Automate the simple so you can shine in the complex.<\/p>Tom Walley | Global Managing Director of Corporate Traveller<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nListening to Tom, one of the things that stuck out to me was the role of vulnerability \u2014 in leadership, in building resilience, in navigating tricky or even painful circumstances. Tom spoke from the heart, describing the individual and collective pain of having to make hundreds of colleagues redundant in a single day. In almost any circumstance \u2014 even some of the most challenging ones \u2014 the ability to acknowledge and share emotions helps build connections and encourages broader sharing and trust in the group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The crucial role of vulnerability tends to come back to authenticity, which Tom called out as one of his top three lessons from the pandemic and its fallout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authenticity<\/b>. Tom stressed the importance of being open and honest with your people, while also encouraging them to do the same.<\/li>Trust<\/b>. Your people are even more resilient and resourceful than you might be assuming. But, first, you have to trust them, and you need to be authentic and honest as a way of earning their trust in return.<\/li>Decisiveness<\/b>. As a company that stresses the importance of data, Tom shared that they were often waiting for the full data before making decisions \u2014 which wasn\u2019t helpful during the rapidly changing chaos of the early pandemic. With no precedent, he and other leaders needed to make decisions much faster. Even if it turns out to be the \u2018wrong\u2019 decision, Tom pointed out that your people will still value you, and often they simply wanted someone to make a decision. People expect a leader, not an oracle. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s not the only answer, technology can play a role in facilitating all of the above. The right digital solutions can free you to make faster choices and focus on human connection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAutomate the simple so you can shine in the complex,\u201d advised Tom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Corporate Traveller is applying these lessons to current approaches, careful to not let valuable new habits and lessons learned slip away over time. Tom said that there\u2019s \u201cmuscle memory\u201d in any organisation and that it\u2019s easy for people to roll back into old ways of doing business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why they\u2019re making conscious efforts to ensure that faster, more agile responses aren\u2019t restricted to a pandemic. It also includes \u201ckinder\u201d priorities \u2014 that is, a greater focus on mental health, wellbeing and looking out for one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The path ahead: cultivating inspiration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Tom was candid about what worked, what didn\u2019t, and what they\u2019ve learned from it all. It was an authentic and vulnerable foundation for our wider discussion, where other leaders opened up about their struggles and insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite attendees from a range of industries and geographies, I noticed some common issues \u2014 and some fantastic ideas for addressing them.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\u201cEmployees want to work for organisations whose values and passions are aligned with their own \u2014 and they want to be recognised and supported for those values.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\nFor starters, the struggle for talent appears to be nearly universal. This isn\u2019t just attracting talent, it\u2019s also a matter of retaining your people after you\u2019ve invested in upskilling them. When you significantly invest in developing top talent and they become more valuable to rival employers, how do you make sure they stay? After all, not every company has the resources to offer luxe perks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reality is that top talent want to be working on interesting projects, which is one of the big opportunities of technology. Leaders should be thinking about \u201cautomating the simple\u201d as Tom shared, so they can ensure their people work on interesting projects and proofs of concept. But, in addition to interesting projects and work, employees also want to work for organisations whose values and passions are aligned with their own \u2014 and they want to be recognised and supported for those values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how can employers make sure they\u2019re delivering these sorts of environments? They\u2019re questions that overlap with two other common problems: employee burnout, and getting people back into the office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our guest speaker Peter Gilmore, Executive Chef at Quay, observed that we\u2019ve spent so long needing to react to urgent circumstances, we may need a renewed focus on bringing creativity into what we do. Since creativity is a huge part of his work, Peter has been honing the ability to keep evolving and finding new inspiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His suggestion for attendees? We need to get outside, both literally and figuratively. We need to spend some time together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what does that look like in our current environment? Most leaders shared that employees are tired, burnt out and aren\u2019t taking as many holidays. Plus, many are reluctant to give up the benefits of remote working, even as collaboration and creativity take a hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some leaders pointed to the need for employers to earn<\/i> the right to ask people to return. This might mean giving them exciting new projects or opportunities, even those from other functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLeading with values and staying connected<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Further, Peter noted that he\u2019s seeing workers gravitate toward values and purpose-led organisations, and not just in hospitality. It\u2019s a trend that spans technology, travel, service and everything in between. People want to work for leaders and organisations who inspire and motivate them, whilst doing good in the broader community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s no sure-fire formula for achieving these things. But one thing is clear: we\u2019ll get closer to answers if we\u2019re willing to connect with one another and be honest about what we\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Want to see more insights from Leadership Circle roundtables?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Check out discussions with Foxtel, Canva and the Warehouse Group<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n