Laurie Moot* says tapping into special skills will give leaders and edge when it comes to activating their teams.
Spider-Man has his spidey senses. Doctor Strange can bend the fabric of space and time.
Arm-Fall-Off-Boy can … detach his arms? (Yes, seriously, that’s his superpower.)
Comic books and pop culture have produced many outlandish superpowers, and most of them are not realistic.
But in the realm of learning and development, leaders do have the ability to tap into a key set of special skills that will be critical to the future.
While these skills might not be as straightforward and tangible as, say, data analysis or technology use, that hardly means they’re the stuff of fiction.
Strengthening qualities like your emotional intelligence and adaptability can give you a serious edge when it comes to activating your teams and innovating your program.
Emerging “superskills” in L&D leadership
RedThread Research conducted a survey of more than 300 L&D professionals to identify which skills are being prioritized most for the future of the function.
The findings, featured in our Workplace Learning Report 2022, include several interesting nuggets.
Among them is the noticeable rise in skills that fall outside of the traditional “hard skill” category.
Emerging soft skills may be more difficult to quantify, but it’s clear they are now essential.
Interpersonal relationships and managing change were already challenging enough before work dynamics were thrown awry.
That’s why – alongside the fixtures like Technology, Leadership, Communication, and Core skills – you’ll find an entire category defined by Personal Readiness.
This includes skills such as agility, resilience, adaptability/flexibility, and productivity/efficiency.
All of these skills tie to a central theme: the ability to thrive rather than survive amid change and disruption.
The best leaders will distinguish themselves as trusted sources of stability through chaos.
These are the emerging superskills, set to be in high demand because the turbulence shows no sign of stopping.
“If you were to fall asleep in the early 1900s and wake up in the 21st century, you would experience nearly 100 years of change and advancement,” wrote Brad Federman last year in Forbes.
“Disorienting, but manageable.
“Now, imagine that level of change occurring within the next 10 years.
“That is the reality facing consumers, companies, and employees alike.”
Buckle up.
The good news is that the superskills needed to steadily navigate these times can be learned, and sharpened.
Developing your adaptive leadership skills
In a fascinating interview with HBR, Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill shared results from surveys and roundtables with hundreds of executives from around the world.
The priorities that emerged in this research will sound familiar.
“When we ask leaders, what are the skills you need to lead right now,” said Hill, “first was adaptability, second was curiosity, next creativity, and then comfort with ambiguity.
“Number five was digital literacy.”
There goes that word again: adaptability.
From her view, one of the best ways to develop it – in both leadership and across the organization – is giving employees chances to exercise different muscles and experience varied roles, scenarios, and training.
“Leadership is learned on the job.
“It’s not something someone can tell you,” Hill said.
“You have to practice it, hone it, get feedback along the way to get better at it.
“So adaptability is one that really relates to the kinds of career paths you actually create for people.”
In his article in Forbes, Federman shared seven habits and attitudes that can strengthen your adaptability and familiarity:
- Learn to play again.
- Go to interesting places.
- Drop the notion of there being a career ladder.
- Develop a healthy fear of falling behind.
- Keep reading.
- Experiment.
- Find your noble goal.
The LinkedIn Learning library features an entire learning path dedicated to developing adaptability skills.
Courses in this curated collection can help you create a culture of change, cultivate mental agility, build resilience, and much more.
Based on all of the above, it goes without saying that these skills are well worth growing, for the good of your career and organization.
The superskills of tomorrow are within your reach today.
No trip to Krypton required.
*Laurie Moot is Senior Marketing Manager at Linkedin.
This article first appeared at linkedin.com.
