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Employees want leaders who can envision a positive future state for the organization and then engage and inspire the workforce. So say the results of a survey of leaders from 466 of the world’s most notable organizations across the globe who participated in 2016 Trends in Executive Development biennial survey.
“People need leadership. We see it in the trends, and we see it in the work every day,” says Bonnie Hagemann, CEO of Executive Development Associates. The “2016 Trends in Executive Development: A Benchmark Report” is the product of collaboration between Executive Development Associates (EDA), Pearson TalentLens, and Performance Assessment Network (PAN).
In 2014, the trends showed that the ability to create a compelling vision and engage others around it was the most important capability needed for next generation leaders. That remains true in 2016.
While the need for leadership remained steady, the new results indicate a slight shift in how leaders approach challenges with a new emphasis on cognitive readiness and a continued emphasis on critical thinking.
Hagemann notes that since 2009, critical thinking, the ability to recognize assumptions, evaluate arguments and draw conclusions, has topped the trends as a key development need for senior leaders. “In 2016, we see the connected but more advanced level of mental skills of cognitive readiness gain in importance.
Cognitive readiness, defined further in the report, is the mental, emotional and interpersonal preparedness for uncertainty and risk.”
In addition and possibly the biggest shift in the 2016 trends is a much greater focus on the customer. “This is a major point in the research,” says Hagemann. “I believe, executive development will be positively impacted by this new trend as leaders learn to drive organizations that are customer centric in their solutions and integrated in their approach.”
In order to track the growth and evolution of executive education and development trends, Executive Development Associates, Inc. has conducted this research every two to four years since 1983. The 2016 Trends Report which is used by organizations to benchmark their own executive development practices shows that the shifting markets and impact of technology are pushing executives to learn new skills and make changes in their approach.
“Organizations globally including those in Asia Pacific need to incorporate the next generation leadership competencies as identified in the Report so as to address the development needs of their rising leaders. Leaders at all levels need to have a broader skill set, one that equips them to think and act globally in a VUCA business environment. They must do so while embracing cross-cultural diversity and cultivating collaborative relationships within and outside their walls. These are the hallmarks of the mind-set needed to develop effective global leaders,” says Prof Sattar Bawany, the Managing Director, EDA Asia Pacific, who is concurrently the CEO of Centre for Executive Education (CEE). CEE is the Strategic Partner of EDA in Asia Pacific.
The 60-page Trends report may be obtained through EDA Asia Pacific. For more information contact: EDA Asia Pacific at [email protected] or +65 6789 0977.
