Introduction
Traditional leadership models (or concepts) are not effectively meeting the needs of the current market. These models focus on the management of the present state of the organization and their resources, but they lack the skills and tools necessary to anticipate and/or face changes professionally and quickly.
What It is currently needed is a leadership model with future vision and acuity in business, that has the ability to anticipate and/or adapt quickly to changes and maintain clarity regarding the results that the organization needs.
In addition, this type of leadership must be able to provide its collaborators not only with the necessary direction and resources, but also the knowledge that allows them to obtain the desired results.
In the current and future business environment, knowledge management emerges as an essential skill of visionary leadership and sharpness in business.
It is for this reason that knowledge management is presented as one of the Skills Essential to lead with a business vision and promote organizational transformation, taking advantage of collective knowledge and promoting a culture of continuous learning. This allows leaders to guide their teams in the fast adaptation to changes, maintaining continuity in the delivery of the core of the business and ensuring the competitiveness of the organization in an evolving business environment.
A leader who identifies critical knowledge, capitalizes and democratizes it, is key to business success.
Imagine an area of the organization that, with a dedicated leader and a committed team, manages to implement a new management system that increases operational efficiency. The team works hard to reach this milestone, but once the system is running, the problems begin. As time progresses, skill gaps become apparent in the team.
The lack of adequate qualification and complete understanding of the system leads to recurring errors and constant rework. Despite the tireless efforts, the team feels increasingly worn and frustrated. As the cycle repeats, the successful results become more difficult to achieve, leaving the company trapped in a cycle of effort, but without strategic direction.
In this example, we can observe how the lack of adequate authorization and transfer of knowledge has eroded the ability of the team to successfully operate, maintain and improve the system, leaving the company in a vulnerable position in the face of a competitive and constantly evolving environment.
The empowerment of collaborators is a joint effort
It is crucial to recognize that the success of an organization is not only the individual efforts of its employees, but also the capacity of its leaders to foster a continuous learning environment and professional development.
On many occasions, the importance of dedicating time and resources within working hours is underestimated for the training and/or qualification of collaborators in the face of constant changes in the business environment. This passive approach to talent development not only compromises the balance between your work and personal life, but also undermines the organization’s ability to maintain its long-term operational excellence.
It is a priority to understand that leaders play a fundamental role in the cultivation of a culture of learning and professionalization in talent.
Glorifying those collaborators who self-enable in their free time, while questioning and recriminating those who do not, reflects a lack of strategy and ineffective leadership.
Leaders must take responsibility for facilitating access to development opportunities and promoting knowledge transfer within their teams. Only in this way can talent be preserved, driven innovation and guarantee an efficient and adaptive business operation in a constantly changing world.
Operational excellence is not only the responsibility of the Department of Operational or Human Resources Excellence. It must be the result of a collaborative effort between leaders and their teams, where knowledge management and transfer play a central role in achieving organizational objectives and building a solid future for the company.
The responsibility of the organization in the consolidation of a visionary leadership model with sharpness in business.
At the beginning of this article, we mentioned one of the Skills Essential to lead with a vision of the future and business. However, it could be the case that some leaders manage to acquire and strengthen it, while others do not. Therefore, if an organization wants its leadership model to be homogeneous, it will have to take responsibility to determine the set of skills that the leaders who make it up must possess and manifest.
This (set of skills) must be designed based on the future desired by each organization. Each set must be evaluated and updated as the organization evolves and new growth targets are set.
For our part, the set of Skills Essentials that we mention below is a solid foundation for those organizations that are evolving and visualize themselves as leaders in their market sectors.
Essential Skills to Consolidate a Future Vision and Business Acuity Leadership Model
The Skills that we will present below arise from our experience and trajectory accompanying global organizations in their evolution and maturation of business strategies.
from a wide range of Skills, we have selected the 3 that we consider essential for leaders to strengthen their sharpness in business, visualizing the desired future and acting strategically in the present. However, we recognize that there are other important aspects and skills that may also be relevant to effective leadership in different contexts and organizations.
Skill 1: Business Vision
Leaders must have a clear and deep understanding of the business environment in which they operate, as well as the trends and challenges their industry faces.
A leader who understands the vision of the business can make the decisions that allow that vision to be carried out.
How can organizations help their leaders have a better business vision?
