Why Is It Important To Train And Upskill Leaders?

Post-pandemic, there has been a major shift in the way businesses function. While the stage for business disruption was long set by technological advancements like AI, automation, and big data analytics, the pandemic acted as a burning matchstick on a pile of fireworks. Overnight, the business had to shift to remote work. This meant adopting real-time digital systems to ensure work happened and productivity levels didn’t wane. For leaders, this new business world meant newer challenges to face and overcome. The rapidly changing market dynamics coupled with technological advancements have made businesses focus on upskilling to ensure the employees and management stay up to date to navigate a complex landscape to stay ahead of the competition.

Businesses need to develop leadership talent within the organisation who can translate the company’s vision into action from a strategic point of view. To be impactful in leading their companies in the new world of business, leaders require the right mixture of skills and traits. Leaders must embrace constant learning while keeping an eye on the future. By upskilling themselves, leaders can anticipate changes and adapt quickly, staying ahead of the competition. This is a must as training and upskilling enable leaders and employees to quickly pivot to market shifts, thereby ensuring the long-term success of any organization.

Technology Demands Constant Training & Upskilling

As technology continues to evolve, organisations must stay prepared for the next phase of their industry. Leaders who upskill themselves and their teams can prepare for the future by identifying emerging trends, adopting new technologies, and building new capabilities. This helps future-proof the business and ensures that it remains relevant and competitive in the years to come. Upskilling helps leaders and their organizations build resilience. By developing new skills, capabilities, and mindsets, leaders can navigate challenges and setbacks with confidence, knowing that they have the tools and expertise to overcome any obstacle.

Levelling Up

Prioritising training and upskilling embed a culture of continuous learning and development within their organizations. This encourages employees to develop new skills and take on new challenges, thus having a positive impact on overall engagement. Continuous learning also enables leaders to attract and retain top talent by investing in talent development, which further strengthens the organization.

Difference between Upskilling & Reskilling

Upskilling is different from reskilling in the sense that the former involves improving existing employees’ skills and abilities so they can advance in their current roles and careers within the organization. It also helps to minimize any skills gaps in the workplace. The latter, on the other hand, involves training staff for different jobs. Both are generally achieved through training and other learning and development interventions.

Physical & Emotional Well-Being

There has been an increase in the need to ensure staff’s mental health and well-being, especially post-Covid and the subsequent transitions that were made. This has led to an increase in the demand for support for the development of skills in emotional intelligence, self-care, resilience, and personal development. Not only the HR but the managers are now required to be more empathetic and well acquainted to handle employees' problems, professional and personal, and should be able to lend the required support to ensure the overall well-being. This can only happen when leaders and managers are trained to handle such unforeseen circumstances or situations.

Innovation is key to staying ahead of the competition, and leaders who upskill are able to swiftly drive innovation within the organizations. By staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies, leaders are able to identify new opportunities and accordingly develop innovative solutions that meet customers' changing needs. This helps businesses stay relevant and competitive, even in crowded markets.

References

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2022/05/23/leveling-up-the-benefits-of-upskilling-for-employees-and-organizations/?sh=6844e18345a5

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09585192.2021.1891114

https://www.peoplematters.in/article/leadership/upskilling-leadership-for-a-new-world-of-business-31588

https://hbr.org/2021/11/organizations-need-a-dynamic-approach-to-teaching-people-new-skills