Leadership Qualities Are Changing

And Peer-to-Peer Learning is Becoming a Critical Factor

ARIA CONSULTING IS A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED LEADERS, WORLD-CLASS COACHES, AND LIFE-LONG LEARNERS. WE’VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR 25 YEARS, AND WE’RE ALWAYS SEEKING NEW WAYS TO HELP OUR CLIENTS REACH THEIR POTENTIAL. OUR LATEST OFFERING IS LEADNOW, AN ONLINE EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES THE SPACE AND SAFETY TO IDENTIFY AND REMOVE THE TOUGHEST BLOCKS. ARIA CONSULTING IS COMMITTED TO HELPING YOU GROW AS A LEADER, AND LEADNOW IS JUST ONE MORE WAY WE CAN SUPPORT YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY. READ MORE ABOUT ARIA CONSULTING AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU REACH YOUR POTENTIAL.

The future of business is happening now. The traditional model of the workplace is changing, and the new world of work is here. Businesses are increasingly global, and the workforce is more mobile than ever before. This new world is driven by globalization, the rise of the digital economy, and most importantly, the shift of power and values in the workforce. It is a world of constant change and opportunity. To succeed in this new world, businesses must embrace change, be agile, and be prepared to adapt. They must also be willing to take risks, re-evaluate leadership qualities, experiment, and innovate. The future of business is an exciting one – if you’re willing to put in the work to adapt to the situation at hand.

The future of business is happening now. The traditional model of the workplace is changing, and the new world of work is here. Businesses are increasingly global, and the workforce is more mobile than ever before. This new world is driven by globalization, the rise of the digital economy, and most importantly, the shift of power and values in the workforce. It is a world of constant change and opportunity. To succeed in this new world, businesses must embrace change, be agile, and be prepared to adapt. They must also be willing to take risks, experiment, and innovate. The future of business is an exciting one – if you’re willing to put in the work to adapt to the situation at hand.

As can be easily seen, workplace structure has been very slow to change with innovation stifled by these conditions. This has created a great deal of stagnation and sameness in the business world. However, a few years ago, this finally began to change.

The pandemic has forced large and small businesses alike to rapidly move to digital platforms in order to survive. While many companies were already shifting to digital platforms pre-pandemic, the pace of change was slow and often hampered by resistance from older, more traditional members of management. However, the pandemic has created a sense of urgency that has allowed businesses to move to digital environments at a much faster pace.

For the younger generations, digital platforms are a medium that they’re already very comfortable with. They’ve grown up with technology; they use it on a daily basis. This digital world is one that they were born into. However, for some of the older generations, digital platforms can be a much more daunting prospect. Often, the older generation of business executives may find themselves feeling out of place, resisting the shift in the structure of the workplace simply out of a lack of knowledge or comfortability. However, digital platforms offer a number of advantages that appeal to all generations. They’re convenient, they’re interactive, and they’re often much more cost- effective than traditional methods.

The pandemic has had a profound impact on the way we work. For many people, working from home has become the new norm, and even after the initial waves of the pandemic have begun to die down, remote work is likely to remain more common than before. This shift affects not only where we work from, but how we work, and brings along a whole new set of tools and skills that are vital to today’s digital realm. Overall, while the pandemic may have accelerated this rapid change in the world of business, it is clear that this trend was already underway and would have continued regardless.

The remote work revolution is in full swing, and there’s no turning back. Now that we’ve seen the benefits of remote work firsthand, there’s no going back to the old way of doing things. Although less-than-ideal circumstances may have originally brought this about, we are now able to see just how effective remote and digital work can be. Working from home can also be more comfortable for many people, allowing them to create their own workspace and set their own schedules. Remote work can even help to reduce the duration of unemployment: The Institute for the Future has found that by 2025, as many as 230 million people will be able to find jobs more quickly with the help of online platforms (2). And thanks to the internet extending its reaches to all corners of the world, remote work is now more accessible than ever.

