Leaders in the engineering landscape are facing a stark reality. The workplace is evolving rapidly, and many skills are becoming obsolete faster than ever. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2027, about 43% of common work tasks will be automated, and leaders’ responsibilities will change drastically.
Continuous learning is no longer optional. With evolving multi-cultural and multi-generational teams to manage, new working styles to adapt to, and constant technological advancements to navigate, business executives need to ensure they’re investing in leadership upskilling and reskilling initiatives to future-proof their organisations and remain agile.
In this guide, we’ll discuss why engineering companies need to invest more in upskilling their leaders and where they should focus their attention to ensure ongoing growth.
The Modern Leadership Landscape
The modern leadership landscape is in flux, thanks to a range of contributing factors, from the rise of AI and automation to the evolution of remote work and even economic uncertainty. First, traditional leadership, previously defined by linear decision-making processes and hierarchical structures, is giving way to “digital leadership.”
Evolving teams with remote and hybrid workers need leaders who can help them master new software and tools and consistently find ways to improve and maintain team cohesion. At the same time, as the engineering workplace grows more diverse, with employees from various backgrounds, cultures, and generations, there’s an increasing need for leaders who excel in emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity.
The integration of AI into the workplace is creating new challenges, too. While AI tools are boosting staff efficiency, implementing these technologies ethically and efficiently requires a new set of skills.
Leaders with the right technical, strategic, and skill combination are becoming critical for continued workplace productivity and greater employee acquisition and retention opportunities. As the war for talent continues to rage, leaders who fail to update their skill sets could risk losing access to the talent they need to compete in the years ahead.
The Essential Leadership Skill Areas to Focus on Today
To thrive in continuous change, engineering leaders need to develop and fine-tune new skills continuously. According to research from the World Economic Forum and PwC, investing in reskilling and upskilling the current global workforce could boost the global GDP by around $6.5 trillion by 2030 alone. So, which types of leadership skills should companies focus on?
Technical Leadership
Technology is everywhere in the engineering industry, and today’s leaders must understand how digital tools and processes can drive efficiency and innovation within their organisations.
It’s not enough for professionals to know how to use technology anymore. They need to be able to analyse data and understand how specific solutions are influencing and driving their business forward. Understanding the “ROI” (Return on Investment) of different innovations will be crucial to driving better decision-making processes in the years ahead.
Additionally, leaders who can understand the benefits of new technologies – particularly those that might cause concerns for staff members, like AI and automation – can help improve the adoption of new systems. When leaders can both use the latest AI/ML tools and show staff members how they benefit them, they can counteract resistance to change and improve business agility.
Human Leadership
Human leadership skills have always been important in the engineering industry, but knowing how to forge and maintain connections, foster resilience, and unify teams will be more important and more complicated for leaders going forward.
Remote and hybrid work models demand leaders adept at keeping teams engaged and motivated, regardless of where they are. Leaders must invest in proactive communication with all employees and trust-building to maintain morale and productivity.
Moreover, the increasing diversity of the workplace, defined by teams of employees from different backgrounds, generations, and cultures, will require leaders to excel at showing emotional intelligence, cultural sensitivity, and improving team cohesion.
As economic conditions continue to fluctuate and employees face more stresses and disruptions from various angles, an ability to handle crisis and change will be critical. Showing empathy to employees, adapting quickly, and maintaining transparent communication with all staff members will be essential for tomorrow’s leaders.
Strategic Leadership
Strategic leadership skills equip organisations to anticipate and adapt to a rapidly changing environment. An innovation mindset is crucial, encouraging leaders to challenge the status quo and actively seek disruptive ideas that can help drive growth.
Fostering a culture that prioritises experimentation and creative problem-solving, will help engineering leaders make their teams more resilient and responsive. Leaders must prepare their teams for rapid changes to business models and strategies based on market dynamics and evolving trends.
However, a careful approach to risk assessment will be important, too – particularly as leaders continue to navigate new sources of competition and economic uncertainty. A balanced approach to evaluating risks and finding ways to mitigate potential issues will help businesses stay innovative while reducing their exposure to threats.
Creating a Learning and Development Strategy
Upskilling, reskilling, and fortifying leaders in today’s engineering market requires a multifaceted and flexible approach. By aligning organisational goals with targeted development initiatives, an effective L&D strategy will help businesses to thrive as the market evolves.
Here are three steps you should be taking when building your leadership development plan.
Step 1: Conduct a Skill Gap Analysis
Identifying skill gaps in your workplace (particularly among leaders) is the foundation of a strong learning and development strategy. It’s how you ensure you’re identifying and prioritising the best training initiatives for your future.
To begin with, evaluate your company’s strategic goals and the leadership skills necessary to achieve them. For example, a company committed to digital transformation might want to focus on AI literacy, data-driven decision-making, and change management.
Once you’ve identified the skills you need, assess current leader abilities through performance reviews, assessments, and feedback. When you’ve clarified where your gaps are, prioritise training initiatives to focus on first based on the impact they’ll have on your team.
Step 2: Developing Learning Pathways
Next, you must identify how to upskill and reskill your leaders. Creating personalised, flexible learning pathways can help ensure leaders achieve the required outcomes with their training.
Speak to team members to learn about their individual learning preferences. Some prefer hands-on workshops and classes, while others prefer self-based online courses and mentorship programs. Next, select learning resources that align with your company’s goals.
For instance, you might focus on classes that enable access to industry certifications, leadership development courses, or practical AI and technology workshops.
Develop structured programs with clear timelines and expectations for participants. For instance, a 12-month leadership development plan might include quarterly workshops, monthly mentorship sessions, and weekly self-paced modules. Ensure there are milestones for assessing progress, such as completing specific tasks or achieving certifications.
Step 3: Monitoring and Maintaining Progress
Tracking progress is essential to ensuring your development strategies are paying off. Identify key performance indicators you can use to measure success. For example, you might look at program completion percentages or performance and engagement improvements.
To assess the return on investment (ROI), analyse tangible outcomes such as increased productivity, improved decision-making, or enhanced team engagement – benchmark outcomes against pre-program baselines for a deeper view of their impact.
Collecting feedback from your engineering leaders is crucial for refining and upgrading your strategies. Source insights with surveys, one-on-one interviews, and group discussions, and ask leaders to share any concerns they have with training initiatives regularly.
Make sure you’re ready to adapt constantly. As your company’s goals evolve, your training priorities might need to change, too. Regularly revisit your skill gap analysis to identify emerging needs and integrate new learning resources.
Developing the Resilient Leaders of Tomorrow
Effective leaders are still crucial to constant growth in the engineering industry. However, as the world continues to evolve, companies need to invest in ensuring their leaders have the skills, insights, and resources they need to navigate emerging challenges.
Investing in upskilling and reskilling leaders constantly will ensure that your company doesn’t just keep pace with the latest changes in the industry – but stays one step ahead of the competition.
Examine your leadership team today and ask yourself where you need to start developing personalised and intuitive development strategies.
All the best
Steve
At Coalesce we have been partnering with engineering businesses for over 28 years; if you would like our support with upskilling your leaders, then give us a call on 07512 821708 or email us here.