What makes a successful leader in 2024?

We recently read an article from Forbes online called: The top five leadership trends that will drive success in 2024, and we found it interesting, especially knowing our following on LinkedIn includes many leaders, as well as those we work with directly.

It’s no surprise that because of huge global, technological, and societal shifts, leaders are being faced with unprecedented challenges and opportunities. In turn, leaders are being forced to adapt to meet the demands of these changes – and so the skills required for the job are changing too.

Mathew Lehnig, VP of Programs at Taking Point Leadership and retired Navy SEAL officer, shared his top five leadership trends to help succeed in 2024:

1. Adaptive leadership Being ready and able to embrace change, show flexibility and agility in decision-making and problem-solving and being open to the continuous learning and development of new skills. A willingness to change direction when the need arises (and arise it does in this wild world!) is a must.
2. Emphasis on emotional intelligence Emotionally intelligent leaders are better equipped to encourage positive team dynamics. In later years leaders have climbed down from their ‘ivory towers’ and are now more connected with employees than ever before. Long may this continue!
3. Purpose-driven leadership We wrote a blog about “The essence of purpose driven leadership”back in November last year, and the sentiment remains. Leaders need to align organisational goals with a broader sense of purpose and societal impact to effectively inspire and engage employees, customers and stakeholders.
4. Remote leadership skills Hybrid models and flexible work arrangements aren’t going anywhere, so in 2024 leaders need to get onboard and embrace them and the skills needed to navigate virtual environments effectively. They can do this through great communication, virtual gatherings and training, among other things.
5. Tech and data literacy It’s a digital world and leaders need to brush up on digital skills and literacy to understand, participate in conversation, and make informed decisions. This will also mean they’re better able to enhance the potential that automation and AI has to offer to their respective settings.

We asked Gary Gamp, our Chief Experience Officer, what he thought of these five key trends, here’s what he had to say:

“It’s now more important than ever for a leader to be agile, and willing and able to adapt with little notice. The best examples and role models of inspirational leadership lie in embracing change, nurturing connections (in person and remotely), steering with purpose, and continuously gaining technological insight. All of this will help leaders lay the foundations for a future where everyone thrives together.”

In conclusion, the role of the contemporary leader has shifted hugely, there’s no doubt about it. To survive and thrive in this modern, technology-lead world, as well as having technical expertise, leaders must now be far more emotionally intelligent; showing a heightened level of empathy, self-awareness and an ability to manage and regulate emotions. This is what it is to be an authentic leader in 2024.

Would you benefit from leadership training? We can help. Get in touchif you’d like to hear about the work we’ve done with leaders and senior teams and find out how we can support you in the future.