Agile Leader Skills

The most important leadership skills to address the challenges of today? Already back in 2016, the team at metaBeratung discussed these most important skills for managers and how these could be captured in a competency model. This discussion was driven by our own internal shift towards working in networks and/or distributed teams, working from home and more project-related work, as well as the resulting need to strategically adapt our own business model.

The result of our study on leadership skills of the future – or “agile leadership” – conducted in 2016 together with IMD Business School could not be more trending today, as a recent study came to a similar conclusion in 2024. Agile leaders should have the ability to react to changes in their environment in the short term without losing sight of long-term strategic goals. They should also embody the values of humility and commitment, which are fundamental in an increasingly team-oriented working environment.

In addition, there are three behaviors: hyper-awareness, informed decision-making and fast execution. The Covid pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have shown how important it is to remain adaptable basically on a day-to-day basis.

In a validation study, we then developed the Agile Leadership Assessment together with Hogan Assessments with the aim of being able to determine the seven Agile Leadership competencies based on the three classic Hogan personality assessments (HPI; HDS and MVPI). We therefore offer the Agile Leader Report for companies that want to give managers a chance to reflect on how they are performing in relation to the new, required competencies.

This year we have revised the Agile Leader Assessment and also the corresponding certification – so we are very pleased to present this new report to you with today’s newsletter.

Also of interest are the results of a recent study by the further education academy TAM, which examined the most important leadership trends.  The following ten top trends stood out:

1. Digital Leadership: managers need to use digital tools, be agile and flexible, develop digital skills and manage home office staff effectively.
   
2. New, modern Structures:  flat hierarchies and efficient communication promote innovation. Meetings should be limited to what is necessary and direct communication should be facilitated.
   
3. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): CSR projects such as sustainable production and social initiatives increase both company value and economic success.
   
4. Understanding basic psychology for managers: understanding human behavior and effective conflict management are crucial for successful leadership.
   
5. Shared Leadership: responsibility is distributed among several people, which reduces stress and promotes creativity. Good communication is essential here.
   
6. Personal Development: continuous training and a strong learning culture are necessary in order to be prepared for change.
   
7. Employer Branding: attractive employer brands increase employee motivation and loyalty. Managers are brand ambassadors and shape the corporate culture.
   
8. Agile Leadership: agile methods require flexibility, continuous feedback and the ability to react quickly to change.
   
9. Empathic Leadership: empathy promotes a value-oriented work culture and long-term employee loyalty.
   
10. Leader as coach and mentor:  leaders should act as coaches and mentors, building trust and guiding through questions to support employee development.

These top trends perfectly summarize the competencies of our Agile Leadership Assessment. Feel free to contact us if you would like more information or would like to know how to map the competencies.