Many organizations face an environment disrupted by rapid market change, a proliferation of digital technology and changing workforce expectations. As the business context changes, leadership development has been changing with it. Innovation doesn’t happen without some digital context, which will require new skills for executives, managers and others. What leadership competencies are being prioritized to meet the changing digital context? Is leadership development being pushed down through the enterprise to line-level employees? What technologies are used to deploy leadership development at scale and what are the roadblocks for modernizing leadership development? Skillsoft recently conducted the Modernizing Leadership for a Digital Economy survey to answer these questions and more. In this webinar you will learn: How leadership competencies are changing to prioritize digital skills What job levels are being targeted for new leadership competencies Where organizations fall on a maturity curve regarding new leadership competencies Attitudes about technology adoption for leadership development

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5. Mastering Leadership Development for a Digital Economy
Heide Abelli & Sarah Kimmel | 7/17/2019

6. 6
Presenter Bio
Heide Abelli
Senior Vice President, Content
Product Management, Skillsoft
Heide is Senior Vice President of Skillsoft’s training and development content and
is also responsible for its Leadership and Business Skills content portfolios.
Heide is passionate about leveraging technology to improve the practice of
management. She is also a thought leader in the areas of training and
development and management and leadership. She has been quoted in
numerous publications including Forbes, The Economist, CLO Magazine, HR
Drive, Business Insider, INC,, Deal Crunch and Learning Solutions, to name a
few. She is also a frequent participant in panel discussions and presenter at
leading industry conferences.
Heide holds an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and is on the
faculty of the Management and Organization Department of Boston College’s
School of Business.

7. 7
Presenter Bio
Sarah Kimmel
Vice-president, Research
Human Capital Media
Chief Learning Officer
Workforce
Sarah Kimmel oversees the research division of Human Capital
Media, which publishes Chief Learning Officer and Workforce
magazines. She develops and delivers research and analysis that
is relevant and important to human capital leaders across a broad
range of human resource disciplines.
Before joining Human Capital Media in 2012, Kimmel accrued
more than 12 years of experience as a business research
consultant on human capital projects, specializing in learning,
performance, leadership development and knowledge
management.

8. 8
• Leadership competencies are changing.
• Organizational structures require more people at all levels to be trained in leadership.
• New technology adoption for leadership development is low but promises to accelerate.
• The maturity of changing to include new leadership competencies is far from complete.
Key Findings

9. 9
• The Modernizing Leadership for a Digital Economy survey was delivered online and completed
January 2019. Learning professionals at manager level and above were invited to participate
from the subscriber list for Chief Learning Officer magazine.
• There were a total of 493 respondents.
• Respondents came from a good mix of organizational sizes. 56% are from organizations with
less than 2,500 employees. And 44% are from organizations with more than 2,500 employees.
• 42% of respondents came from either multinational or global organizations.
• Respondents came from an evenly distributed mix of industries.
Research Methodology

10. Research Results
How leadership competencies are changing in a digital economy

11. 11
77% of organizations have changed leadership
competencies or plan to change them soon
Updating Leadership Competencies
61%16%
23%
Created or modified leadership
competencies in the past 3 years
Plan to change leadership
competencies soon
Have no plans to change leadership
competencies

12. 12
Collaborate, Empower Teams, Innovate
How leadership development practices are changing
76%
69%
66%
63%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Focus on increasing collaboration
Develop leaders who create and empower teams
Develop agile leaders
Focus on fostering innovation
In which of the following ways are leadership development practices at your organization changing?

13. 13
Coaching, team building and driving innovation are
becoming more important as leadership capabilities
Leadership capabilities becoming more important over time
71%
71%
70%
68%
66%
63%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Coaching effectively
Enabling team collaboration
Driving innovation
Communicating effectively across functional groups
Empowering teams to experiment and innovate
Managing cross-functional teams

14. 14
Organizations still have a ways to go pushing leadership
development down through the organization
Career levels targeted with leadership development
73%
81%
62%
35%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Senior leaders
Mid-level leaders
Front-line leaders
Individual contributers/non-management

