Changing Leadership Landscape: New Challenges, New Expectations, New Actions

Events of the early 2020s have indelibly changed how employees experience their work environment, and leadership practices must adapt in response. From COVID-19-related work and life decisions to social unrest, wars, and technological advances, the world is substantially different from just a few short years ago. And all indications suggest the exponential change will continue, manifesting in new talent practices and leadership expectations. The world will continue to change in unpredictable ways, and leadership must evolve accordingly. How leaders navigate and lead through these unprecedented times and the unforeseen future challenges that will undoubtedly emerge will determine their individual and organizational success; that is the core focus of this volume. It is organized around emerging macro themes including technology (e.g., generative AI) and data, sociopolitical challenges, diversity and inclusion, compassion and empathy, and emerging attributes and trends relevant for developing leaders for today and tomorrow. All of these themes reflect current workplace change. The chapters are instructive in helping leaders navigate the new world of work as well as build their adaptability and readiness for future challenges that will inevitably unfold. Each theme is addressed by multiple chapters discussing specific topics and recent research trends aligned with the theme. The last section provides practical and illustrative case studies depicting real-world examples of new leadership approaches in practice. This volume brings together a wide range of perspectives and experiences from four dozen experts from across the globe. The authors represent a mix of academics, consultants, and internal practitioners, with a diversity of backgrounds and lived experiences to inform and challenge the reader. Collectively, these experts provide thought-provoking insights grounded in research-based, real-world tested ideas and approaches, to guide and enable leaders through the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Sheri L. Feinzig, Ph.D. is an experienced leader who has successfully guided teams through a range of challenges and opportunities. She recently led workforce planning and analytics at Marsh McLennan; prior to that, Sheri spent much of her career at IBM, in a variety of roles ranging from HR research and employee engagement to business and talent management consulting. Sheri earned her Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology at the University at Albany, and has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Illinois Institute of Technology. Sheri is currently an adjunct professor at New York University.

Mariangela Battista, Ph.D. is Principal of Sirena Consulting LLC, a boutique human resources consultancy. In her thirty plus year career she has built and led Talent functions across a range of industries (IGT, Pfizer, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Pepsi) with strategic oversight and accountability for all global people processes including talent acquisition, performance management, succession planning, learning and leadership development, selection and assessment, culture, engagement and employee communication. Mariangela earned a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the City University of New York. She is a Fellow of SIOP and the Chair of the Friday Group, a NY-based consortium of I/O Psychologists.