Blog | Enterprise Solutions at Hays
WHAT DEFINES A GOOD LEADER? LOOK FOR THESE SIX QUALITIES
Modern business challenges can require new approaches. Leadership will need to evolve in order to continue to guide organisations in tomorrow's world of work. But what are the characteristics of a good modern leader in the workplace - and how can organisations develop them?
Many studies draw parallels between effective leadership and solid organisational performance. But whether they’re a junior manager or a senior executive, the qualities that leaders need are changing.
Nearly 1,500 HR professionals ranked leadership development as the number one priority for 2025, with managers feeling 'overwhelemed' by the expansion of their responsibilities. In today’s unpredictable world, you must combine traditional leadership skills with new abilities. So, what does an effective modern leader look like?
1. Remember what makes a good leader
Before looking at the new skills future leaders may need, it is worth reflecting on what a leader actually is.
What are the qualities of a good leader? It’s not what you may think.
Being in charge of colleagues does not necessarily make you a ‘leader’. Former Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg explains: “Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.”
Retired astronaut Chris Hadfield believes that good leadership is: “Not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it. Especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter.”
There may be varying opinions on the strengths and weaknesses of leaders. But overall, most people believe that great leaders motivate their team members to perform their best and achieve common goals.
What traits do you need to achieve this in the modern workplace?
2. Use blended leadership styles for a VUCA world
Stacey Philpot from Deloitte Consulting maintains that the core skills needed historically in leadership roles have remained unchanged.
“These skills allow someone to become a leader faster than their peers. This is even true in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment,” she says.
The core skills for leading in a VUCA environment include:
- Pattern recognition
- Motivation
- Agility
- Emotional intelligence
- Ability to understand, control and express emotions
This represents psychological assessments of 23,000 senior leaders globally over the past 25 years.
Consider introducing servant leadership:
Leaders need new styles of leadership to deal with changing cultures. Being comfortable with not having the answer and owning failure can create an environment of trust and openness.
Collectively, these behaviours form ‘servant leadership’. The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) defines servant leadership as emphasising behaviours and values such as:
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Leading by example
These are instead of opting for a more authoritative, ‘command-and-control’ leadership style. Leaders create the conditions for team members to excel by displaying vulnerability. But given the stigma around servant leadership, how can organisations encourage it?
How to combat stigma surrounding servant leadership:
Alsu Polyakova, HR Leader for GE Healthcare, says reducing stigma around servant leadership will take a specific strategy. Most importantly frequent performance appraisals for leaders.
“We give leaders lots of opportunities for self-reflection, so they understand how they behave,” she says. GE Healthcare’s most successful leaders help to encourage behavioural change, Polyakova says. The company measures success by how well employees rate leaders on achieving GE Healthcare’s ‘cultural pillars’. These pillars include inspiring trust and empowering employees.
3. Create a culture of trust in the workplace
Gaining workers’ trust is more important than ever. One way to build trust is for leaders to take action on issues such as climate change. 71 percent of employees consider their CEOs’ social awareness as critically important, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer.
Social awareness may yield rich rewards. The Edelman poll shows that workers who trust their employers are far more engaged and remain more loyal than their more sceptical peers.
Leadership styles are clearly changing. The most effective leaders will need to tailor their styles to suit different scenarios, says Professor Sattar Bawany. “Leaders need a broad repertoire of management styles and the wisdom to know when each style should be used,” he says. “In crisis scenarios like cybersecurity breaches, for example, leadership should be authoritarian because the scenario is unstructured.”
4. Adapt your leadership style for different generations
Managers must also balance leadership styles to suit different generations. Modern workplaces will soon house up to five generations under one roof. Therefore, there will be many people with differing preferences on leadership style.
As of 2023, millennials are the biggest group in the UK workforce, at 35 percent. Modern leaders must mix old and new leadership styles that meet the needs of younger generations. Doing so will future proof organisations. However, new leadership approaches cannot come at the expense of alienating older workers.
5. Commit to lifelong learning
With the workplace evolving so rapidly, leaders cannot rely on past experience alone to get by. Ben Farmer, Head of HR at Amazon UK agrees: “Experience is not always synonymous with wisdom and judgement. And naivety doesn’t always engender novel thinking and openness to change.”
Organisations should look for leaders who understand the future as well as those with experience. “Success comes from the ability to combine understanding of exciting, new trends with the experience required to put that knowledge into action,” says Farmer.
