The state of leadership in Australia

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is disrupting businesses in every country, sector and industry. Which leadership skills must Australian leaders embrace to navigate this complex and changing landscape?

For organisations, disruptive technology, connectivity and social media are bringing fundamental changes to who and where their customers are, the goods and services they provide, and the way they interact with an increasingly mobile workforce.

Recent results from the Australian Institute of Management Leadership survey of 2,000 managers (including C-suite, senior management, middle management and solo operators) indicated that leaders need to prioritise interpersonal (soft) skills in order to foster teams that are engaged and motivated to deliver business results.

To remain relevant and competitive in this rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations must be highly agile and respond with authenticity, care and speed to changing customer needs and expectations.

Business leaders also need to build and motivate resilient teams that can move quickly and embrace change. Traditional leadership skills such as strategic planning, analytical thinking and big-picture decision-making remain critical.

However, finding and retaining skilled employees is now one of the most significant challenges leaders face. Leaders need to be able to engage and inspire employees in order to earn their loyalty and drive performance.

Survey respondents highlighted the importance of strong communication skills and emotional intelligence in their leaders.

Businesses can expect to pay a high price for poor leadership, with a majority of survey respondents indicating that they had left an organisation because of the behaviour of its leadership team.

Strong and ethical leadership with positive influence on society and true concern for employee wellbeing, on the other hand, drives employee engagement, retention and performance.

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