking and working.