IT Leadership Trends That Rule 2019

We typically associate trends with clothing, but trends can be found in everything from food to workplace practices. The thing about trends is – if you scoff at them and ignore them, you run the risk of becoming out-of-touch.

Trends inform how we relate to each other and IT leaders must stay on top of the latest leadership trends if they want to keep in touch with their employees. Consider the following IT leadership trends that you ought to be aware of this year.

Keep it simple

Companies have been increasingly getting away from overcomplicated processes and moving toward simplification. The result is greater agility that helps with the challenges found in today’s markets. Simplicity also helps staff members to focus more on their duties and tasks, rather than navigating a large number of tools and systems.

Engage your employees

The workplaces of Silicon Valley popularized the idea of engaging employees as partners in your company’s success, rather than the 20^th century idea of treating employees as subordinates to be directed. That notion gained steam as the labor market tightened and employers found themselves climbing over each other to appeal to top talent.

Furthermore, younger employees tend to be thirsty for meaningful work, and so employers have to invest more time in connecting staff members to their work and be responsive to feedback from them. Creating a shared sense of purpose helps staff to be successful and it goes a long way to making individual employees feel recognized and necessary.

Focus on results, not punching the clock

After decades of embracing long hours as the paragon of productivity, research is increasingly finding that productivity isn’t dependent on the number of hours worked, or even coming into physical a place of work. IT leaders have to put productivity at the heart of their employment model, rather than where work is done or at what time.

Working while traveling, working at home or letting employees do their job outside the standard 9-to-5 workplace can support productivity while letting employees maintain a good work-life balance. Acknowledging that staff members a life outside their career and structuring work with that in mind can both inspire loyalty and lead to better outcomes, if done correctly. This holistic approach is a fantastic approach to support the idea of work having greater “meaning” – something many younger professionals want right now.

Be transparent

Among the many things that the internet and social media has achieve is a greater degree of transparency in society. We can find out all kinds of information, whenever we want, wherever we want.

This idea of greater transparency spilled over into the workplace. IT leaders should focus on communication that sets out they expect from workers with regards to goals and the ways to gauge progress in the direction of those goals. A goal-oriented communication approach gives staff members clarity and a greater motivation to accomplish their objectives.

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