The relationship of people with their jobs and the value scheme of society have completely changed with recent events. The perception of fragility, instability, and uncertainty has accelerated major changes in employee expectations, especially for younger talent.
So many changes dislodge companies and their leaders, who often find it difficult to empathize with their people and manage their codes and interpretive keys. The phenomenon known asthe great resignation” has not translated into a significant number of resignations in Spain, but it has contributed to raising awareness of the need to refocus the value proposition of companies to attract and retain talent.
This is causing companies and managers to cling more and more to the purpose as a leadership reference. The purpose comes as a beacon to provide direction to consciences and business strategies at a time when nothing seems to last forever.
Thus, more and more companies put purpose first and push their people to reflect, self-evaluate and discover their own purposes; and most importantly, align them with the purpose of the organization.
Experts from BTS, a firm specialized in generating impact on the human side of organizations, gather five irreversible paradigm shifts at the present time that they must guide companies and their people towards a new model of leadership with purpose.
1. From ephemeral abilities to immutable values
One of the principles that companies and leaders are assuming is the increasingly ephemeral nature of knowledge and skills what do you need. The speed at which technology evolves exceeds the learning capacity, so knowledge expires faster and faster and its value is relative and temporary.
Given this, purposeful leaders guide themselves and their team to bring out much more stable and immutable values, attitudes and behaviors, which function as principles of conduct to face the challenge of instability. For example, the principle of improvement will lead leaders to an open attitude to continuous learning as a key to behavior.
2. From the loneliness of the “superior” leader, to the connected leader
Precisely because of the speed at which the demand for knowledge is evolving, today’s leaders have difficulty sustaining their authority as experts and connoisseurs of all disciplines.
Purposeful leadership aims to build the leader’s authority not so much according to his level of knowledge but according to his ability to connect in a deep and real way with his team. “The leader with purpose does not always seek to dictate what and how it should be done, but to activate levers that motivate employees and help them from a collaborating role. Thus, the leader with purpose tends to break hierarchical models to accompany learning processes instead of imparting lessons..”, explains Ignacio Mazo, head of the leadership and coaching area for Southern Europe and Latin America.
3. From the battle for talent to choosing the right talent
As a consequence of all of the above, the leader with purpose is more intuitive, is more interested in the human side, and is more aware of the values that guide and motivate people.
Although technical knowledge or strictly professional skills traditionally prevailed, this mentality change provides a new dimension to selection processes and performance evaluation criteria. The focus is not always what the person knows, but rather their ability to solve problems, their attitude in the face of uncertainty, or their alignment with the company’s purpose.
According to Ignacio Mazo, “a leadership based on a purpose is capable of generating more commitment with the employee. If the purpose of the organization is aligned with the team, a more lasting and productive relationship is built, since the project is more enriching and motivating”.
4. From the short-term approach to the perspective approach
The constant irruption of unpredictable elements in projects and long-term plans inevitably leads leaders to more short-term oriented thinking schemes, since otherwise, they must constantly reorient and rebuild themselves.
Purposeful leadership aims to provide perspective and direction even to short-term planning, pursuing an objective that, although not always materially attainable, is an aspirational and motivational guide.
“The frustration that constantly rethinking a project can generate in teams is attenuated when there is a purpose, since it provides a higher, more stable, and broader framework; and therefore more receptive and open to opportunities and changes”, Mazo points out.
5. From reactivity to resilience
Purpose-driven leaders are more resilient as they are generally better able to unlock moments of indecision, bringing internal clarity in circumstances with little external clarity.
This type of leadership is more comfortable in uncertainty because it stays true to its consistent values. “This allows you to focus on problems in the key of opportunity, rise up and act positively against the typical reactions of our reptilian brain: flee, fight or freeze.”, Argues the person in charge of leadership and coaching of BTS.
