Four Leadership Skills to develop in 2022

The post-pandemic reality has put new demands on leaders. The new work model, economic crisis, growing focus on employee’s health and the human factor in the work environment - these are just a few novel elements of our world today. As the so-called ‘traditional’, control-oriented management methods land on the scrapheap, we look into some crucial leadership qualities in the new times.

I am writing this on the 15th of February and it’s been nearly 24 months since the first COVID-19 case in Poland. Over the course of the last two years, what might have seemed like a temporary crisis has become our new normal. In the 2nd quarter of 2021, around 16.9% of employees in Poland worked remotely on a current basis (Statistics Poland). According to the data from ADP Research Institute, the pandemic has had a negative impact on 64% of the global market and 28% of employees were dismissed or furloughed.

Many markets worldwide are struggling with what has been dubbed “The Great Resignation”, as employees set out to look for new work opportunities. Whether or not the Great Resignation will reach Poland remains to be seen, but we certainly have to deal with high turnover, as inflation rates continue to soar. Workplaces and teams are facing new levels of stress. The growing significance of mental health at work is well illustrated by the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which came into effect at the beginning of this year. For the first time, burnout is an official medical diagnosis.