Disruptive leadership: 5 must-have qualities for leaders in 2022

Whether you’re a founder building from the ground up or a leader who’s stepping into some big shoes, your vision — and your ability to communicate it — are still essential to your own reputation and to those you’re leading. Find out what it takes to be a leader now and in the days ahead.

What does good leadership look like in 2022? How can you put your best foot forward where you work, whether you’re managing a team or

an entire company? In March, we’ll plumb the topic through Q&As from top-tier industry leaders, contributions from Inman columnists (the leaders in their field) and more. Then we’ll keep the leadership conversation going in person at Inman Disconnect in late March in Palm Springs, California.

“May you live in interesting times” is an apocryphal Chinese curse that grows more ironic and apt with every passing year. Remember thinking that you would make a decision or take on a task “when things get back to normal?” More and more, we’re beginning to realize that there’s no such thing. Maybe there never was.

Leading through times like these is its own special challenge. Now, there are so many ways to go wrong, to disappoint, to upend the good you’ve done in your career. There are so many demands on your time, energy and patience, and the rule book, if there ever was one, has gone out the window.

In addition, there’s the challenge of dealing with other people’s perceptions of what a leader looks like, sounds like and acts like. Maybe you’re younger than the folks you’re leading. Maybe your background is different than theirs. Maybe you’re having to overcome preconceptions about whether you’re ready to lead, qualified to lead or able to lead.

Leadership no longer has a one-size-fits-all blueprint. There’s no longer an archetype. Now, more than ever (to beat a dead horse, as the saying goes), leadership is about what you do, how you relate and how you handle change — the only certainty.

Creating a new model of leadership

How, then, do we create a new leadership model, and how do we equip ourselves to be the leaders we most want to be — and see — in the world? We scanned the latest research and writing on leadership and reached out to Inman readers for their thoughts on the leadership qualities that resonate right now.

Here are some of the most important traits leaders need moving forward, whether they’re just starting out on a leadership journey or rebooting their skills for the days ahead.

Authenticity

Perhaps it’s looking at each other across Zoom on bad hair days, with bad lighting and wearing pajamas, but flawless facades seem outdated in the current leadership landscape. From sharing mistakes to promoting balance, today’s most compelling leaders don’t seem interested in pretending perfection. 

In addition, the changes and disclosures that came along with the #MeToo movement showed us that there’s no such thing as a flawless leader, and many of those who pretend to be are hiding dark secrets. Now, being authentic and being transparent feels safer and easier to believe in. More and more, we don’t need our leaders to be perfect, just honest and real.

Inclusiveness

The team or leadership structure of the future is more about defining roles and finding the right person for the role — not the person who’s just like everyone else at the company, according to Harvard Business Review. That means looking to include both diversity — so that your team looks more like your customers and the industry at large — and diverse skill sets and backgrounds.

SOURCE: Inman