The world around us has seen major shifts in the last year, especially on a geopolitical and economic level. This increased uncertainty has made me more aware than ever that future-oriented leadership is a precious commodity that should be cultivated. Without this crucial human contribution, no organisation (of any size) can perform sustainably in a constantly changing environment – let alone create a better tomorrow.
Since I’d like to draw attention to this essential need that exists everywhere around us, I’m dedicating this piece to exploring four essential attributes that leaders need to create tomorrow effectively. At Mint, we believe in creating tomorrow by inspiring our employees, clients, partners, and community to reach their full potential through innovative technology solutions, but we also build the future with solid, future-focused values that we practice every day. The attributes I’m covering in this piece flow naturally from those deeply help beliefs.
If you’re new to this blog, I’m including links to past posts that speak to the importance of each attribute for further reading. So, let’s get to it!
1. Compassion
There are clear benefits to having compassion and putting people at the centre of what you do as a business. At Mint, for example, we test all our processes based on whether they’re really serving our people. This includes asking whether they’re helping our people to be more productive, promote psychological safety, and encourage good mental health.
Because this approach is creating a better tomorrow for us on a small scale, I’m convinced that leaders everywhere who are serious about shaping the future should never stand in the way of their people’s aspirations and growth, but rather adjust their processes and strategies to leverage their people better.
Being compassionate isn’t just the decent human thing to do, but rather a vote of confidence in your people since you simply cannot predict how much the actions of a single person can shape the future success of your business.
Leaders who seek to create a better tomorrow also look for opportunities to establish clear boundaries, expectations, and goals for their people, so they are better equipped to achieve their full potential. Since businesses need to remain profitable, providing clear direction is key to keeping your people on board and productive.
2. Resilience
Creating tomorrow requires leaders to be resilient and capable of bouncing back quickly from setbacks. Only individuals who maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity can inspire hope in others. Such leaders must be able to empower their teams to develop strategic skills and rise to new challenges under unfavourable circumstances.
Since change is an ever-present reality, future-oriented leaders don’t shy away from it, but rather view the inherent risks change brings as an opportunity to grow and leave tired frames of reference behind. Similarly, resilient leaders aren’t afraid to assimilate the perspectives of others to be able to cooperate more effectively and achieve greater value – even if doing so sometimes takes them far away from their comfort zones and preferred ways of working. That’s because they’re aware of what the actual cost is of not adapting!
3. Consistency
You cannot take people into the future if you can’t get them to the promised objective. So too future-oriented leaders must deliver consistently on commitments and inspire trust in others. This isn’t just essential to maintaining cohesion in your team, but also ensures continued profitability.
Consistent leaders pride themselves in keeping promises, both as individuals and a group, and they prioritise focus over a busy, unstructured approach to deliver reliable, measurable, and worthwhile results that others can emulate. The key is sustainable performance that lasts the test of time.
4. Critical thinking
Future-oriented leaders know they cannot predict every eventuality, so they encourage their people to think critically and create solutions that generate the greatest possible benefit with the least amount of unnecessary effort. Basically, they encourage common sense!
These discerning leaders know that a “win with” approach is often preferable to a “win-win” strategy since the first scenario doesn’t require compromise. This means that they often seek opportunities to collaborate rather than compete if such an approach results in a more sustainable future for all involved.
Similarly, such leaders know the value of not repeating past mistakes and of drawing on the experiences of others. This approach ensures that complexity is kept to a necessary minimum, paving the way for creative solutions that increase quality.
The four attributes I covered here are certainly not the only ones you’ll need to create a sustainable tomorrow, but they are a proven part of Mint’s identity and the driving force behind our continued success. I trust you will be able to future-proof yourself as a leader by internalising them and making them part of your day-to-day work life.
What to expect from this blog going forward
Since many of the future-oriented attributes mentioned above are embodied in Mint’s company values, I will be sharing regularly on topics that relate to each in some way. I would, therefore, like to invite you to keep an eye on our social platforms for my monthly contributions, and to add the Together Leading Ahead blog page to your browser favourites. Join me as I explore ways in which future-oriented leaders can create tomorrow right now.
