As part of a book club I participate in, I recently read Trust & Inspire by Stephen MR Covey. In it, Mr. Covey makes a compelling case for why and how we should rethink our leadership styles, using trust as a key component.
Why should we rethink our leadership styles? For one, the world has undergone significant changes. Disruptive technological advancements, specifically artificial intelligence, have created new demands and opportunities for our workforce. In 1982, futurist and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller estimated that up until 1900, human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By 1982, it was doubling every 12 to 13 months. Now experts claim our knowledge doubles every 12 hours.
Secondly, our work has changed. While traditional manual labor remains essential, we are increasingly expected to utilize our minds more for work and to work in more collaborative environments.
Our workplace has also changed. More people are working from home, and in our own profession, more offices are outsourcing billing, scribing, insurance verification, and call centers. I often hear of more people using virtual assistants who aren’t even on the same continent as the office.
The workforce has changed as well. More generations are working together now than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of workers aged 65 or older has grown by 117%.1 As older individuals stay in the workforce longer, we have twenty-somethings working alongside people who could be their grandparents’ age. Add in different ethnicities and religions, and we may have the most diverse workforce in the history of our country.
Lastly, our choices have changed. We have millions of choices at the touch of a button–think movies, TV shows, games, shopping, and more. Most of us carry a computer in our pockets 24/7, which adds to competitiveness in the marketplace.
This month, we’ll explore how we can adapt our leadership style to this evolving environment.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aging Workers Data and Statistics. Mar. 6, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/aging/data-research/index.html
