What are the competencies that leaders require to face constant changes?

In a world of constant change, leaders need to develop new skills and competencies to face challenges, while detonating new ideas and adapting the business model to create a more competitive company.

For Yvette Mucharraz y Cano, director of IPADE’s Center for Research on Women in Senior Management, it is necessary to equip leaders with dynamic skills, which are the bridge between the present and the future, because they allow them to do the right thing in the future. opportune moment, without forgetting the value chain and a flexible organizational culture.

According to the study “Mexican-style leadership: what skills to promote to lead in the changing context” carried out by IPADE Business School in collaboration with Spencer Stuart, Mexican leaders require three essential characteristics to overcome uncertainty.

Short and long term balance

Mexican leaders need to take stock of short- and long-term plans, which allows them to respond to the immediate needs of clients, talent, and stakeholders, while considering aspects that will favor permanence and sustainability. of the business in the coming months and years.

Adaptability and resilience

In an uncertain world it is necessary to develop new forms of interaction and adapt to changes, this will create resilient leaders, who know how to make the best decision for the business.

Empathy and inclusion

The risk of losing talent has increased, partly due to not accepting the differences or particular needs of certain groups, in an environment where the rules are not written and need to be redefined. For this reason, one of the challenges for leaders is the empathy that allows the retention of talent.

“The key element of any organization is the people, and having the leaders prepared to execute the business strategy is a competitive advantage that is difficult for competitors to match. Furthermore, if they have exemplary models, the collaborators will replicate them”, highlights Alejandra Ortiz, PhD and Leadership Consultant and Coach at Spencer Stuart

Specialists agree that in order to solve problems and make the best decisions, leaders need to respond “today”, at the same time that they plan anticipating trends and problems “on the fly”.

Additionally, they must generate and manage their energy and emotion in order to navigate ambiguity with optimism and persistence. “They need to move people toward achieving goals based on their particular needs with a hybrid way of working,” Mucharraz says.

Therefore, it determines that there are five essential competencies to ensure the success of strategic leaders in complex environments.

• Anticipation to be able to identify and consider opportunities before competitors do.
• The challenge and interpretation support the organization’s ability to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the environment.
• Ability to decide with incomplete information, as well as the alignment of divergent perspectives.
• Making decisions in an uncertain environment and attracting other leaders to the transformation effort as a fundamental characteristic that strategic leaders exhibit.
• Growth mentality and openness towards exploring new ideas, which is essential to identify change and carry out the reorganization of resources in a creative way to be able to face change in a positive way

In order to know if executives have or will have these competencies, it is necessary to measure the competencies and abilities of the talent and provide them with constant training.