Employee Activism and the Need for Leadership Development

Leadership development generally refers to the rising demand for diverse activities that strengthen leaders’ skills, talents, and confidence. Employees must primarily engage with their superiors and work under their supervision. Whereas this was formerly viewed as a chance to learn from business experts, today’s employees expect much more from their leaders than just remarkable sector expertise. Employee activism has caused abrupt yet important transformations in the industry, one of which is the critical requirement for leadership development. As a result, author Megan Reitz underscores the need for leadership development in this TED Business podcast episode.

The episode opens by emphasizing that, while acting, responding, connecting, and listening are all quite different concepts, they all have a purpose in the workplace. All four of these, especially when discussing leadership in the era of employee activism, may suit different conditions but could help leaders connect, act, respond, or listen in a completely different way than typical. According to Megan, the phrases activist and activism have a negative connotations. She suggests that one of the primary needs for leadership development is that organizations change how activism is seen so that activism may be responded to with better knowledge and mindfulness.

Second, she addresses how leaders frequently operate in an optimistic bubble, which causes them to underestimate the intensity of certain employees’ feelings. As a result, she suggests that one of the key things that must be accomplished via leadership development is a shift in how both leaders and employees see their power and position. She also emphasizes how leaders frequently assume they already know what is most important. However, it is critical that leaders recognize how crucial it has become, particularly in modern workplaces, to show up and listen to what people have to say. She advises leaders to remember that inaction is just as political as action. Finally, Megan adds that leaders must recognize that not every situation requires their involvement. She believes that leaders must make thoughtful, clear, and sincere decisions about what to stand for in collaboration with their stakeholders.

Employees must continually upskill in order to remain relevant in their jobs, and leaders must consider leadership development in order to improve the quality of the workplace culture. The aforementioned are a few tips by author Megan Reitz regarding how leaders might strengthen their leadership tactics.