“You can carve your own path, be your own kind of leader.”
- Jacinda Ardern

The concept of leadership has come under intense scrutiny in recent months as world leaders grapple with the ongoing effects of a global pandemic and the devastating impact it is having on their communities, economy and society.

This is a complex time for leaders to navigate the sheer amount of uncertainty in the world, and each leader is reacting differently in her or his own style.

But according to McKinsey, the four leadership qualities critical for current leaders in today’s business and government sectors are awareness, vulnerability, empathy and compassion. 

Modern leadership is soft and strong.

One leader who embodies these leadership qualities, and has raised the global bar on what effective and modern leadership looks like, is New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern, who has been universally lauded for her calm, compassionate and inclusive leadership style and skills in diplomacy and empathy.

Currently one of the youngest world leaders at the age of 39, in a recent interview with The Guardian Australia on the qualities that have underpinned her path to leadership, she said: 

“I think one of the sad things that I’ve seen in political leadership is – because we’ve placed over time so much emphasis on notions of assertiveness and strength – that we probably have assumed that it means you can’t have those other qualities of kindness and empathy. And yet, when you think about all the big challenges that we face in the world, that’s probably the quality we need the most!

We need our leaders to be able to empathise with the circumstances of others; to empathise with the next generation that we’re making decisions on behalf of. And if we focus only on being seen to be the strongest, most powerful person in the room, then I think we lose what we’re meant to be here for. So I’m proudly focused on empathy, because you can be both empathetic and strong.”

In her two years in office, Ardern has demonstrated her soft and strong leadership style, taking decisive stands against terrorism, gun ownership and gender parity, and becoming an iconic image of global unity, humanity and empathetic leadership by publicly wearing a hijab in solidarity with the Muslim community after the Christchurch terrorism incident.

She adds: “I think one of the dangers of leadership, and particularly in politics, is that we have so much information now, and so much research around the way that people think, and the way they process what they hear, and how we’re meant to present ourselves, that you run the risk of becoming over-engineered.

And I think, if there’s anything that people need right now, is they just need to see human beings doing their best as leaders. And that means that from time to time you’ll stumble, and you should be honest about that; it means that people will see your failings and we should be honest about that too. People need authenticity, not, I think, some manufactured idea of what political leadership is meant to be.”

Leadership Skills In The Future Of Work.

But it’s not just world leaders like Ardern that need modern skills in authentic, collaborative and empathetic leadership. 

As educators, countries and companies come to terms with the ‘new normal’ of life, learning and work during a pandemic, a new suite of ‘soft’ or transferable skills required for future jobs and industries has come to the fore. And the skill of leadership is right up there near the top of that list as a key competency or employability skill we will all need to continue to cultivate in order to survive and thrive in the new world of work.

Rachel Moore, a Program Designer and Facilitator specialising in Leadership, Human Resources, Emotional Intelligence and Communication skills at Swinburne University in Melbourne, says strong leadership skills are now crucial to today’s world of work, and will bolster future career opportunities for all young people.

“Employers know that employees with leadership skills are able to take initiative, think outside the box and proactively seek out solutions,” Rachel says.

Leadership Is A Mindset, Not A Title

Rachel believes that anyone can be a leader, and develop leadership skills, regardless of their role in an organisation, team or school.

“Leadership can be a title, but a true leader does not need a hierarchical title.”

“I think a good question we can reflect on and ask ourselves regularly is ‘If I did not have a position of authority, would people still want to follow me? Would they want my guidance and direction?’” 

Rachel says a good leader recognises that it is not all about them, but rather recognising what their people require in order to be able to perform at their best in their industry role.

“People want to feel connected to their leaders and to feel valued and supported. Leadership is less about your own knowledge and expertise and more about being able to inspire others to perform at their best.” 

“A good leader looks after their own well-being and authentically role models the behaviours that they expect from others,” she says. Rachel agrees that there has been a significant shift in understanding about what makes a good leader.“Leadership theories have changed greatly over the years but, more than anything, I would say that it is people’s expectations of their leaders that are changing. 

“In the future workspace I feel leadership will become more about the ‘we’ than the ‘I’. Collaboration will be highly valued and leaders who coach others will be able to exponentially develop the capability of their people, teams and organisations.”

Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook and Author of Lean In: Women, Work And The Will To Lead, exemplifies an inclusive collaborative leadership style, and believes that the more you can empower others, the more successful your leadership skills and outcomes.

“I measure my own success as a leader by how well the people who work for me succeed,” she says.

“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence."

So how can you start learning and practicing your leadership skills today?

Girledworld Top 5 Tips for Building Leadership Skills  

1. TRY NEW THINGS
   A great way to develop your leadership skills is to try new things and put your hand up to take on more responsibility. You don't have to take on more than you can handle, but you do need to get outside your comfort zone if you want to grow. Say YES more often.
   
   

2. CULTIVATE LIFELONG LEARNING
   The best way to build your leadership skills is to always keep learning from the people, environments and challenges in your everyday life, study and work by adopting a growth mindset. Look around you and see how many leadership learning opportunities you could lean into!
   
   

3. LISTEN + SEEK FEEDBACK
   Becoming a leader doesn't mean you always have to be in the spotlight or the loudest in the room. An important trait of a good leader is someone who listens to suggestions, ideas, and feedback from other people, and builds on them. Good listeners also know that communication is not only about words, but using emotional intelligence to pick up on non-verbal cues, such as eye contact and body language. Be more aware of yourself and others!
   
   

4. FIND A MENTOR
   Mentors help you understand your strengths, interests and challenges, and can share their leadership story so you can learn directly from their lived experience. Choose someone whose leadership style you admire, and who you can easily communicate with and relate to. Who comes to mind first when you think of a Mentor?
   
   

5. SELF-EDUCATE
   Read as much and as widely as you can both on and offline! But don’t limit your reading to one particular style of leadership or type of leader. Inspiration and lessons can be learned from leaders across all walks of life. So watch TED Talks, leaders on social media platforms, and take notice when something they say or do resonates positively with you. Then try and mirror that in your own leadership opportunities!