The most important leadership skills to develop
Developing leadership skills is seen as a top priority for business leaders, yet with everyone working at a new pace and scale, identifying the most relevant skills to focus on and making time to learn are huge challenges.
A report from Accenture, cuts to the chase. For leaders to solve complex business problems, quickly and more productively, they need to learn how to use their whole brain. Change requires leaders to assimilate data quickly (left, analytical hemisphere dominance) whilst simultaneously having the holistic intelligence to tap into the full potential of employees and consumers (right, creative hemisphere dominance). Leaders can learn how to access both sides of their brain simultaneously by learning how to become more neuro-agile and cognitively diverse – the most important skills for 2020 and beyond.
“If you get a better level of cognitive diversity you get a better outcome” Board member, Banking.
To be fit for the future, leadership needs to be multi-dimensional to address the art and science of business. In today’s business climate, focusing on growth, profitability, sustainability and improving trust, collaboration and innovation are all important. At FPG, we’ve been profiling leader’s brains with a Neuro-agility tool, and our research is showing that many leaders brains have become less flexible and out of balance. Ideally you would want anyone in a leadership position to have a flexibility score of at least 70%.
The Accenture report confirms that 89% of the c-suite have formal training in left-brain directed degrees. 65% of respondees report that a right brain skill is their weakest (empathy, self-awareness, coaching and empowering others, creative thinking, creating an inclusive team environment, intuition etc).
Neuro-plasticity of the brain proves we all have the ability to change and grow. Many great leadership programmes focus on helping leaders understand the power of mind-set and how to change behaviours.
The next step is to help leaders improve the flexibility and agility of their brains as the foundations for future growth. Accenture’s research shows that whilst only 8% of respondants use a whole-brain approach today, 82% intend to use a whole-brain approach in the next 3 years. Re-skilling leaders in whole-brain leadership and neuro-agility will create more possibilities to accelerate change and growth.
To speak to one of our consultants about neuro-agility, please call us on +44 (0)1628 488990 or email us on info@fullpotentialgroup.com.
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