The past decade saw a multitude of changes in executive leadership, from new trends in management ideology to broader shifts in office-based culture. To keep pace with these sometimes rapid changes, office leaders must remain diligent in their commitment to quick learning, acceptance to change, and open-mindedness toward the future. 

The new year is no different, with a variety of prevailing trends already in progress or on the horizon. To ensure you are leading the charge for disruption and innovation, here are a few of these trends at surface level. 

Adaptation is more crucial than ever

It goes without saying that adaptation is a tenet of proper leadership, but it has become nothing short of mandatory in 2020. Today’s successful leaders have found a way to keep themselves thinking on their feet, while using this process to challenge their workers in unique, new ways. This balancing act can be difficult to navigate, as “many will feel threatened as you push through major changes –” both at a professional and personal level. Be sure to keep worker wellbeing in mind and frame changes as exciting new challenges rather than daunting enigmas.

The workplace has become a generational mosaic

In a recent blog, I explored a few ways to properly manage a multigenerational team, a concept that has only become more prevalent in today’s workforce. Countless workplaces are now comprised of many different generations, each representing different beliefs, expectations, demands, experiences, and habits. Therefore, it is important that you verse yourself in proper multigenerational management; if your workplace currently uniform in age, there is a decent chance this will change in the foreseeable future, so do not commit the crucial mistake of assuming this will never happen. 

DIY is taking over

Today’s society has become increasingly self-sufficient, with DIY reigning as a hallmark of our day-to-day routine. Naturally, this so-called “age of pre-sliced apples” has changed the composition of the average workplace, challenging hands-on norms and rendering segmented processes obsolete. Some commentators suggest that this phenomenon is the result of “time and decision fatigue;” in other words, current workers have become overwhelmed, overcommitted, and excessively stressed with their daily routine — so much so that they have become more open-minded to any concept that will reduce time spent on potentially tedious activities. As a leader, it is key to identify the potential positives and negatives of these cultural shifts, keeping your workers engaged and versed in new technologies while continuing to foster a culture of self-motivation and ambition.