But what is the right balance? There is no one-size-fits-all approach when balancing experience with adaptability. Achieving the right balance will mostly depend on the organisation and the sector it operates in.
6. Be conscious of culture
Organisational culture is an important factor. Risk-averse firms may prefer experience over novel thinking. Leaders may be fearful of a backlash from stakeholders should novel thinking fail. To lower risk, companies should seek leaders who use both scientific evidence and intuition when making decisions.
Ultimately, there’s no single blueprint for an effective modern leader. Each organisation must tailor their approach to leadership development. There must be a focus on organisational culture, industry nuances and employee mix.
But above all, leaders should recognise that today’s reality may be old news tomorrow.
For more expert advice, take a look at the following articles:
BLOG
What are the key workforce trends shaping the energy sector? Part 2
In part two of our energy trends series, learn how to solve the skills gap in the energy sector in five steps. Read on to adjust your energy hiring strategy.
What are the key workforce trends shaping the energy sector? Part 1
In part one of this series, learn the workforce trends shaping the energy sector. Read on to discover the effects on energy company talent pipelines.
5 Anti-Trends for 2025: Where the world of work is failing, and how to fix it
Are you ready for the year ahead? CEO of Enterprise Solutions, Nigel Kirkham, reflects on the anti-trends that are impacting the world of work.
Top Engineering Jobs in the new Engineering Industry
Discover how the engineering industry is changing and how the most in-demand engineering job roles must learn to work with AI. Read our insights & full report.
Top 10 In-Demand Manufacturing Jobs in 2024
Explore the most in-demand manufacturing jobs in 2024. Learn how new technologies are transforming the industry, and see how hiring strategies are changing.
Organisational alignment: The secret to achieving your purpose and maximising business results
Explore how business organisational alignment can help bring teams together and meet strategic business goals. Read more from our Enterprise Solutions experts.
How to achieve total talent management
Getting the right people is the key to success. Learn how to achieve total talent management by extending the talent supply chain. Read more with Hays.
Hays Latest Everest PEAK Matrix Rankings
Hays has been ranked Leader (MSP/CWM) and Major Contender and Star Performer (SOW) in the Everest Group Peak Matrix.
Hays latest Everest PEAK Matrix Rankings
Learn what our placing in the latest Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment means for you.
What are the top jobs in Banking, Finance and Insurance?
Discover how AI impacts the top jobs in banking, financial services and insurance sector. Read the full report to explore evolving roles and learn where to find these opportunities.
AI in recruitment: What is the impact?
Discover how AI is transforming recruitment, from automation to ethical considerations, and what the future holds for a more efficient and human-centric hiring process.
Six strategies for attracting tech talent
Discover effective strategies to attract tech talent. Learn how to create a compelling value proposition to appeal to top candidates in the tech industry.
Automation, artificial intelligence and customer experience
Discover how artificial intelligence and customer experience management can enhance recruitment while maintaining a human touch. Learn more in our latest blog.
How can leaders support their employees' mental health?
As employees become more willing to talk about their mental wellbeing, do leaders need to be better prepared to support them?
9 ways to improve your diversity recruitment strategy
Unsure how to recruit a diverse workforce? Our expert blog features tips to improve your strategy and demonstrate an inclusive company culture to candidates.
Why a great contingent value proposition is important
Learn why a strong Contingent Value Proposition is crucial for attracting top talent and discover how to gain a competitive edge. Read more in our latest blog.
Our four key ingredients for effective Statement of Work management
Discover the four ingredients for creating effective SOW management solutions. Read our expert blog to learn the secrets of what makes a top SOW solution.
How to improve your influence skills with internal stakeholders
Our expert guide has tips on how to influence internal stakeholders and make sure your next procurement project is a successful one. Read on to find out more.
How many interviews is too many for candidates?
Does your hiring process need refining? In this blog we discuss how many interviews are too many and how AI can help screen candidates. Read on to learn more.
How can direct sourcing evolve with your MSP programme?
Direct sourcing has revolutionised the way companies hire candidates for temporary and permanent roles. Find out how it can enhance your managed programmes.
HR technology: Innovations to MSP programmes
Discover how technology is transforming MSP programmes with AI, mobile tools, and cybersecurity. Stay ahead with these HR technology innovations.