This year should be very interesting for leaders and executives at all levels and from what we have seen recently with Congress, continued uncertainty for the foreseeable future. As leaders, what should you be thinking about for your success in 2013?

 
1. Work-life balance will continue to be “out of balance” now that companies have settled into a new normal of doing more with less. The hours and demands continue to rise making it challenging for the Gen X Leaders who are trying to manage family and work commitments. As long as Boomers occupy the most senior positions in companies, the value of working longer hours will be pervasive throughout most organization. This “extra” stressor is a big one on top of job demands, so learning to deal effectively with this challenge will go a long way to a satisfying and productive 2013. Consider “mini-vacations” which are 3-4 day weekends taken more frequently. Try to leave the Blackberry or iPhone behind.

2. Leaving a legacy is a new concept for many leaders to contemplate within the business setting. Often, when I ask clients what their legacy will be after they are done working, they usually respond that they hadn’t really thought much about it. In some ways, Vision is what some Boomers should consider as they contemplate retirement in the coming years. (I know the research shows that Boomers are working longer.) Try and answer this question: When you are no longer working at the company, what do you want people to say about you as a leader and individual? I hear answers like, “He worked hard and made us a lot of profits,” to “He was a thoughtful and caring leader who helped prepare the new generation of leaders for our company.” Both statements are correct, it’s just that they will dictate different leadership actions nearing the retirement year.

3. Develop your personal brand with a great deal of attention to social media. Make sure that you have all your social media channels (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.,) aligned with who you want to portray to friends and colleagues. Most employers look at all of the social media sites to check out their existing and prospective employees. As a busy consultant, I struggle to keep everything up to date with the latest messaging, accomplishments, thought leadership, etc. Many leaders inside companies have not taken the time to create their personal branding messages which is accessible by internal and external stakeholders.

4. Continuation of self-development as the primary source for skill building. It’s not a new trend and will continue even more in 2013. Leaders who take the initiative and seek out programs, opportunities to volunteer for special projects and assignments, read books, attend professional conferences, will be noticed and able to improve their value within the organization. If you are struggling with #1, the thought of this trend is a bit disconcerting since you have no time to devote to your personal development, so it is often neglected. As a start, block out 2 hours per week to focus on furthering your development. Ask your company if they provide coaching for their leaders, or better yet, ask your manager to help you get on a task force or project team that will expose you to new areas and people in the company.

These are some of the bigger trends that I see for leaders that I have been working with over the past decade.

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