In order for leaders to develop a strong business vision, the organization must provide them with the right tools and resources. This can include:
1.- Understand the operation of businesses: It is crucial that leaders have a deep understanding of how businesses work as a whole, from operational to financial and strategic.
2.- Know the policies, methodologies and trends: The organization can provide information on current and future policies, methodologies, trends and technologies that affect its unity and organization. This helps leaders stay up-to-date and anticipate changes in the business environment.
3.- Analyze the competition: It is essential that leaders know the competition to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The organization can provide competitive data and analysis to support this process.
4.- Understand market strategies and tactics: Leaders must understand how strategies and tactics work in the market to make informed decisions and develop effective plans. The organization can offer training, mentoring, and access to resources that help leaders gain this knowledge. It should not be limited to certain areas; It is essential that all leadership positions have this information, with different levels of depth as appropriate for their hierarchy.
If these practices are integrated, the organization can contribute significantly to the development of its leaders’ business vision, thus strengthening its capacity to face current and future challenges and take advantage of opportunities in the market.
Skill 2: Decision making in uncertain environments:
In a world characterized by uncertainty and volatility, leaders must be able to make informed and fast decisions, even in conditions of lack of information or unexpected change.
A leader who has the tools to make decisions has a greater probability of obtaining the results that the business needs to achieve his vision.
How can organizations help their leaders improve their decision-making in uncertain environments?
The organization must help its leaders make decisions in uncertain environments by allowing them to take an evolutionary approach in making such decisions. This implies recognizing that decisions may need adjustments and adaptations as circumstances evolve and more information is obtained.
To help leaders in decision-making in uncertain environments, the organization can:
1.- Promote flexibility: Promote an organizational culture that values flexibility and adaptability, allowing leaders to make decisions and act without having all the information available at first.
2.- Keep calm and stability: Provide resources and emotional support so that leaders do not get upset in little concrete situations, allowing them to remain calm and make decisions with clarity and objectivity.
3.- Promote fast track: Support leaders so that they do not feel the need to complete a task before moving forward, encouraging them to take an agile and adaptable approach that allows them to adjust their course as necessary.
4.- Manage risk and uncertainty: Provide tools and resources to help leaders identify, evaluate and control situations of risk and uncertainty, allowing them to make informed decisions and mitigate negative impacts.
By facilitating these aspects, the organization empowers its leaders to make effective decisions, even in uncertain environments, which contributes to the company’s long-term resilience and success.
Skill 3: Knowledge management and democratization
The ability to manage and share knowledge within an organization is essential to foster innovation, collaboration and adaptation. This guarantees continuity in the delivery of the business core and contributes to the maturation of organizational expansion and/or consolidation strategies.
A leader who identifies and provides the up-to-date knowledge to his collaborators makes it easier for the results that the business needs to be achieved.
How can organizations help their leaders manage and democratize critical knowledge for business continuity?
To accompany their leaders in the management and accessibility of critical business knowledge, companies can:
1.- Establish an approved model that facilitates communication and collaboration between areas: We suggest implementing the EDDIT® model. We recommend this model since it provides autonomy to the leaders and their teams, but it also adapts to the needs and particular resources of each company.
2.- Implement technological platforms and tools: Offer knowledge management systems, collaborative intranets and business social networks that facilitate the exchange of information between employees.
3.- Promote a culture of continuous learning: Promote training and development programs, cross mentoring and regular knowledge exchange sessions to promote an organizational culture that values continuous learning.
4.- Recognize and reward collaboration and knowledge sharing: Establish recognition programs that value collaboration and knowledge exchange between employees, offering incentives, public recognition and opportunities for professional growth.
5.- Facilitate documentation and capture of knowledge: Provide support and resources for the creation of databases, internal wikis and document management systems that facilitate documentation and capture critical knowledge within the organization.
These strategies strengthen the management and democratization of knowledge, promoting innovation, collaboration and continuous adaptation in a dynamic business environment.
A leader who has this combination of skills will be able to clearly understand the organization’s business model, will identify how to generate a powerful contribution of value and will clearly tell of what it takes to achieve it successfully.
We would like to hear your opinion. What challenges have leaders in your organization faced when making decisions in uncertain environments and how they have overcome them? How are leaders accompanying leaders in your organization to professionalize their participation in the management of critical knowledge for the business?
If you need help designing and implementing a Leadership model In your organization, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to accompany you in this process and help you achieve your current and future business goals.
