10 Principles Of Leadership For 2020

In a world that feels increasingly unstable and unpredictable, there has never been a time when leadership mattered as much as it does today.

- Stephen Johnston

We are confounded by crisis and conundrums that swirl like some impenetrable mist— from a slowing global economy to unresolved trade tensions to an ever-accelerating pace of technological change. All of this coincides with the rapid emergence of ecological constraints and rising inequality.

While it is difficult to get a grip exactly on how, why and what the future will look like beyond the horizon, we can anticipate increasingly significant disruption, volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. And of course, it’s easy to feel despondent about all this, but where things get more hopeful is that a large amount of the risk can be buffered through effective leadership.

Leadership matters most when it creates a sense of galvanising purpose. Effective leaders direct and mobilise people and their ideas, while orienting, reassuring and anchoring them in times of stress. They help make sense of an increasingly complex, interconnected and demanding world and help people who yearn to contribute, feel good about their individual selves and the groups to which they belong.

As we prepare to welcome another new year, we outline 10 principles of leadership that can drive organisations towards a brighter future.

1. Self-awareness - Only when we become aware of our patterns of behaviour and our underlying belief systems, can we change. The foundation for any new way of leading will be the provision of insights into competency, personality traits, motivational drivers and learning agility.