Fonality Blog | VoIP, Unified Communications, and Business Tips

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Where will your next leader lie?

How do businesses identify and train employees to become the leaders they need to run teams effectively and with enough autonomy to get the job done? 

Organisations are moving away from top-down hierarchies and become increasingly teamcentric, according to Deloitte's Human Capital Trends. Forward-thinking organisation need to shuffle their focus on leadership as a whole, to create more versatile leaders. What are the skills needed to survive as a leader in today's environment, and why will unified communications play a role in developing the leaders of the future?

While there is no blueprint for the perfect leader, good ones share many common traits.

Core competencies of an effective leader

While there is no blueprint for the perfect leader, good ones share many common traits. Below are four core competencies of effective leaders Deloitte highlights in its 2016 Businesses of Tomorrow Report:

  • The right education. Over 70 per cent of business leaders have a bachelor's qualification, according to the report. There is an emphasis of higher education, including master and doctorate level qualifications.
  • Having management and strategy skills. There is a heavy favour for leaders to have these skills, including project management and business process improvement. 
  • International experience. Effective leaders are far more likely to have overseas experience, perhaps in recognition of the global work environment many businesses operate in today.
  • Connectivity. Sitting above others, disconnected from staff, suppliers and customers is not a sign of good leadership. The more connected to others, the better the leader, says the report.

However, beyond having the right skills and experience, businesses need to address one glaring change in the world of leadership: the aging of baby boomers and the rise of young millennials.

What are the traits of a good leader?What are the traits of a good leader?

How to build millennials up as future leaders?

By 2025, millennials are expected to make up a third of the workforce in Australia. As millennials move up through the business ranks, preparing this generation to take the leadership reins will become a top priority for those in management.

However, only 7 per cent of companies believe they are doing a good job at raising millennial leaders, according to Deloitte's 2017 Global Human Capital Trends report. This may cause problems in the future, as millennials unprepared to handle the roles of exiting baby boomers might find companies struggling to fill vital roles. Proactive action is needed, so that businesses can create a 'pipeline' of talented young individuals to gain experience in leadership early, to take advantage of the multi-generational skills older leaders provide.

Training younger workers on how to become talented leaders relies heavily on the right communication tools. According to the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Centre, building these skills in millennials comes down to the following principles:

  • Communicate clear expectations and results.
  • Share information and reasoning behind actions.
  • Establish two-way communication.
  • Give opportunities to further develop skills outside of work.

Technology is the tool to foster change that will build the versatile leaders needed in the future.

Why unified communications can help foster future leaders

Technology is the tool to foster change that will build the versatile leaders needed in the future, says Deloitte, acting as the catalyst to drive change in organisations. Communication technologies, such as email, text, chat, VoIP and more can help develop budding leaders skills, and unified communications is the platform that allows this to be done in a clear, coherent manner.

  • Pooling communication resources together and seeing who is online and available allows employees to better collaborate and share information.
  • Screen and file sharing allows managers to directly oversee and assist in the development of talented individuals pegged for future roles.
  • Mobility solutions allow employees to make the most of the time they have, and explore opportunities to further their personal development with flexible working hours and locations.

Fonality is the business phone system that will give your current and upcoming leaders the communicative tools needed to thrive. To find out more, get in touch with our team today.