IoD Guernsey’s May breakfast, sponsored by Butterfield, hosted a panel of local thought-leaders to analyse the new meaning of leadership in a post-pandemic era. The event welcomed Evelyn Brady, Managing Partner at PwC, Phil Eyre, Founder of Leaders Consultancy, and Jill Clark, Non-Executive Director and GTA lecturer.
Wendy Dorey, IoD Guernsey Chair and moderator of the event, quizzed the panellists on some topical leadership themes and challenged them to share their personal leadership experiences and how this has changed following the pandemic.
Questions to the panel included how leaders approach the desire for flexible working with the benefits of being in an office environment, how we can address resilience levels post-covid, and whether leadership models are outdated in terms of resourcing, wellbeing and working hours.
Wendy followed this panel debate by inviting questions from the audience. Here are the top takeaways from the event:
- Leaders need to make their workplaces inclusive and welcoming. Employees want to be part of a team that makes them feel confident and trusted. A culture where people are afraid to make a mistake limits personal development and, ultimately, performance and productivity.
- Planning for the future has become more difficult for leaders post-pandemic-. The geopolitical and economic landscape is more volatile and complex than ever, making it difficult to predict the future or formulate long-term plans. Leaders, therefore, need to be morally courageous when making business decisions in such a fast-changing environment.
- Leaders should invite feedback from their teams and peers. However, leaders need to look beyond their ‘comfortable sources’ when doing so. Instead, attendees were encouraged to seek input from new individuals or groups who may question their understanding and add a more diverse perspective.
- Managers, directors and business leaders need to consider their influence on company culture and how their behaviour affects the team. Junior members will look up to senior staff members on everything from business attire to staying late at work. Leaders need to consider what is best for this generation and not try to replicate cultures or practices from past workplaces.
- Leaders need to re-discover their sense of adventure. They need to be confident and brave to implement positive change, admit their mistakes and be honest about not having all the answers.
- Personal resilience has dipped post-covid. It is essential to pause and think about how we’re working. During the lockdowns, it was very easy to be at your desk from 7am-7pm (or longer), but this is not sustainable post-pandemic.
- Business models need to adapt and incorporate opportunities for leaders to spend time with their teams. Day to day work can often overwhelm leaders and not allow for dedicated time to support and engage with their workforce.
- All leaders need to embrace continuous learning and opportunities such as reverse mentoring to help hone their skills and keep them up to date.
The event culminated in a presentation of local graduates from recent IoD and GTA certificates and diplomas in company direction. More information on our courses can be found here.
Our June breakfast will examine and identify solutions for Guernsey’s housing crisis and workforce shortages. The event will take place on Friday 17 June at the OGH. In due course, more details will be announced via the IoD website and social media pages.