Leading the Way (2 of 3)

Looking below the surface, our learner data also points to increases from 2021 across several key leadership-related study areas— Motivational Intelligence (+1305%), Team Building (+305%), Management Skills (+49%), Emotional Intelligence (+43% and #5 in the ranking), and Coaching (+39%).

Three of the reasons driving the increases in these areas, according to Gallup:

1. Employee engagement and quiet quitting

The worries surrounding employee retention are still strong among organizations. Despite the economic shifts, employees continue to have the upper hand when it comes to job switching and engagement (a key indicator of retention) is declining. People may join companies, but they leave managers. A strong coaching leader who offers continuous and helpful feedback develops engaged, productive, and happy employees who will not want to leave.

2. Hybrid work and (re)creating workplace/team culture

Fostering a strong sense of teamwork and collaboration can help ensure that all employees feel valued and connected to the organization and team, regardless of where they work from.

Team building looks very different, however, when a team is dislocated. Only 1 in 10 managers have the inherent skills to lead. Training managers, therefore, to better support dislocated teams will have the biggest impact on individual and team performance, satisfaction, and engagement.

Additionally, a positive team culture fosters a collaborative and inclusive environment where individuals can work together effectively-- all key influencers of retention, innovation, and morale.

3. Burnout

Individual team members may be more satisfied skipping the commute to work from home, but they also become more lonely. Today's leaders need to be able to check the pulse of team members (even from a distance). Drawing on psychology as well as management theories, Emotional Intelligence and Motivational Intelligence are considered critical components of effective leadership.