Organizations are seeking "myriad leaders" with diverse professional backgrounds, according to a recent study by executive search firm Bridge Partners.
Eight notes:
1. "The Leader of 2030" study surveyed 100 C-suite or vice president-level executives at U.S. companies with at least 250 employees. Eight percent of the executives were in the healthcare sector, a spokesperson confirmed to Becker's.
2. When asked what was most important to have represented in their leadership teams, 56% of executives focused on diverse professional backgrounds, such as different industries or functions.
3. Organizations are not only seeking leaders with a range of experience, they are interested in those with different approaches to thinking and problem-solving, the study showed.
4. Of surveyed executives, 55% noted a need for greater cognitive diversity. Ethnic and cultural diversity followed at 33%.
5. Similarly, attracting "top talent with diverse lived and professional experiences" ranked as the top leadership recruitment priority over the next five years for those surveyed, cited by 66% of respondents. Succession planning and promoting internal talent followed, at 51%.
6. Additionally, two skills identified as increasingly in demand over the next five years were a strategic/visionary approach and innovative thinking, according to the survey.
7. Soft skills are becoming more prominent in executive LinkedIn profiles, a separate report found. The five fastest-growing soft skills among C-suite and executive leaders are:
- Presentations
- Strategic thinking
- Communication
- Strategic vision
- Conflict resolution/negotiation
8. Recently, hospital and health system leaders shared with Becker's the most critical skills needed over the next few years. These include:
- AI and data analytics
- Change management and innovation
- Cross-generational communication
- Extreme nimbleness
- Transparency