Future Leadership Competencies (beyond 2030) by Pranav Arya

Future Leadership Competencies (beyond 2030)

We know that digital and AI technologies have transformed the world and today’s workforce is going
through a drastic shift that requires new skills and skills. Combined with the ever-increasing pace of change,
growing complexity, and continuous uncertainty, these trends are creating many challenges for
organizations. There are new challenges that cannot be solved by the same set of skills.

Not only are businesses torn by opposing views of the future, but they’re also beset by barriers to operating
as a successful digital business in 2030. The majority (57 percent) of businesses are struggling to keep up
with the pace of change and 93 percent are battling some form of barrier to becoming successful digital
businesses in 2030 and beyond.

PWC carried out research that put into practice a three-pronged strategy. Focus groups, surveys, and
interviews were used to get feedback. The team also used the polls to contact a bigger range of leaders.
Seven leadership characteristics that are most important for defining the relationship between employees
and organization are the subject of analytical research. These seven leaderships be broadly categorized into
three categories of capabilities: emerging or new capabilities, core or foundational capabilities, and
adopting simultaneities. The ability to make decisions that balance conflicting business realities. These are
the seven leadership qualities:

1.Disruptive Envisioning
In today’s business world we are realizing the complexity of work is going to be handled and organizational
growth will be different than usual. Leaders have to bend their mindset where they have to unlearn and
learn numerous times in place of the conventional process.
2.Multidimensional approach toward a realistic decision
Gone are those days when leaders said they are well aware of almost every sphere of the business but this
cannot be claimed any longer. Advancements like Ail, ML, sentiments of employees, consumers and their
behaviors, regulations, and more opportunities for businesses make the world far more complicated. The
leader will be in a more critical spot to direct the business right and Centre. This will require reflection on a
multidimensional approach to make models work for them.
3.Intent toward institution building
Since there are no boundaries for any leader is making the institution globally successful by leveraging
opportunities. This competency will make the business more sustainable and aligned with the mission. This
is often conflicted between long-term and short-term goals. Leaders have to put the organization’s purpose
above everything. They have to question continuously what’s in it for the organization.
4.Personal Credibility
In changing business landscape previous experiences bear to be limited to making future decisions and
making discussions with agility. Leaders are in the continuous spotlight. For stakeholders, trust can be
gained through their credibility. The leader must demonstrate consistency in words and actions, credible
decisions taken in tough situations, and how well they communicate with stakeholders at a deeper level.
5.Talent magnets
Leaders have to quickly gauge the right skill they need, influence peers and inspire talent in the organization,
and all this without any direct control to get the best performance and deliverables with appreciable
productivity.
6.Continuously learning and evolving
 Future Leadership Competencies (beyond 2030) by Pranav Arya

This competency is different from disruptive envisioning and it’s the curiosity that is sourced in the leader to
learn and evolve. This is the most foundational and important. So far, we have been accustomed to learning
the content however this will shift to context due to changing business and their domains.
7.Self-awareness
Undoubtedly self-awareness gives birth to many other capabilities but leaders have to be very honest about
who they are and how they are impacting the overall ecosystem. Through self-awareness, they can gather
the strength, path to success, and courage to bridge the gap on a deeper level.

All these competencies are not needed to be learned or developed 100% but there could be numerous ways
they have to adopt a mix of all these. This dilemma can be overcome by understanding the gap between the
leader and the organization. To gauge this level, they have a clear idea of their boundaries, the gap which is
coming between them present and where they want to go, and the best alternative to close the gap. And at
the pace, this all will be done will be the biggest differentiating factor.

“One of a leader’s most challenging tasks is to execute against the issues arising today in a way that
prepares the organization for the future. The ability to be comfortable in both strategic discourse and
practical execution, and to ensure each informs the other, is a combination of skills that is rarely found but
critical for leadership success.”

- Blair Sheppard, Global Leader Strategy and Leadership Development, PwC

References

1. https://www.grantthornton.global/en/insights/articles/leadership-2030/
2. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/what-matters-most-five-
priorities-for-ceos-in-the-next-normal
3. https://www.pwc.in/assets/pdfs/consulting/mc/po/reimagining-leadership-steering-indias-workforce-in-2030.pdf