Three behavioural leadership skills that really matter

C-suite

Article

Top 3 behavioural leadership skills
Do good things always come in threes?
Emerging trends and the future of leadership

What skills will define executive leadership in the next decade? According to two of Robert Half’s leadership team, Managing Directors of Executive Search Patrick McKinney and Gareth Whalley, there are three key behavioural leadership skills that matter most. Together, they explain how ‘the three C’s’ – crisis management, creativity, and effective communication – not only inform C-suite leadership today, but will continue to intersect to shape the successful leaders and businesses of tomorrow.

The 2020s have challenged executive leadership like no other. Global trading conditions previously taken for granted have been turned upside down by a global pandemic, serious and developing war zones, and the impact of climate change on the world and the global economy. Business leaders have been forced to navigate their organisations through a raging torrent of supply chain disruption, economic turmoil, human resource mayhem, and energy and food-price inflation, to name just a few of the complex issues challenging businesses today.

“What we’re facing, in life and business, is a polycrisis,” cautions Parick McKinney, who has earned a reputation over his 20+ years in talent and acquisition for being able to successfully interpret clients’ needs in terms of the broader context of the search.

“Hiring managers need to be vigilant about filling leadership roles with candidates who can remain calm and think strategically under fire, and who strive to put their values and people – staff, stakeholders, and customers – first.” Coined in the 1970s and popularised by historian and Columbia University Professor Adam Tooze, polycrisis is used to frame multiple and often competing economic, environmental, and political challenges. “If you've been feeling confused and as though everything is impacting on you all at the same time, this is not a personal, private experience,” says Tooze. “This is actually a collective experience.”

Now, combined with the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), global crises are causing widespread disruption and so will continue to dominate boardroom discussions, which begs the question, as businesses face an era of multiple intersecting crises, what are the leadership skills that really matter?

“I believe there are three pivotal skills any effective senior leader needs to bring with them into the boardroom today,” says C-suite and leadership search veteran Gareth Whalley, who’s been an integral part of Robert Half’s executive team since 2006. “I call them ‘the three Cs’: crisis management, creativity, and communication.” “A person’s ability to adapt quickly in fast-changing conditions; to produce novel solutions for complex problems; and to build and maintain a reliable network of trusted allies, is what will set leaders apart as we head into the back end of the 2020s”.

Let’s unpack the ‘three Cs’ a little more here:

Businesses should be looking to recruit leaders with proven crisis management experience; those in finance, for example, or tech, who need to manage constant market volatility, regulatory changes, and data and privacy risk/breaches, while maintaining the confidence of investors and customers. Gareth Whalley: “Healthcare executives, too, are invariably called on to meet the varied and (occasionally competing) needs of government agencies, healthcare providers, and the public, to manage resources and ensure the continuity of care during critical patient care crises. “Take Professor Brendan Murphy, who was Chief Medical Officer of Australia during the pandemic. National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Professor Trent Twomey, described his impact, saying ‘It was a time when hard decisions had to be made and Professor Murphy did not flinch in doing what he felt was right and appropriate…[h]e was unwavering in his commitment to protect the communities throughout Australia as best he could.’”

Creativity and lateral thinking is also an accurate guide to how an executive leader responds to problems. Creativity in leadership will foster a culture of innovation in an organisation, which is crucial to staying relevant/competitive in business, especially now given the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on every vertical in every business and industry around the world. “Gail Kelly, Westpac’s former CEO, is a great example of what can be achieved under a creative leader, even in the very traditional banking sector,” Gareth explains. “Kelly focused on numerous customer-centric innovations and initiatives, and digital transformation, during her tenure, resulting in a modernised Westpac that set new standards in the Australian banking industry.”