15. 15
There are gaps between high priority skills and
current leadership development competencies
Persistent 10-18 point gap between priority and adoption
81% 79% 78%
68%66%
61% 58% 55%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Problem solving Strategic thinking Critical thinking Influence and persuasion
Considered high priority Included in leadership development

16. 16
Organizational structures are flattening, requiring
more people trained in leadership
Organizational agreement with statements on leadership competencies
98%
98%
94%
88%
84%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Leaders must drive innovation for our organization to be
successful in the future
Cross-functional teams are becoming more important to
implementing our business strategy.
Employees who are not in a direct supervisory capacity
now need to develop leadership skills.
The skills and competencies needed by leaders are
changing in response to the digital economy.
More employees are assuming leadership
responsibilties without a formal leader designation.

17. 17
Emerging Digital/Agile competencies
Digital and Agile competencies are growing in importance and adoption
84%
62%
57%
49%
68%
54% 55%
36%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Leading through change Leading innovation Emotional intelligence Leading with digital
technology
Considered high priority Included in leadership development

18. 18
Roadblocks to implementing leadership
development programs for the digital economy
Time, Culture, Clarity
53%
44%
42%
39%
36%
0% 20% 40% 60%
No/not enough time set aside for development of
competencies
Entrenched organizational culture that resists change
Lack of clarity about competencies
Lack of structured training to develop competencies
Lack of support/buy-in from upper management

19. 19
What’s the most critical capability gap for leaders
at your organization today?
Analysis from open comments…
1. Keeping up with new technology across the organization.
2. Leading the change within their own organizations or teams
but also in relation to customers and partners.
3. Emotional intelligence
4. Conflict resolution
5. Strategic direction
6. Innovation
7. Driving clarity in times of change

20. 20
Technology enabled innovations for leadership
development, current and planned
Adoption of technology for leadership development is low, but promises to
grow in the near future
51%
28%
21%
17%
12%
30%
28%
39%
26%
31%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Social cohort capability
Tele-coaching through platform
Interactive practice exercises using technology
Mobile app enabled multi-rater leader survey
Mobile app enabled notification capability
In place Planned

21. 21
Practices/learning modalities to acquire/build
leadership competencies, current and planned
Organizations are adjusting learning modalities
to meet learners where they are
64%
61%
46%
41%
35%
26%
27%
29%
30%
40%
36%
41%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Self-paced learning
Workshops
Role-playing, team-based exercises
Mentoring
Hiring digital-savvy leaders
Mobile support
In place Planned

22. 22
Leadership Competency Maturity Model
At what stage is your organization in modernizing it’s leadership
competencies for the digital economy?
[VALUE]
[VALUE]
[VALUE]
[VALUE]
[VALUE]
Unneeded: We don't believe that we need to change our
competencies
Undeveloped: We're just getting started
Beginning: We've identified how competencies need to change
but have not yet implemented changes to the leadership model
Intermediate: We've partially changed our leadership model and
have begun implementing changes
Advanced: We've completed the modernization of our leadership
model and implemented it across the enterprise

23. 23
Roadblocks to implementing leadership development
programs for the digital economy, by maturity
Leading organizations have overcome many of the roadblocks to
modernizing leadership competencies
46%
30%
26%
26%
24%
63%
58%
56%
55%
46%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
No/not enough time set aside for development of
competencies
Entrenched organizational culture that resists change
Lack of clarity about competencies
Lack of structured training to develop competencies
Lack of support/buy-in from upper management
Leaders Beginners

24. 24
Technology enabled innovations in place at
organizations (by maturity level)
Leading organizations have higher adoption rates for technology
innovations for leadership development
68%
41%
31%
27%
24%
38%
17%
13%
10%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Social cohort capability
Tele-coaching through platform
Interactive practice exercises using technology
Mobile app enabled multi-rater leader survey
Mobile app enabled notification capability

25. Further Context, Implications & Action
Leadership Development in the Digital Economy
and SLDP

26. 26
Three Simple Facts About Leadership
26
Organizations are
dissatisfied with the
outcomes and impact
of their leadership
development efforts and
need to experiment with
different approaches
15% of human resource
professionals rated their
future leadership bench
strength as satisfactory!
Today’s leaders operate in
an environment of
increasing complexity,
accelerating change,
strengthened competition
and rapid-fire innovation
Leadership development is
the largest expense item in
the overall training and
development budget
35% of most
learning and
development
budgets!

