Welcome, 2021

Top Ten Leadership Topics in 2020

1.Artificial intelligence continues to rise

Artificial intelligence (AI), as one of the rapidly developing technologies in recent years, has continued to increase in popularity, and this will also be the case in 2020. In the past year, AI and machine learning (Machine Learning) have increasingly provided information to companies and replaced humans in making key decisions. For HR, artificial intelligence will help everyone better recruit, appoint, manage performance and personalize development.

Successful companies need leaders who can seize the best opportunities. Especially in the current epidemic, they need leaders who can lead enterprises and organizations to comeback against the wind. Making full use of AI is very important at this time. At the same time, it is also necessary to realize in what scenarios AI judgments are valuable.

2. Promote cultural transformation
In the past year, the topic of how to shape and use company culture has continued to emerge. Because culture is a key factor affecting employees and their work, it often overlaps with other topics on the list. This year, its ranking has risen again, and it has received a lot of attention from influential people.

They believe that corporate culture is a driving force that can promote a company to be more innovative, more technology-driven, more employee-centric, and more inclusive. Companies need a more open and attractive culture to encourage employees to reach their full potential. Leaders who can fully understand their personal values and help them unleash their potential are crucial in creating an inclusive corporate culture. They can make employees feel that their ideas and opinions are not only recognized, but also supported.

3. Employee experience is more important than engagement
Employee experience was a hot topic on the list last year, and this year it has also become the focus of attention of companies that pay attention to employee satisfaction, engagement and performance.

In Fortune magazine, the companies that rank high on the list of best places to work recognize a corporate culture that promotes fairness, equality, and innovation. Companies with these cultures can ensure that leaders receive timely support, guidance, and coaching to maximize personal growth and development.

4. Follow the pace of data explosion
The era of measuring data in kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), and even terabytes (TB) has passed. This year, the data of the entire digital world is expected to reach 44 zettabytes (ZB)!

With the explosion of data, companies increasingly need leaders who can correctly use data to make decisions. In addition, many artificial intelligence tools require high-quality data information to improve accuracy and provide leaders with effective strategy information. This has also led to the birth of a new C-level position-Chief Data Officer (CDO). CDO will help organizations implement a strong data strategy to ensure that enterprises maximize the use of data assets and obtain the greatest data benefits.

5. Change has become the norm
In today's business environment, what was relatively stable in the past is now becoming increasingly unstable. As we have often mentioned in the past five years, change has become the norm. Given that changes affect leaders' work, it is necessary for organizations to rethink how to develop successful organizational and personnel strategies.

However, in today's complex and changing environment, few change plans can succeed. If a company wants to change successfully, it needs leaders to be able to measure and respond to resistance from all parties and to motivate its team members to take the initiative to change.

6. Analysis helps talent strategy
What leaders care about this year is not only digital analysis, but also people, specifically, people analysis. Analysis has always been one of the hot topics discussed by leaders, but this year everyone began to pay attention to how organizations can use analysis to strengthen talent strategies.

The most complex and influential talent programs provide leaders with more tools for data-driven and objective decision-making. This will help organizations gain fairer and cutting-edge insights on talent diagnosis in the future.

7. Diversity boosts development
Diversity in the workplace has always been and will continue to be one of the important concerns of leaders. This year, everyone will pay more attention to the inclusiveness of the workplace.

A recent study by Great Place to Work shows that having a diverse and inclusive workforce helps the company thrive and survive the economic downturn. More and more organizations are also beginning to realize that if specific measures are not taken to promote inclusiveness, diversity will not be able to bring or sustain meaningful change in this critical area.

8. Technology drives productivity
With the acceleration of current changes, people's expectations for productivity and production speed are also rising. This year, how to improve work efficiency, speed and productivity through technical tools has become a hot topic. The rapid iteration of technology and AI-driven technological development have provided leaders with timely information and suggestions to help improve employee performance and make faster decisions.

9. Automation promotes skill upgrade
Automation has developed rapidly in all walks of life, but it still cannot replace the advantages of human beings in creative work. In the "Strategic Technology Development Trends in 2020" released by Gartner, advanced technologies (including AI and machine learning) are applied to process automation and enhance human capabilities to become super automation. This change will continue to affect the skill upgrade of employees in 2020 and in the future.

10. Focus on employee well-being
The top ten hot topics of DDI leadership has been on the list for the first time since its birth five years ago. This also shows that more and more organizations are beginning to pay attention to how to help employees cope with stress and job burnout in a highly collaborative and always [online" modern workplace environment.

Forward-looking organizations improve employee happiness through flexible working systems. We expect that this trend will continue to encourage organizations to increase the flexibility of working hours and spaces, and create a better and healthier workplace environment in the next ten years.

Readers who follow this list may have discovered that despite being in the digital age, the term "digitalization" has failed to be included in our top ten leadership hot topics list for the first time in five years. why? The answer is actually obvious, because everything has become digital. And what does all this mean for 2020? How will the nature of a leader's job or business change?

No one can accurately predict the future, but we can view the present and the future through the current status quo!

The [2021 Global Leadership Outlook] survey, initiated by DDI Smart Consulting and supported by Josh Bersin, a world-renowned industry analyst, has officially launched. We sincerely invite you and your company to participate in it, and stand by the top of the world and all of China!

Melors Team