As the foundational skill needed for networking and relationship building, effective communication has always been critical. Hybrid working has amplified the need for regular, clear, and authentic communication with teams and customers, especially so in a crisis to help mitigate the fall out from supply chain challenges and price increases and so on. What does that look like in action? Freedom’s CEO Blaine Callard penned this personal letter to explain to customers the impact of the global shipping delays the company was facing and managing ongoing post-COVID, and example of the ‘people management’ a 2022 Deloitte Supply Chain Resilience Report highlighted as one of the four key factors for manage supply chain risk and enhancing resilience more effectively.

Yes and no. “Putting things in threes creates useful narrative structures, but it’s not always the best way to think about complex or nuanced problems.” Patrick McKinney remarks. “I’m often asked by people in my network ‘So, what are the ‘top three’ styles of behavioral leadership?’, ‘Are there three ideal leadership qualities?’, or ‘What are the three most crucial concepts of leadership?’.”

“The truth is – and of course Gareth’s ‘3 Cs’ are vital, especially when operating in polycrisis mode – that there are numerous other important leadership skills. As an example, whilst many would remark that no truly inspirational leader can operate without emotional intelligence (EQ), there are many situations which require a leader to be driven by pure logic and facts to make decisions in times of crisis. Resilience is another example; the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and setbacks is invaluable in an effective leader, but even too much of this to the detriment of empathy or self reflection and humility can be no good thing. Or even agility. Agility is a buzzword for a reason; in fact, a leader’s ability to roll with the punches and embrace change is critical for overcoming challenges, and actually underpins the ‘3 Cs’, but people also expect a high degree of consistency in the behaviour of their leaders."

A new era – one defined by polycrisis – will demand a unique combination of behavioural leadership skills. As profound change ripples through the commercial world, what happens next will define executive leadership for decades to come. The rise and rise of multiple social, economic, environmental, geopolitical, and technological challenges are converging to test executive leaders like never before, including:

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Environmental and social governance (ESG)

Remote workforces

Increasing demands for workforce diversity

Changing employee expectations

Cybersecurity threats

Geopolitical instability

“The list goes on,” Patrick McKinney reflects. “At the end of the day, it will be those most adept at crisis management, the genuine creative thinkers, and the ‘people people’ – collaborators, communicators, networkers – who will be at the forefront of their teams, their organisations, and, as leaders, their markets and industries. They’re the ones you want on your side in a crisis!”

What are behavioural leadership skills?

Behavioral leadership skills are, literally, the behaviors and actions that leaders exhibit to effectively manage and inspire their teams. These skills focus on how leaders interact with others, make decisions, and influence their organisation’s culture. Vital traits like communication (as mentioned above), empathy/EQ, adaptability, and resilience work together to enhance a leader’s ability to motivate and guide teams towards achieving common goals.

What are some examples of behavioural leadership skills?

Examples of behavioral leadership skills include effective communication (see above), active listening, EQ, adaptability, and strong conflict resolution (again, see above). Effective communicators are authentic and transparent in their interactions, while active listening shows that a leader values their team’s input. Emotionally intelligent leaders skillfully manage both their own emotions and others’, and adaptability helps them successfully navigate inevitable change in the workplace.

How can I improve my behavioural leadership skills?

Improving your behavioral leadership skills involves continuous learning and practice. Good leaders will seek feedback from peers and team members anyway, to identify areas for growth. Participating in leadership training programs, workshops, and reading relevant literature can also enhance these skills. Practicing mindfulness and self-awareness is a powerful process that will help anyone, including leaders, to understand the impact of their words and actions on others, while mentoring and coaching can provide practical experience and insights.

What are the different types of behavioural leadership styles?

Different types of behavioral leadership styles commonly include democratic, autocratic, transactional, and transformational. Democratic leaders involve team members in decision-making, fostering collaboration. Autocratic leaders make decisions independently and while it gets a bad rap, is often well-suited for urgent situations. Transactional leaders focus on structured tasks and rewards, while transformational leadership, which often stands out as particularly effective, inspires and motivates their teams towards achieving or exceeding their goals.

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