27. 27
The Business Context Is Changing . . .
Leadership Must Change with It
External Pressures Changing
the Nature of Leadership
• Rapid, far-reaching technological changes
• Digitalization of information
• Accelerated globalization
• More distributed, less hierarchical organizational forms
Democratization
Transparency
Blurring of
Organizational
Boundaries
Disrupting
Business Models
Collaboration
Co-creation
Closer Customer
Relationships
Customization
Digital Strategy
Data & Analytics
Connectedness
Leadership Capability Is the Grand Digital Enabler
A post industrial, digital-age style of leadership is emerging requiring new
behaviors, knowledge and skills

28. 28
Leadership Development Yesterday vs. Today

29. 29
Business environments are being disrupted by rapid market change.
Organizations need new leadership development competencies to keep
pace with changing business context.
Mastering Leadership Development for a Digital
Economy
Source: Modernizing Leadership for a Digital Economy survey. For full results of this research, read Mastering Leadership Development for a
Digital Economy at www.skillsoft.com/clo-digital.
Greater
Democratization of
Leadership
Development
Technology Adoption for
Leadership
Development Promises
to Accelerate
Competencies
Are Changing
The Maturity of
Changing to Include
New Leadership
Competencies Is
Ongoing

30. 30
Dismantling of Top-Down Structures -
Democratization of Leadership
Reach for Leadership Talent and Capability Is Deeper Than Ever Before

31. 31
Managed Empowerment: The Leader’s Critical Task
Leaders today must define and empower team context,
not drive detailed decision-making
The central job
of today’s leader is to
create a team context of
“managed empowerment”

32. 32
What Does the Leadership Framework Need to Be?
• Builds and influences: does not
dictate
• Serves as a conduit for diverse
ideas and initiatives: Fusion
• Sees the organization as a network
rather than a pyramid
• Champions collaboration
• Coaches rather than directs
“The essential work of a conductor has never really been about the exercise
of authority. Conducting is really about the creation of a culture of
responsibility, of respect, of musical and social awareness, and of listening.
Conducting is a metaphor, not for absolute power but for shared experience,
for collaboration, for listening.”
– Tom ServiceMusic as Alchemy: Journeys With Great
Conductors and Their Orchestras (Faber & Faber, 2012)
The framework for leadership today is connect and collaborate, not
command and control

33. 33
Low High
Degree of Involvement of Team Members
Commanding /
Controlling
Pacesetting Visionary Affiliative Coaching
Learning
Oriented /
Democratic
“Do what I say”
“Here is how
you do it”
“Do as I do and
within this time
frame”
“Come with me”
“People come first.
I want you to feel
you belong”
“This might help.
Try this”
“What do you
think? What did
you learn?
Every leader today must be
comfortable with this team-based
style
Leadership Style Continuum and The Team-based
Coaching / Developing Style
Source: An adaptation of R. Tannenbaum and W. H. Schmidt’s “How to Choose a Leadership Pattern.” Harvard Business Review, 1958.
A leader’s natural instinct is often to take control but they must progress to the democratic /
learning zone

34. 34
Who Is Being Led?
Leaders today increasingly manage cross-functional agile teams, squads
and tribes which innovate
Example: Technology Company
SUPPORT TEAM
DIGITAL LEADER
Product
Manager
Senior
Developer
Data
Scientist
Squad
A
Tester Designer
DeveloperDeveloper
Developer
Squad
B
Tester Designer
Scrum Master
DeveloperDeveloper
Developer
Squad
C
Tester Designer
Scrum Master
DeveloperDeveloper
Developer
NOT Direct Reports
Who Simply
Execute . . .
YESTERDAY TODAY
vs.
“Hero
Leader”
Individual Leadership Model:
Leadership is defined by what
an individual leader does and
asks of followers
“Hero Team”
Collective / Collaborative
Leadership Model:
Leader as Squad
Commander

