We are at a critical inflection point when it comes to work, and we’re not talking enough about the ways leadership must change in step with it.
There’s a talent crisis in the U.S., leaving in-demand roles unfilled. The latest jobs report tells us there are 7.7 million job openings. Even if we mapped every person looking for a job to one of those openings (qualifications aside), there would still be over 2 million jobs that need filling. Add to this the fact that 75 million baby boomers are expected to retire by 2030, while only 50 million jobs are expected to be filled by Gen Z. Reinforcing this grim forecast is the prediction that population growth in the U.S. will outpace labor force growth by nearly 8 to 1 in the next eight years. You don’t have to have a data science background to see that these numbers signal a potential labor disaster.
In addition to these trends, you’re hard-pressed to find a leader today who doesn’t feel the mounting pressure to do more with less while integrating technology like generative AI into day-to-day operations and future product offerings.
It’s easy to fall into reactive mode in the face of this macro-environment, and the new world of work it is ushering in. But it’s actually this moment in which leadership must initiate proactive shifts to guide their organizations into the future. Here are the three most essential ones.
Drive adaptability and agility through ‘Gumby Mode’
Stepping into the role of Guild CEO was a career change I never anticipated. I’m confident that my adaptive and agile approach to leadership enabled me to meet the moment and carry the business forward.
I coined a name for this approach, inspired by the green claymation hero of our childhoods—“Gumby Mode.” It’s the posture you take as a leader when elasticity of thinking and flexibility in problem-solving are in order. By adopting this approach, leaders gain not only agility but also resilience. They are better able to adjust when the unexpected happens and better set up to bounce back from business disruption. In today’s world of work, leading in “Gumby Mode” is not optional; it is essential.
Emerging technologies make this glaringly apparent, not only forcing us to reckon with the shelf life of our knowledge and skills but also heightening our awareness of what it feels like to be agile and adaptive rather than rigid and stuck in old patterns.
Cultivate a ‘customer-obsessed’ culture
A native Texan, I am an indoctrinated football fan. While I know sports metaphors in the work setting are forehead-smackingly common, I must say—a team mentality where your employees are following the same playbook is critical for directional alignment. Cultivating a "customer-obsessed" culture driven by an internal insights engine is the key to maximizing impact. Leaders, your playbook must be fueled by empowering your teams with deep customer knowledge, a clear understanding of the company’s direction, and a strong sense of your teams’ vital role in driving success. This dynamic approach doesn’t just enhance operations; it sparks innovation and ensures agility, and more importantly, it meets your customers’ needs.
The focus on building this culture at Guild started with setting up mechanisms to share important insights I heard on a customer listening tour with the rest of the organization. This organically led to conversations grounded in customer needs and has been an important input to the evolution of our product suite.
Another source of insights is a new series in our monthly company gatherings where we invite key stakeholders to share their experiences. Just last month, a Guild learner employed at Tyson shared what motivates him to pursue education in organizational leadership. Zoom emojis flew as he said: “I wanted to get a degree and show my son and daughter that even at 35, you can figure out what you want to do, and you can go for it.”
A successful customer insights engine is one that develops a deeper curiosity (and yes, obsession) about your customers. It makes you more user-centric, strengthens operations, and enables you to build better products and craft better experiences.
Require and reward continuous learning
The final proactive leadership shift is to foster a company ethos of continuous learning. The byproduct of learning is growth. So, it benefits us to require and reward learning in our organizations in the many forms it takes, be it on-the-job upskilling, transformative reskilling, enrollment in a learning program to advance knowledge and skills, or simply asking questions.
To be more precise about honing this culture, I challenge leaders to form a hypothesis on which skills will be most critical to your organization five years from now; understand if those skills exist today; and if they do not, figure out what learning investments are required now to get there in time. And don’t forget the carrot—internal career pathways can reward employees who take the time to learn the necessary new skills, and as business leaders, you can drive your business forward by building a skilled talent pipeline for the future.
With the talent shortages we already have in this country, creating this culture offers a dynamic way to meet the deficit head-on. Investing in your workforce within a culture of continuous learning is not a zero-sum game. It’s a multiplier of opportunity, for your employees and for your business.
Time for a new playbook
Change is not easy. But as business leaders, we have a critical role to play during this moment of transformation. The way we lead and the decisions we make will have resounding implications for not only our teams and our businesses, but also for our society and systems. Let’s craft the new playbook together, setting the vision while also staying connected to the work that brings that vision to life.
