The Real Epicenter of the Talent Crisis

Today's Building Blocks curated conversation at Covo focuses on inspiring and nurturing leadership.

If you’re reading any of the major business media outlets you’ve seen articles about the talent crisis.

Whether you are a Founder/CEO or Human Resources professional looking to ensure that you’re building a workforce now that will meet your needs in the future, or you’re a professional looking to position yourself with a marketable high-demand skill set, you probably have your eye on several talent trends and projected gaps.

64% of CEOs say developing ‘Next Gen’ leaders is their top challenge for the coming year.

Much of the spotlight has been on tech talent and for good reason. As Drew Davis reminds us in this interview with Daniel Fogarty of LaunchCode;

β€œThere are 50,000 tech graduates every year. Yet, it is predicted that there will be one million unfilled tech jobs by 2020.”

As technology expands to increase efficiency, offer greater convenience, and solve more problems, traditional training and education models continue to fall more and more behind, while the ratio of demand to available talent continues to increase.

But there is one identifiable talent gap that impacts the future of business more than any other, and that is leadership.

Leadership is expertise we develop. It’s not an innate ability.

Your leaders determine the quality of talent you attract. They determine the excellence to which those people rise to while they are with your organization, and their loyalty and level of engagement.

Your leaders are responsible for holding the vision of your company, establishing and fostering culture, and supporting creativity and performance throughout the organization.

Without strong leadership, even an overabundance of talent in other areas of the organization will not result in improved outcomes or profit margins. I have seen this proven over and over during my 20+ years of coaching founders and leaders, which is why my team at Return To Your Power, is focused on empowered and embodied leadership.

Your future, as a company, hangs on your ability to identify and develop your future leaders. What’s more, your potential as a professional expands exponentially when you prepare yourself to successfully step into a leadership role.

Just how β€œreal” is this leadership crisis?

According to DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast for 2018:

  • 64 percent of the CEOs surveyed cited β€œDeveloping Next Gen Leaders” as their top challenge for the coming year.
  • Only 14 percent of CEOs have the leadership talent to execute their strategy.
  • Only 35 percent of the HR professionals who responded to the survey rated their company’s ability to fill critical leadership positions over the next three years as even β€œslightly strong.”
  • 78 percent of HR professionals see their leadership planning and pathing systems as only moderately effective or even worse.

If that’s the bad news, the good news is this: leadership is not dependent on any one skillset or level of experience. It is not limited to any department, role, or position. And it is something you can nurture and develop in yourself and in your organization β€” starting immediately.

Join EQ Today at Covo from 5:30pm

That’s why I’m thrilled to have been invited to be part of the β€œInnovative Leadership” panel for this month’s Building Block Series event.

Building Blocks Series: Innovative Leadership

This open discussion on how to generate and inspire leadership in yourself and others brings together professionals devoted to developing leadership in organizations, with current and emerging leaders in the technology industry.

It will be moderated by EQ’s own Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Allen, who is working with Lindsay Van Quaethem and Nicole Huguley of City Block to create an interactive experience for both the panelists and the audience.

The Building Blocks Series is focused on various topics in tech and entrepreneurship and held in partnership with City Block Communications and Claim Academy, hosted by Covo STL and sponsored by EQ.

In addition to myself, the panelists include:

Char Pfeiffer, Director of Human Resources and β€œNo Jerks Allowed” Ambassador for Connectria Hosting, recently named among Computerworld’s 2018 list of the 100 best places to work in IT.

Lamar Woods, founder of Woods&Tech LLC, a software company that develops proprietary applications, trains software developers, and consults for companies looking to create or update applications of their own. (Check out his video series on LinkedIn targeted toward helping people start and excel in a coding career.)

Epharra Mendoza is an undergraduate at UMSL majoring in computer science, and is a recent graduate at Claim Academy where she gained hands-on experience in full stack Java development. All the while, she was navigating through motherhood as a first time mother of one. Epharra is a “forever learner” fueled by natural curiosity and the continuous need for self improvement.

These events are designed for audience participation and questions, so if you have an interest in leadership and/or technology I hope this discussion will also include YOU.

DATE:
Wed, August 15, 2018 (Today!)

SCHEDULE:
5:30 – 6:00 PM Happy Hour at Trust Bar in the Covo lobby
6:00 – 7:00 PM Open Panel Discussion in Covo’s 3rd floor Conference Room
7:00 – 7:30 Discussion and Networking at Trust Bar

PLACE:
Covo STL, 401 Pine, Downtown St. Louis

COST:
FREE

Join us for an inspiring Happy Hour: Register Here

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