The digital shift of the pandemic has also highlighted the advantages of digital platforms, such as increased flexibility, agility, and new ways in which we can continue to learn. The rise of remote work has led to a corresponding increase of online data flow. From video conferencing and file sharing to online collaboration and communication, there are more opportunities than ever for data to be generated and exchanged online. With more and more people working from home, there is a greater need for tools that can help manage this data flow. As the world increasingly goes digital, these tools will only become more essential. And with their growing importance, it becomes even more critical that everyone, no matter their role, learns how to use these tools and can become comfortable with them.

As the younger generations enter the workforce, there has been a noticeable shift in power and values. This shift is bringing about a dichotomy between those who always stuck to tradition and those who are pushing for change. This contrast is especially evident when comparing the younger generations of millennials and Gen-Z to the older generations of Gen-X and baby boomers.

Leadership Qualities Change With Changing Environments

On one side are the older generations, of which many members believe that the workplace should stick to the traditional 9-5 and retain the same-old core values and structures. On the other side are the younger generations who are much more open to change, comfortable with flexible work hours, and are always looking to challenge the status quo for a better workplace. They possess new, cutting-edge values and mental models of the world around them, especially pertaining to the workforce. A prime example of this difference can be seen through the mental effects on those who were raised with electronic devices from a very young age, especially smart devices. These individuals, who make up a large percentage of the younger generations, are now much more likely to gravitate towards a digital workplace: one with lots of data, online applications, and gamified experiences.

While the older generations continue to push for a return to analog, it is quite clear that the younger generations have no intention of returning to the way things have always been done. They appreciate our increasingly digital world, and are aware of its many advantages. This dichotomy in thinking has already begun to cause friction as the two groups clash over what the workplace should look like. However, by accepting change, both sides can learn to respect and appreciate each other’s perspectives, leading to a more harmonious workplace. This is exactly why peer-to-peer learning and on- demand education resources are so crucial to our changing workplaces’ present and future.

With so many workplaces utilizing online tools in everyday business, there is so much data flow online that it can be overwhelming to sort through it all. This is where the importance of online and on-demand resources comes in. Educating those working within a business on what can be done to streamline productivity and become more flexible and adaptable can be highly beneficial for a business of any size and every single person inside of that business, regardless of seniority.

That’s why Aria’s online and on- demand education resource, LEADNow, focuses on the most essential lessons that can be used in the workplace, such as decision- making. Aria’s online and on-demand lessons allow users to learn at their own pace and choose when and how they want to learn. This flexible learning style is perfect for all those willing to change and adapt to better succeed in this new world of business – which is hopefully everyone!

One of the most interesting and valuable leadership qualities that can be seen in the incoming generations is their eagerness to take control of their development. Sure, being coached by a professional mentor can be a tremendous help – but what if we could teach others to participate in both sides of this process? One of the most innovative ways we can help others do this is through peer- to-peer learning.

Peer-to-peer learning is an important resource for people who want to take control of their development. This style of learning deviates from the typical classroom style in that it is not simply a teacher-led conversation. Instead, there is a moderator who puts people with others who they self-identify as their peers, creating a safe space for group coaching. The moderator helps to engage everyone in conversation, allowing for meaningful connections. This allows people to learn from each other in a way that is not possible in a traditional classroom setting.

By coaching each other, people can learn from each other’s mistakes and successes to develop the skills they need to achieve their goals. As written in Harvard Business Review, this also allows for insight into diverse perspectives, as well as a much more powerful accountability system (3). Peer-to-peer learning also helps people to build relationships and trust, which are essential for successful business relationships. As a result, peer-to-peer learning is a vital resource for individuals who want to take control of their development.

As Aria continues to develop LEADNow’s library of resources, lessons, and valuable takeaways, we also forge ahead into new territory: coaching others to help them to coach each other. These new incoming leaders are very welcoming of this change, wanting to evolve how consulting and coaching are done. We want to help these leaders to grow and develop their leadership skills, allowing them to simultaneously begin advancing their workplace structures to fit our new world better. Our present, and more importantly, our future, relies on effective change and growth. Aria’s LEADNow is just the thing to aid in this transformation.

References
(1) Robert Quinn’s Competing Values Framework.
(2) IFTF’s “Work, Interrupted: The New Labor Economics of Platforms.“
(3) Brenda Steinberg and Michael D. Watkins for Harvard Business Review, “The Surprising Power of Peer Coaching.“