Workshop aims to refocus leadership styles for new world of work

Dive Brief:

As companies make preparations for operating in a post-pandemic world, leaders will need upskilling to enhance leadership styles in meaningful ways, according to Skillsoft, an educational technology company. Leadercamp: Leading in the New Normal is a new workshop created to help leaders meet evolving workplace challenges, the company announced May 13.
Leadercamp, a free interactive learning experience, will be facilitated by Elisa M. Vincent, the vice president of global talent enablement at Skillsoft. The content will focus on building agility and resilience; tools for enhancing team engagement; and creating a leadership vision and strategy for forward momentum, according to the company.
Leadercamp is scheduled to take place from May 26 to 28, and attendees will also receive access to more than 800 courses in leadership, business continuity, compliance and technology and development, the company stated. The workshop is "designed to help leaders recharge, rethink and refocus their leadership style in meaningful ways, and strengthen themselves and their organizations in the process," Mark Onisk, chief content officer at Skillsoft, said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

Research shows that in order to support employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, managers will need additional training.

As employees' stress levels and anxiety increase, employers will look to managers to address their needs as well as foster resiliency, according to a Willis Towers Watson report published April 27. A survey of 200 employers found that a quarter of respondents have increased employee training opportunities for managers, and another third are planning to do the same. The majority (89%) of employers said that throughout the pandemic, managers have shown support to employees.

Although managers will need upskilling, company leadership is responsible for building trust with employees as well, according to Francesca Campalani, Randstad Enterprise Group vice president of global talent marketing. "This is the moment leaders have to walk the talk," Campalani said in a recent webinar. "People who are in HR in an engaging role with staff colleagues shouldn't be left alone. Leaders should be the face and voice of the company at this moment."

Inspiring, influencing and engaging employees is essential, according to Skillsoft. "The current global crisis calls for leaders who can support and inspire people through challenges, and who can engage them in the flow of life and work during and post-pandemic," Onisk said in a statement.

Employers that lead with economics and empathy during the pandemic will be rewarded with loyalty from candidates, workers and customers, according to Mercer, a human resources consulting firm. Company protocols "over the next few months, especially the longer-term strategies put in place, could determine how they fare over the next 12-18 months," Edith Clee, partner at Mercer, said in a statement.