Discussion Guides
Situational Performance Ownership® Discussion Guide
As an employee, it’s important for you to recognize the clear connection between your performance and the success of your …
With technology advancing rapidly, today’s organizations must nurture leaders who can swiftly adapt and lead their teams through change. Workplaces are also becoming increasingly human-centric, focusing more on employee well-being and development. Along with being agile, leaders must be adept at building genuine connections, fostering engagement and making employees feel valued.
Fortunately, various training programs are available to develop leaders ready to tackle future needs, no matter how frequently changes occur.
A future-ready leader has the skills to motivate employees in a rapidly changing environment and influence their behavior even amidst uncertainty.
The following leadership skills will be especially vital in the future:
Adaptability is a person’s capacity to recognize, respond to and embrace change. Adaptable leaders are flexible in their thinking and approach, allowing them to adjust smoothly to changes in both the business landscape and the needs of their team members. They embrace experimentation, which can drive innovation and problem-solving. They are also resilient because they are open to learning from setbacks or mistakes, enabling them to thrive in uncertainty.
In today’s constantly changing world, adaptability is not optional—it’s essential. Leaders must cultivate adaptability to guide employees through new challenges effectively.
Change leadership involves easing the transition from old workflows, products, services or policies to new ones. Change is inevitable in the business world, and leaders are needed to help employees work through change while maintaining motivation and morale.
Since people naturally resist change, change leadership often involves addressing emotional obstacles. For instance, if an employee resists using AI to streamline tasks, the leader must identify and discuss the root cause of their hesitancy. They must also ensure the employee understands the “why” behind AI use and help them develop enthusiasm for the new technology.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to monitor and manage one’s emotions while also recognizing and understanding the emotions of others. Leaders with high EI can connect meaningfully with employees, identify their feelings and respond to others’ emotions while controlling their own.
EI is especially critical in organizations facing pressure to undergo significant changes and keep up with technological advancements. With strong EI skills, leaders can turn stressful situations into productive conversations and inspire employees to express their concerns. EI fosters trust and collaboration, empowering teams to overcome any hurdle.
Effective communication is essential in leadership. Johns Hopkins University research confirms that leadership communication can influence employees’ motivation, mood, confidence, ethical behavior and intention to support an organization.
As businesses face new challenges and strive to create more human-centric workplaces, communication will be critical to set clear expectations and ensure employees feel heard and understood.
At The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS), we offer a Communicating Effectively course to help leaders become more impactful and intentional communicators. This course equips leaders with key strategies and best practices to build strong relationships with employees and get everyone on the same page.
Critical thinking allows individuals to evaluate information objectively and rationally. It’s essential for making informed decisions based on facts and analysis rather than emotion.
Leaders with well-developed critical thinking skills can step back from challenges and look at them objectively and with greater clarity. This ability allows them to quickly recover from setbacks and map a path forward for themselves and the ones they lead.
Leaders can develop critical thinking skills by fostering curiosity, being inquisitive and striving to see multiple perspectives on an issue. Critical thinking skills are often embedded within leadership development training. For instance, our Situational Leadership® Essentials course trains leaders to diagnose an employee’s ability and willingness to perform a task before assigning it. Participants learn to think beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and consider different perspectives and situations— important aspects of critical thinking.
Accountability is more than accepting responsibility for one’s actions—it’s also about taking ownership of one’s mistakes and initiating corrective action. When a workplace has a culture of accountability, employees are more likely to admit their errors and feel motivated to learn from them.
A culture of accountability also supports transparency by creating an environment where honesty and open communication are prioritized. Transparency is vital for building trust and ensuring productivity, especially with remote and hybrid work settings.
Developing a culture of accountability is not something that happens on its own. Leaders must first model accountability to make employees feel safe sharing their ideas, concerns and mistakes.
Being proactive and embracing continuous learning are key to leading effectively. Here are a few actionable tips to prepare for future situations that call for this capability:
A leadership pipeline is a proactive framework for identifying and training your company’s future-ready leaders. It begins with defining the qualities you want in future leaders, like high EI and adaptability, and developing a system for identifying high-potential employees. With a strong talent pipeline, you can ensure leadership continuity and boost employee morale by providing growth opportunities.
Leadership training equips employees with the skills to support others as they navigate change, overcome resistance and embrace adaptability. Our Situational Change Leadership™ course, for example, was designed specifically to teach leaders how to guide their teams through change and help them thrive in new circumstances. It offers a unique, four-phased approach to change, delivered in a high-impact learning experience.
Encourage employees to give their leaders feedback periodically. That way, leaders can view their skills from various angles and identify areas for improvement. Leaders should also spend time on self-reflection to examine their actions and decisions, consider where they could have done things differently, and pinpoint where there’s room to grow. Self-reflection fosters self-awareness, one of the key ingredients in effective leadership.
Even as AI tools and automation become more prevalent in many companies, people will remain an irreplaceable asset. These key human skills, like emotional intelligence and adaptability, will continue to drive innovation, growth and employee well-being. Leadership development is an investment in these vital skills—and in your organization’s future.
Train future-ready leaders with CLS. We offer a range of learning solutions, including our Situational Change Leadership™ course, designed to teach leaders how to navigate a future of change with confidence. We can also develop custom training options to meet your organization’s unique learning needs.
Explore our course offerings today or contact us to learn more.
