Dear all, A very good article titled "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...w/71962412.cms"Can you manage change? You're boss" has been published in today's Times of India. It is on the survey conducted by Executive Access (India) on the leadership traits in current times. The important leadership traits are adaptability, ability to deal with ambiguity, innovation, speed of learning, high emotional quotient, people-orientation, critical thinking, decisiveness, courage, curiosity.
Adaptability
Ability to adapt to new situations is a basic requirement of a leader. One often hears the phrase, "I am not comfortable in ...". However, leaders place the need or their ambition before their comfort. While the common person is forever in search of the comfort zone, leaders step out and face the harshness of reality.
Ability to Deal with Ambiguity
Today's world is absolutely uncertain. Just five years ago, did anyone ever think that the Purchase Managers Index (PMI) for India would go below 50 or Moody's would change the outlook for India? Most Indians in 2014 had presumed that India's double-digit growth was a matter of time. But today, many Indians have lost their jobs and are struggling for survival. We forever presume that life is linear, and many times planning is based on this linearity. But today's world is VUCA, and navigating amidst an unclear business environment is a new challenge.
Innovation
The innovative mindset depends on involvement in the area of activity, job knowledge, etc. Anyway, it is an old trait. Nothing new as such.
Speed of Learning
This is something new and a departure from a traditional trait called "Learning Attitude". Speed of learning is nothing but grasping power, and it is linked to one's Intelligent Quotient (IQ). What leaders learned in their engineering or MBA is insufficient, and digitization or robotization has imposed newer demands. Against this backdrop, merely having a learning attitude is not sufficient, and learning speed also matters. More importantly, the focus is back on IQ again. Lately, there has been a focus on emotional intelligence, and it was projected that having a strong emotional quotient is a sure sign of progress.
Emotional Quotient (EQ) and People-orientation
Both are inseparable, and both are old traits as well. To have EQ, leaders need to have people-orientation as well. But then this is an old trait, and a lot of material is already available.
Critical Thinking
It is surprising to find that rather than "creative thinking", critical thinking has been included. Let us be clear that since "innovation" is included, creative thinking cannot be bypassed. No, it cannot be, and both are independent. Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.
Decisiveness and Courage
Both traits are old. A leader is not a leader if he/she is not decisive or lacks courage.
Curiosity
This is also something new. All along, inquisitiveness as a trait would have looked good, but if it is included at the CEO level, then it speaks volumes. Curiosity is a basic ingredient of innovation. One cannot be innovative without being curious.
Usefulness of the Survey Report for HR or Training Professionals
The survey report is useful for recruitment, training, promotions, etc. While selecting a candidate, questions can be asked on adaptability, innovativeness, emotional quotient, people-orientation, but then the tests have to be designed for testing the candidate's speed of learning and critical thinking. It is difficult to create questions or tests on tolerance to ambiguity.
The second insight that the survey report gives to HR and Training professionals is on their fixation on "experience". In the Indian context, experience is considered as the length of years spent in the industry. But then experience makes a person put on blinkers, and experience may not be sufficient to measure a person's ability to deal with ambiguity, critical thinking, curiosity, etc. This imposes a greater challenge to HR professionals.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
Location: Bangalore, India
leadership traits, emotional intelligence, business environment, critical thinking, leadership, Country-India, City-India-Bangalore
Adaptability
Ability to adapt to new situations is a basic requirement of a leader. One often hears the phrase, "I am not comfortable in ...". However, leaders place the need or their ambition before their comfort. While the common person is forever in search of the comfort zone, leaders step out and face the harshness of reality.
Ability to Deal with Ambiguity
Today's world is absolutely uncertain. Just five years ago, did anyone ever think that the Purchase Managers Index (PMI) for India would go below 50 or Moody's would change the outlook for India? Most Indians in 2014 had presumed that India's double-digit growth was a matter of time. But today, many Indians have lost their jobs and are struggling for survival. We forever presume that life is linear, and many times planning is based on this linearity. But today's world is VUCA, and navigating amidst an unclear business environment is a new challenge.
Innovation
The innovative mindset depends on involvement in the area of activity, job knowledge, etc. Anyway, it is an old trait. Nothing new as such.
Speed of Learning
This is something new and a departure from a traditional trait called "Learning Attitude". Speed of learning is nothing but grasping power, and it is linked to one's Intelligent Quotient (IQ). What leaders learned in their engineering or MBA is insufficient, and digitization or robotization has imposed newer demands. Against this backdrop, merely having a learning attitude is not sufficient, and learning speed also matters. More importantly, the focus is back on IQ again. Lately, there has been a focus on emotional intelligence, and it was projected that having a strong emotional quotient is a sure sign of progress.
Emotional Quotient (EQ) and People-orientation
Both are inseparable, and both are old traits as well. To have EQ, leaders need to have people-orientation as well. But then this is an old trait, and a lot of material is already available.
Critical Thinking
It is surprising to find that rather than "creative thinking", critical thinking has been included. Let us be clear that since "innovation" is included, creative thinking cannot be bypassed. No, it cannot be, and both are independent. Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.
Decisiveness and Courage
Both traits are old. A leader is not a leader if he/she is not decisive or lacks courage.
Curiosity
This is also something new. All along, inquisitiveness as a trait would have looked good, but if it is included at the CEO level, then it speaks volumes. Curiosity is a basic ingredient of innovation. One cannot be innovative without being curious.
Usefulness of the Survey Report for HR or Training Professionals
The survey report is useful for recruitment, training, promotions, etc. While selecting a candidate, questions can be asked on adaptability, innovativeness, emotional quotient, people-orientation, but then the tests have to be designed for testing the candidate's speed of learning and critical thinking. It is difficult to create questions or tests on tolerance to ambiguity.
The second insight that the survey report gives to HR and Training professionals is on their fixation on "experience". In the Indian context, experience is considered as the length of years spent in the industry. But then experience makes a person put on blinkers, and experience may not be sufficient to measure a person's ability to deal with ambiguity, critical thinking, curiosity, etc. This imposes a greater challenge to HR professionals.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
Location: Bangalore, India
leadership traits, emotional intelligence, business environment, critical thinking, leadership, Country-India, City-India-Bangalore