Leadership: 2023 Trends

I recently read the HBR’s article on the leadership and management trends for 2023, which you can find here. I found a few things extremely interesting, and wanted to share some juicy insights from my coach and corporate leader perspective.

Quiet Hiring

HBR’s number one item, “quiet hiring” is an intriguing idea, and one that I think would appeal to many veteran leaders. Let’s face it, the last two or three years, we’ve all been through the ringer, But when you’re inching ever closer to retirement, veterans of corporate leadership are looking to leverage their talents, honed skills, and extensive expertise into something that is a little more targeted. And fulfilling. Gone are the days of working like a startup until the end of your career. People who have been leading for a long time are looking for a change – whether that is less people leadership, more mentoring, or even teaching.

This is one reason I really like HBR’s take on how this practice will manifest:

In 2023, savvy organizations will turn this practice on its head and embrace “quiet hiring” as a way to acquire new skills and capabilities without adding new full-time employees. 

HBRm “Trends that Will Shape Work in 2023.” January 18. 2023

This may show up as contractors or part-time employment, or perhaps even a new way of hiring. I love the idea of working on special projects with a pool of skilled workforce on hand, not just contractors. It would be interesting to see if this idea works company wide, with say a group open to hire by any division. After all, leaders are leaders, and good leaders can lead a variety of functions. Whichever way this expresses itself, “quiet hiring” could be the new way to look at a workforce in the next one to three years.

Tech Talk

Tech is another area where employers and leaders are going to need to shift their consciousness. Not only is Artificial Intelligence (AI) beginning to invade our photo streams, it’s also invading our resumes, recruiting efforts, and employee data retention. Transparency, as HBR noted will become necessary if we are to feel comfortable about and with the people we hire. AI Regulations have already come into effect in New York and more are on the way. How will employers stay ahead of this wave?

And, why is this important? Just like we’re seeing increasing awareness of stolen artistic property or “fake art” from AI programs, there will be constant questions about what’s right and ethical. Likewise, we’re going to see potential cybersecurity threats and data breaches depending on the type of data shared. We’re going to see a lot more focus on AI not just in 2023 but possibly for years to come. Getting our arms around it now will help us all be prepared for this transparency.

Society More Meta

Social media has, for better or worse, connected us to a larger community of people. While there are still some people who are holdouts, As of October 2022, 59.3% of the global population is on some form of social media – that is more than four (4!) billion people. As leaders, we’ve seen the degradation in communication skills – written, verbal, and listening – when it comes to interviewees. Unless something changes drastically, this trend will most likely take decades to overcome.

This does beg the question: will employers need to continue to train their new hires in basic professionalism? Because of the need and desire of more people to work at home, and the fact we’re still emerging cautiously from a pandemic, education will need to change. That said, there may be ways for employers to not only help teach the “company culture” but also make it fun. As HBR indicated, connectivity is important. Many are employing diversity groups and DEI education to bring people together and interact, both online and in person. Some are doing old-fashioned coffee breaks, and some are encouraging health improvement options, like runs, walks, and health inclusion groups.

We’re all better with a healthy balance of face-to-face and remote working options.

Tools for Leadership: 2023 Style

I think the biggest thing to remember about leadership is that you’re not in the ship alone, even if it feels like it sometimes. Your peers and HR department are great resources for support and idea generation. If that feels to insular, you can always tap a coach or management consultant to navigate through change or developing your team. You can even look into collaborative coaching for team skills enhancements or classes online (Udemy, example) or in-person. Even conferences may offer some interesting ideas and tools for upcoming change. Many times, even a workshop or on-site skills training can help break the idea-lock that can happen when change is necessary.

This new year promises some big changes for companies, both large and small. The workforce and culture is changing globally. It will be interesting to follow this up in a year and see how it all turned out. If it’s anything like the last three, it will be somewhere on its head.