The past two years have changed a lot about the way we work. For managers, however, the question arises as to how we will manage moving forward as these changes become the norm. More people than ever before are now working from home at least part of the time. The culture and connectedness that once bought us together in the office are gone. How has this changed how we manage? What will the leaders of 2022 do to adapt to these changes?

What does Leading a Team in 2022 Look Like?

Leading in the New Normal

Charles Day in Fast Company describes the strangeness and ambiguities that face leaders in the new year, “Technology has come to our aid and kept us apart. People want to be back together and they want to work from home.” Organizations and the managers within them now know they must be agile and resilient to survive what’s next in tumultuous markets. 

Gallup researched some of the changes we’ve seen over the past two years against how those evolutions will force leadership to evolve. They suggest leading teams in 2022 requires:

  • Clear, consistent communication. Gallup suggests, “Uncertainty creates anxiety and anxiety torpedoes performance.” Leaders can offset this uncertainty with clear and ongoing communication with consistent messaging and clarity of thought.
  • Investing in your managers. If you can develop your frontline managers in a way that coaches them in how to engage their workforce your productivity will increase. It will help with retention. If you’re not doing this now, you’ve created a systemic problem that ultimately has led to the Great Resignation that has impacted every industry. If you invest in training your managers, you will create an environment where people want to succeed. One futurist was quoted in Fast Company about this new kind of manager imperative. She says, “This is very painful. It really is a new ecology of work. Is it going to be more leadership by committee, by group? You’re only a leader if someone wants to follow you. There’s no forced leadership anymore.” 
  • Focus on wellbeing. Gallup says this concept has five elements: Career, social, financial, physical, and community. We’re rebounding a bit in this area, frankly, because the pandemic hit us right in the area of our wellness. But Gallup says your organization also has a wellness indicator, and higher levels of wellbeing equate to lower employee burnout, anxiety, and stress. Gallup continues, “Wellbeing is a leadership issue.” Promoting your employee assistance program (EAP), talking about wellness, and increasing the care and caring between leadership and employees throughout your organization is not only the right thing to do but will also help managers and leaders improve employee engagement.

What Can You Do Right Now to Improve Leadership for 2022?

To lead in 2022, you must be well-prepared as well as agile to shift with the latest market fluctuations. Throughout this effort, you must change how you interact with employees. Instead of leading from the top-down, today’s leaders must engage employees in the success of the organization to succeed.

Ready to Lead Your Team Differently in 2022?

Give your employees the right tools. Exelare offers customers the latest technology housed in a superpowered applicant tracking system. This tool has it all; automation, dashboards, analytics, and an easy user interface that keeps you productive right out of the gate. Call on us to find out how we can help leaders fulfill their mission in 2022.