35. 35
New Mindsets Must Be Developed in Leaders
• Agility (experiment, learn,
iterate, pivot)
• Accountability
• Resiliency (thrive despite
uncertainty and change)
• Creativity
• Customer-centricity
Creation of enabling mind-sets, which equip leaders to generate new,
innovative possibilities for the future

36. 36
Leader’s Core Competency Is Innovation
Today the leader’s core competency needs to be INNOVATION,
not just execution
• Market volatility and
uncertainty require
companies to continuously
innovate
• Rising customer expectations
to continuously evolve the
customer experience
• Change is the only constant
— the business needs to be
fast in releasing new
offerings
Leaders Will Own Driving Business Transformation Through Innovation

37. 37
Lack of attention to specific contextual factors! Contextualized for the learner through use of
scenario and behavioral demonstration
A gap between teaching, reflection and application! Offer to the learner extensive on-demand
library of teaching, reflection and practice / application assets
Overemphasis on individual vs. “team leadership”! Make all scenarios “team-centric”
Lack of important, modern competencies! Incorporate state-of-the-art competencies such as
agile leadership and leading virtually
Not enough learner control over development! Self-directed learning — any time, any where,
any device
Not actionable! Scenarios comprise of highly concrete examples with detailed best practices
and demonstration of exemplary behaviors
Inability to demonstrate behavioral change! Measure and track behavioral change
Addressing Leadership Development Failure
Factors

38. 38
Skillsoft Leadership Development
Awards & Recognition
SILVER STEVIE®
WINNER

39. 39
Skillsoft Leadership Development Program

40. 40
Leadership Development Topics
Leading Through the Challenge of Change Influence and Persuasion New Leader Transitions
Building and Leading Successful Teams The Accountable Leader Leading with Mindfulness
Creating a Successful Business Execution Culture Developing People Leading with Values & Ethics
The Emotionally Intelligent Leader Leading Innovation Leading with Executive Presence
Coaching Embracing Diversity in your Leadership Leading with Digital Technology
Critical Thinking and Cognitive Flexibility Setting and Managing Priorities Leading Across Cultures
Problem Solving and Decision Making Coordinating with your Leader Peers Leading through Disruption
The Agile Leader: Perseverance and Flexibility Judgment and Decisiveness Leading a Customer-Centric Culture
Leading Virtually Leading Organizational Vision Motivational Leadership
Strategic Thinking Managing Conflict Women in Leadership
Host as Learning Agent Behavioral Demonstration Scenario Leader Mentor

41. 41
SLDP: Resources for Reinforcement and Practice
Course and Channel Resource Documents
Tools Self-Assessments Leader Led Activities
Includes application, discussion, and facilitator
guides and accompanying PowerPoint slides
Leaders Need to Learn, Reflect and Practice

42. 42
SLDP Resources for Reinforcement and Practice
Leader SkillBriefs Serve as Powerful Take-aways

43. 43
Localization — SLDP
French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese
Content in each track that is localized
• Courses — all content in the course
• Practice Guides
• Book Summaries (with some limitations)
Additional Asset Localization Planned
• Books — depends on content available and
agreements with the publishers
• Leadership Insights Courses / Videos

44. 44
SLDP: Mobile-Optimized Learning
24x7 Anytime, Anywhere Access
Watch — Read — Listen — Practice
Practice Tab features
Leader Led Activities
Includes application, discussion, and facilitator guides
and accompanying PowerPoint slides. Also includes
Leader SkillBriefs.
Interactive Demo

45. 45
SLDP: Direct Report Survey Capability - Services Support
Multi-rater Leader Survey Feedback Report Summary
Calendar
Example: Coaching
0
2
4
6
8
1 2 3 4 5
Leader Rating Improvement
Recommended Content Assets
Self-Assessments
Tools
Courses
Demonstrating Improvement in Leader Performance

46. Q & A

47. linkedin.com/company/skillsoft
twitter.com/skillsoft
facebook.com/skillsoft
skillsoft.com
866-757-3177
Think. Research. Contact me.
Heide Abelli, SVP Content Management
Heide.Abelli@skillsoft.com
800-123-4567

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