At a global level there are great movements and uncertainties, the challenges are increasingly greater and more complex. Immediacy prevails in all areas. We find economies trying to recover post-COVID, some countries have been more successful than others, Argentina has clearly been left behind. Added to that, the concern generated by wars happening simultaneously in different parts of the world. Russia in Ukraine, Azerbaijan in Armenia, Hamas in Israel and armed conflicts in Africa. As a consequence, diversity is being questioned through hate campaigns.
2024 will be a year of great changes in Argentina. With the new government, the rules of the game will be completely modified and, therefore, the leaders of the organizations will have to have certain skills to be successful in the new context. A climate of change is always a challenge. Even more so for those who are uncomfortable in contexts with a lack of certainty.
Therefore, there are competencies that are essential to achieve successful management in Argentina 2024. I summarized the five most important ones, I like to call them superpowers:
1.Emotional Intelligence: It is the ability to understand, express and manage emotions effectively, both in oneself and in relationships with others. It is the ability to use that understanding to channel thought and behavior.
For a leader, it is increasingly important to have gone through processes of introspection and to be truly aware of our feelings and what defines us as people. Only then, and when each is at peace with his true self, can he lead from another place. That place is one of plenitude, generosity and true empathy.
Emotional intelligence is essential to be able to face high levels of uncertainty without feeling overwhelmed. It allows us to connect with our emotions, but also to have a high degree of rationality. Furthermore, by feeling safe, the person can freely deploy their social skills and build lasting relationships. It also allows the leader to fully enjoy what she does since she has valuable tools to mitigate stress.
2.Results orientation: The Argentina of 2024 is going to be full of challenges, very high inflation is projected in the first quarter and there will be great challenges, but many new opportunities will also arise. Having a mindset that allows you to see opportunities where others only see challenges is a special skill. The results-oriented person can even achieve better in times of high volatility because they can look outside the box.
As characteristics, they are adaptable and persistent people. They know how to carry out projects successfully and have strategic thinking.
3.Lead with optimism: It is closely linked to resilience where perseverance prevails in addition to an open and flexible mind. Where some see challenges, others see opportunities. The famous glass half full instead of empty. Take the role of protagonist instead of being a victim. In the face of the greatest challenges, the important thing is to maintain a proactive mindset and focus on possible solutions instead of just seeing what cannot be achieved. Trust each of our collaborators and empower them so that they can achieve their best versions.
4.Mentality open to change: a person open to listening to all voices. Continuous learning prevails to be able to improve day after day. Many times I hear the phrases “we already tried this and it didn’t work”, “we already did it”, “that can’t be achieved here”, “but it was always done this way”.
Each of these phrases are totally negative and hinder the proper functioning and development of any company and leadership team. If you already tried it, it was probably in another context. Today the context is different and we can try doing it differently. Also thinking that you can’t change something just because it has always been done that way is thinking small. Thinking big means revisiting your processes, constantly challenging them and being open to modifying them when necessary.
5.The Innovative profile– This is a creative and curious person who challenges the status quo on a daily basis. She seeks to anticipate the needs of the market, clients, and the organization and achieve high impact consistently. TIt has a short, medium and long term vision. It adapts easily to the environment and is highly flexible. Your risk tolerance is high.
The 2024 leader appears to be someone who has superpowers. Emotional intelligence, results orientation, leading with optimism, a mindset open to change and innovative are the competencies that in my eyes anyone who leads a high-performance team in 2024 should have. Without these qualities it will be very difficult for a leader to manage without losing valuable people and valuable businesses along the way.
Many of these skills can be trained, others not so easily. It is the responsibility of each leader to think about their direct reporting team and analyze where the gaps may be. 2024 is just around the corner, are you ready?
Sandra Olive is Managing Partner at Backers & Partners. Specialized in the search for Executives for Senior Management and Culture and Leadership Consulting.
by Sandra Olive
