REPORTAGE // The Arc of Modern Leadership
Highlights from Accenture's "The Arc of Modern Leadership" report
Notable shifts in Africa’s business landscape over the past two decades have given rise to the notion of “The African Century” – the idea that Africa’s growth will define our global future for the next several decades. Indeed, Africa has made significant developmental progress in multiple areas, including the growth of its services and digital sectors, and in applying innovative approaches to tackle its socio-economic challenges head-on. This is evident in the healthy crop of wildly successful businesses that have emerged on the continent in the digital era – more than 400 African enterprises earn revenues of USD$1 billion or more. And with a population that is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, of which more than half will be working age (15-64 years), Africa will possess a vast talent pool to power its growth.
Still, African businesses face the monumental tasks of channelling their strengths into sustainable growth and building industrial capacity. The continent is still heavily reliant on commodities, which make up 60% of annual exports, largely due to slow progression towards industrialisation and the subsequent integration of value chains. Strong leadership within African businesses – and the public sector and civil society organisations that support them – will be essential to fully exploit the economic opportunities on the horizon.
There is no shortage of books, podcasts, and programmes that walk leaders through best practices for business leadership. But for a timely and succinct guide, look no further than Accenture’s 2023 report “The Arc of Modern Leadership”, which outlines the key practices that will be essential for 21st Century business leaders. Here are three approaches highlighted in the report that are particularly relevant for African leaders:
1. Agility
Agility is one of the essential attributes for modern leaders to possess if they are to build organisations that are not only responsive to short-term challenges and change, but can thrive in the future. From a leader’s perspective, agility is about more than being adaptable and responsive to internal and external changes. When change is needed, not only do leaders have to devise a plan to adjust their strategy, but also effectively influence their teams to buy into the change action. At the same time, for this buy-in to be sustainable, leaders must take an inclusive approach where the input of the teams affected are incorporated into the transformation process. This is where creating and maintaining a people-centred culture comes into play. When teams trust their leader and feel a sense of belonging, they are more apt to show up as their best selves, even in periods of intense uncertainty and rapid transformation. It is this culture that allows a team and the broader organisation to be agile amidst change.
Unfortunately, it is precisely during these turbulent periods that leaders tend to target people-centred initiatives and investments for budget cuts. But agile leadership calls for the leader to consider a people-centred culture as an important pillar of the business instead of a peripheral.
2. Connectedness
Creating an environment where people feel connected – to the vision and purpose of the organisation, to each other, and to the wider business network – is not an easy feat for any leader. Yet, it determines the extent to which individuals show up in their work, forge quality relationships, and aspire to grow within the organisation. This feature of leadership relies less on tools and instead requires leaders to become present and have an awareness of the intangible aspects of the businesses they lead – things like value, culture, and relationships.
The connectedness between leaders and team members influences how they experience the organisation, how the business contributes to their personal growth, and the value they contribute to the business. In fact, the level of connectedness and sense of belonging that people experience within the business, over and above material incentives, fosters their long-term commitment to the organisation.
3. Responsibility
In an age where corporate responsibility is a major priority for stakeholders across the private, public, and civil society sectors, responsible leadership is central to facilitating ethical corporate values and practices. To achieve this, leaders must first have an awareness and appreciation of their business’s wider societal context. Leaders are responsible for safeguarding trust and positive impact by making decisions that balance the interests of profit, society, and the environment. And for this balance to exist, cultivating platforms for inclusive engagements – both within the organisation and with external stakeholders – is pivotal. Thus, a leader’s ability to act responsibly is limited if they have not created a people-centred culture that prizes relationships and engagement with different viewpoints and interest groups.
Another aspect that leaders are expected to become cognisant of is creating responsible systems in the adoption of technology. New technologies and systems must not only add value to business processes, but also to social and environmental elements of the business. These multifaceted considerations require leaders to not only engage with tech on an intellectual level, but also to tune in to their intuitive, creative, and emotional selves. Considering that people are increasingly concerned about the meaning and purpose attached to their work, fostering a culture where people can develop common goals is critical to creating safe environments that foster continuous learning.
Read the report
Considering the diverse socio-economic challenges that Africa continues to face, and the complexity they create for African organisations, agile, connected, and responsible leadership will be critical in the years to come. To learn more about these trends for modern leadership, read the full report from Accenture.
