Date Added: 09.08.21

Whether you’re at C-level already and are hoping to impress that headhunter regarding an exciting new venture, or just have your sights firmly set on the C-suite from below – you might be surprised to learn it’s not all about experience.

As recruiters in the utilities and energy space, we’ve done our fair share of executive search and take it from us: clear leadership traits and qualities can sometimes trump a long list of achievements when it comes to having those initial conversations.

While having a clear track record of leading a business to success time and time again is incredibly attractive to employers, they aren’t just looking at what led you here. They also want to know what you’ll be able to do for them going forward in an ever changing business landscape. A recent Gartner study highlighted that new cognitive and social skills are needed for the C-suite of tomorrow. The most desired soft skill wasn’t resilience or decision making as expected. It was ‘design thinking’, also characterised as being able to see the bigger picture and marrying creativity with organisation.

In a world where technology is evolving at a rapid pace, particularly in the energy sector where new clean and renewable energy innovations emerge on an almost weekly basis, the requirements for C-suite are changing too. While all the classic leadership traits like being a strategic thinker, charismatic leader or being able to unite people towards a common goal have all stood the test of time, there are a few new players in 2021.

Building a strong leadership team is crucial for setting the tone for the rest of the business and indeed has a part to play in attracting the right people underneath to deliver the company’s objectives. This is where softer skills and leadership traits come in, so as much as they will want to know what you’ve achieved, you’ve also got to ensure those unique qualities shine through to really draw them in.

A true visionary

There’s simply no trade off for being able to not only see the bigger picture in your business, but having an eerily good sense of what’s coming later down the line too. Keeping your eyes on the prize and steering your ship while still being present on the lower decks to make sure everything is running smoothly is what leadership is all about.

The past 2 years have thrown us all a massive curveball, and many haven’t been able to keep that crucial top level thinking going when everyone is in survival mode. If you can demonstrate your ability to keep your cool in the face of adversity and bring everyone together towards a common goal – you’re like gold dust in the c-suite.

In fact, there’s even a new title doing the rounds in the tech space: CVO. That’s a Chief Visionary Officer, and they sometimes outrank the CEO for their broad and comprehensive knowledge of the business and where it’s headed.

Any headhunter worth their salt will be looking out for blue sky thinkers with a nouse for strategy. So if this sounds like you, even though your references will speak for themselves, be sure to play up those attributes in your early conversations.

Inclusive motivator

This is definitely a newer trait that’s been cropping up lately, and it doesn’t just extend to new markets or customers. The leaders of tomorrow need to be able to motivate everyone in their business, to do this most companies need an inclusive thinker who considers people different to them in their decision-making. Inclusion has become a major sticking point after recent discoveries that vital tools for success like collaboration, feeling comfortable enough to share new ideas and going the extra mile only really occurred in those who felt included.

According to Harvard Business Review, what leaders say and do can make up to a 70% difference in how included employees feel. So as a c-level leader, it’s down to you to make your mark and tease out the best in your workforce. The main tenets of an inclusive leader include: emotional and cultural intelligence, the humility to accept feedback and an authentic commitment to nurturing a diverse workforce.

After all, to be able to properly motivate people, you’ve got to have the willingness to understand their motivations and work with them rather than against. Don’t believe us? There’s a whole movement of inclusive leaders that follow a framework to ensure they’re taking a human-centric approach to running a business.

To get this across in your conversations with recruiters or others within the business, reference times when you’ve had to motivate a notoriously underperforming arm of the business and how you managed to level with them enough to get things moving in the right direction. Take it from us, inclusive leaders are a hot commodity right now and every business wants one. So if you’ve got some stories to tell, definitely make a point of it.

Good with change

After everything that’s gone on in the last 18 months, need we say more? Being flexible and adaptable to external change is a serious asset to any leader of tomorrow. In fact, having a background in business change and transformation could really work wonders for those in the c-suite in the years to come.

In all seriousness, the world is going to go through more tumultuous change in the future as the climate crisis continues and new technology propels us into unchartered territory. So having someone who can steer the ship regardless of the weather is a major asset to any business looking to stand the test of time.

It’s not just about dealing with external factors though. Having a flexible approach to leadership means you can wear different hats for different objectives internally too, something which has its advantages when it comes to changing tact when crisis hits.

Executive search consultants will be looking for examples of leading through adversity, something many of us won’t be short of with the year we’ve had. Make sure to bring up any key experience with driving major change within your organisation, whether it’s the introduction of a new arm of the business or how you managed to switch things up in the wake of the pandemic to keep afloat.

Empathetic

Since the pandemic hit in March 2020, there’s been a greater focus than ever on the role empathy plays in strong leaders. Gone are the days where pure authoritarianism would earn you the respect of the wider business, in 2021 employees need to feel your authenticity to get on board with your way of thinking. More and more, we’re beginning to see the power of people skills in exacting positive change in business and empathy shouldn’t be underestimated.

For a long time, instilling a little bit of fear into your team now and then was considered a positive. Studies from BusinessSolver show that 84% of CEOs believe people perform at their best when they feel comfortable enough to be themselves at work. Another study from DDI claims that leaders who value listening and responding with empathy can look forward to more than 40% higher performance.

After all, you don’t have to make the choice between empathising with people and holding them accountable. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, in fact you’re more likely to tap into your team’s supply of discretionary effort with a little more understanding. Plus, they’re likely to hold themselves to task more if they actually like you on a personal level.

You could showcase your empathy during conversations with headhunters by highlighting your knack for coaching and engaging others to get the best out of them. Bonus points if you’ve ever been part of a mentoring programme and put your empathetic side to the test.

As you can see, the events of the last 18 months have really altered what businesses look for in a leader. If you see the above traits in yourself and happen to be on the lookout for pastures new in the energy and utilities sector, you’re in the right place. Get in touch with our team today to see what we can do for you.