Empowering Leadership: insights from UNLOCK25 workshops by United Minds
The United Minds team was delighted to host two thought-provoking workshops entitled “Power to the People! How should leaders respond to increased employee agency through their communications?” at Weber Shandwick’s UNLOCK25 event in June. The sessions uncovered pivotal themes that resonate profoundly with contemporary leadership challenges, with valuable input and thoughts from participants, including:
Trust and self-awareness
Emotional intelligence (EQ) and consistent, purposeful behaviour in leadership is critically important. Participants explored their experience with how genuine intentions and clear communication are foundational to building trust, and the significance of leaders aligning their actions with their values.
Polarisation
To be effective, leaders must prioritise listening and understanding before taking action, and embrace vulnerability as a strength that fosters empathy and unity. The workshop stressed that effective conflict management transcends mere resolution, encompassing the meaningful repair of relationships – a humanising approach is crucial, given today’s diverse workplace dynamic.
The role of middle managers
It is vital to advocate for the decentralisation of decision-making to empower teams at the forefront of impact. This underscores the importance of regular CEO town halls and transparent communication to align middle management with organisational strategy, thereby fostering a cohesive and well-informed leadership structure. Participants agreed that cultivating a culture in which learning from mistakes is encouraged and viewed as integral to growth and innovation, is healthy and welcome.
In summary, these workshops ignited meaningful discussions and got us even more excited about the release of our latest report, Employees Rising: Advocacy, Activism, Agency. First fielded in 2014, the 2024 research revisits the state of employee activism 10 years on, from current levels of engagement to perspectives on leadership.
Contact Liana Mora to learn more.
United Minds, part of The Weber Shandwick Collective, is a global management consultancy specialising in transformation.
