The Evolution of Leaders-- what does the future hold?

I read a great article in Venture Magazine (2012 Anniversary edition) about the future of leadership. The question posed was “what will Alberta’s Business Person of the Year Look Like in 2027?”

One can only begin to imagine how different life and leadership will be in 15 years, in fact, look how much has changed in the past 15 years. Joseph Doucet, the interim dean at U of Alberta’s School of Business thinks there will be an evolution in the characteristics and traits of leads in 2012 (rather than the leaders that replace them).

Diversity will be much more profound in the coming years, and the leadership will be from a rich cultural diversity in backgrounds and ethnicity. There will be a strong requirement for leaders to create a culture that is ethnically diverse.

In the coming years, there will be a strong need for leaders to commit to and engage in ongoing education and learning. The pace of change in the business world will continue to progress and accelerate at an exponential rate therefore requiring leaders to continually advance their skills and learning. As well, leaders will need to be well versed in social media and online marketing and business practices.

Authenticity will continue to be a strong and much needed quality especially in relationships and building trust. Flexibility will continue to be a requirement in business, and leaders will be challenged to adapt to the online distractions in the workplace.

Lastly, forward thinking especially as it relates to succession planning and developing employees from within will be an important if not essential aspect of managing business growth, increasing pace of business and employee retention.


It will be interesting to see what the next 15 years bring. I am excited about it!

If you need to add more books to your corporate and team library, check out the deals at Amazon....



Here are some of my favorite books on leadership.  These will help prepare the leaders of today...and of tomorrow.  John Maxwells "The 5 Levels of Leadership", Patrick Lencioni's "Five Dysfunctions of a Team" and "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield.  These books have served as guides for me and my clients.  See below for more information

Make the Decision to Trust

David Irvine, is known as the Leader’s Navigator™. I had the opportunity to interview David on the launch of my new radio program Conversations with Charmaine. What a fabulous conversation, full of rich content for the listeners. David offered incredible insights about trust, authentic leadership and building a culture where communication, quality and authenticity prevail.


It became clear to me that not only is David a powerful connector and a communicator, he is an expert at building productive, engaging and vital cultures through authentic leadership.

Something that really struck me was David's comment that authentic leadership begins with a decision.

In discussing the concept of accountability, which is certainly a challenge I see lots of leaders struggle with, he described accountability as the "ability to be counted on" and reminded listeners of the importance of one's actions in demonstrating that you can be counted on.

As we discussed the importance of trust in organizations, and in teams, listeners heard not only why trust is essential...but also how to build trust. Many organizations that I have worked with have a long history building, restoring and rebuilding trust. In fact, with many, the old stories of trust (or lack there of) continue to plague the team because it has become part of their culture. David and I discussed a number of ways to restore trust, and like he said... it begins with the decision.

Listen to David's conversation on trust, leadership and authenticity at work at:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/charmainehammond/2012/02/15/guests-david-irvine-and-seanna-collins

To find out more about David's book The Bridges of Trust, or to add it to your corporate library, check out: