3 Leadership trends coaches must know

Four years back, I realised my role had changed completely. From being a content provider, I was also now generating revenue and planning the growth of the India chapter of my organisation.

Equal parts exhilaration and equal parts terror, the process of being a leader is still on. I am fortunate to be mentored by a great boss. Additionally, coaching has helped me a great deal in identifying leadership challenges.

Based on my own experiences and a study of leadership trends brought out by McKinsey and Company these are the latest leadership trends coaches may like to read up on:

Leadership Trends: From shareholders to stakeholders

As ESG takes hold across the world, corporate leaders find themselves at the frontline of making this happen. From shareholders, attention has widened to the value that organisations can bring to stakeholders. This is a complex issue for leaders to navigate, with ESG backlash adding to the pressure even as policies in US, EU and India create a push for initiatives with purpose.

From direction to collaboration

As per McKinsey, leadership, for quite a while, has been moving from being top down and directional to collaborative, And Covid put a firm stamp on this approach. No leader today can really hope to guide their organisation without a clear collaborative approach.

Being human at work

My father, a retired army general has this favourite life lesson he has followed for the last 60 years (50 of them as an army officer) to be firm but friendly at work. He knew, decades ago, that even the army cannot run on orders alone.

Today, leaders need to display their authentic, human self at work. How to balance that with pulling the company together a shared vision is a challenge.

There are many additional leadership trends that coaches may like to become familiar with mental health, resilience, and developing a coaching culture to get work done; for example. Do share your thoughts on what trends in leadership matter?

Paarul Chand is the founder of Whyte Sky Coaching, coaching for life at work.