LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR THE 21ST

Abstract

Leaders play a crucial role in an organization where they guide through a rapidly evolving environment. Additionally, leaders today must possess knowledge of 'leadership' due to the crucial role it plays in the era of technological advancement. Technological advancement has resulted in significant changes in both personal lifestyles and work environments. Every organization must adapt to changes to stay current. Having this skill will empower you to lead organizations effectively and propel them toward success. Leadership in the list century must have the knowledge and ability to focus on managing personnel changes in every aspect of the organization. Inspire all staff members to work together to drive organizational change during competitive and crisis conditions in the list century. As mentioned above, leaders will be able to drive the organization toward achieving its future goals successfully.

Headnote

Abstract: Leaders play a crucial role in an organization where they guide through a rapidly evolving environment. Additionally, leaders today must possess knowledge of 'leadership' due to the crucial role it plays in the era of technological advancement. Technological advancement has resulted in significant changes in both personal lifestyles and work environments. Every organization must adapt to changes to stay current. Having this skill will empower you to lead organizations effectively and propel them toward success. Leadership in the list century must have the knowledge and ability to focus on managing personnel changes in every aspect of the organization. Inspire all staff members to work together to drive organizational change during competitive and crisis conditions in the list century. As mentioned above, leaders will be able to drive the organization toward achieving its future goals successfully.

Keywords: Leadership skills, Leadership for the 21st century, Transformational leadership, Management style.

Introduction

A leader is a person who plays an important role in creating, understanding, and being able to use power to motivate others to achieve organizational success. Although a leader is not a person who directly sets out to perform a task, a leader is a person who provides support, assistance, and guidance to followers or practitioners. Therefore, leaders must have a range of skills, including technical, communication, critical thinking, and decision-making abilities to achieve benefits: organizational the most. Therefore, excellent leaders should study the concept of leadership, which involves being wise, compassionate, knowledgeable, and capable of guiding organizations or individuals to reach their goals1.

Modern organizations encounter highly competitive economic, social, political, and technological landscapes that constantly evolve and pose challenges. Organizations that strive for excellence must adapt to changes by developing human resources across various management levels and fostering strong leadership skills2. It is evident that leaders, beyond their authoritative roles, must demonstrate dedication and empathy towards their followers. Trusted individuals naturally boost morale, fostering a belief in their potential and creating a positive, enthusiastic work environment. All of these have led to leadership skills that can make changes and establish a participatory team. Establishing consistent connections in a unified manner results in a strong, stable, and sustainable organization3.

knowledge of Leadership

Leadership is the ability to guide and is essential for a leader's success. This is a key reason why the concept of leadership has been extensively studied. It aims to understand the essential elements that contribute to effective leadership. In addition, leadership includes motivating and guiding groups toward specific goals through actions like giving directions and providing support4 (Phonchai, 2020). This refers to an individual's behavior when interacting with a group, reflecting a personal trait. In terms of skill, they are developed through collaboration and shared experiences, where individuals working together contribute to the group's progress and success. Personal experience and training play a role in how effective leadership is, affecting areas like decision-making, communication, and problem-solving skills. A leader must have the ability to inspire subordinates to reach their full potential, especially during organizational changes, by motivating them to excel in their roles.

Leadership is intricate due to its multifaceted nature, encompassing various interconnected elements. However, through dedicated efforts and rigorous training, leaders can develop vital skills such as adaptability, emotional intelligence, and strategic thinking to navigate this complexity effectively. Hence, leadership is crucial in adapting work procedures and processes for successful organizational management. It is also important to prioritize personnel at all levels, with a particular emphasis on transformational leadership. This leadership style involves inspiring, nurturing, and empowering colleagues to surpass expectations, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the organization. Effective and transparent communication within an organization is vital for establishing trust, encouraging acceptance, and fostering collaboration among team members. Communication serves as the cornerstone for ensuring alignment, cooperation, and the realization of the organization's common vision.

In summary, leadership is a process of motivation that leaders use to direct, convince, or direct followers to follow to achieve the set objectives. The effectiveness of leadership varies based on the individual's experience and training. The level of leadership exhibited is directly influenced by the depth of experience and the quality of training received by each person. This motivation encourages subordinates to work to their full potential and is a key factor in modifying work procedures efficiently for effective management.

Leadership and crisis management

At times of crisis, whether in the organization or the country, the leader of the organization is regarded as a very important person because, during this period, the employees have only fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about their future, etc. The leader of this organization will be the one who builds confidence in the employees of the organization. So, when a crisis occurs in the organization, the management that has been done under normal circumstances will not be immediately applicable. We need to rethink and plan all the administrative changes. The goal is to get the organization through the crisis eventually. The role of a leader is important5.

* In normal circumstances, leaders may have orders. The progress of work can be checked in order, but in a crisis, leaders can no longer live in order because it's too slow, and more than being presented, each issue, whether assignments are assigned to each level, must not be on top of the crisis. So, in the most important case, they have to run straight to the leader of the organization at all times. To get all the details from the work page, it really should not be filtered, and then filtered again. In the case of the leader, everything becomes good. There is nothing to worry about. This will not solve a crisis.

* In-depth in the relevant information, leaders usually don't go into the information. Each manager manages and looks at the outcome according to the objective. The sub-manager has to follow the instructions, but if it's in a crisis situation, leaders will have to draw important information into detail to make decisions as firmly and accurately as possible. Multi-layer filtered information will cause a lot of distortion and may not really make a decision.

* Have a clear goal during a crisis. The goal is to get through the crisis first. So the leader should have a clear target, what to do during this period when to do it, and how long after the first step we can move on to the next step. So, normally, the goal of our business is to generate profits and build sales, but during a crisis, we will not be able to use that goal, and we will have to change the goal again. How do we survive this period? What is the most important thing about keeping the organization out of crisis? Other things, even if there are consequences, must be overcome. Just don't forget to plan for improvement or remedy after the crisis is over.

* Communicate clearly and communicate frequently in crises. Employees are confused. People have a lot of opinions about themselves. To avoid confusion, leaders need to communicate regularly about what they're going to focus on during this period, ahead of time, etc., confidently, reasonably, and with the right information. And, most importantly, clear goals are well planned in a crisis where only urgent situations have to be resolved and decided, leaders should skip some of the rules, such as when an event occurs and a meeting has to be called immediately. Do not wait for work time; just sit down or fix something if it occurs on a holiday. Instead, do it immediately, but say, this is a holiday; don't work; let it work before it gets fixed, etc. This way, it will be fixed and decided immediately.

* Encourage the staff, show sympathy, understand the feelings of every employee, stand next to the staff and go to work in the street, and help the staff do some necessary work, not just sitting in their own office, never lulling down and looking at the staff who do the work in front of them.

Good leadership skills and abilities

Having strong leadership skills is crucial for individuals in the working class, particularly in today's fiercely competitive environment. Strong leadership skills increase your likelihood of being selected. Additionally, demonstrating the mentioned skills can make a positive impression on your employer, starting from the interview and aiding in your swift advancement in your chosen career. Leadership is not only necessary at work, it's essential to remember that humans are inherently social beings who often live in large communities. In group settings, the presence of a leader with the ability to manage human resources, solve problems, and allocate resources is crucial for achieving common goals. The term "leadership" or "leadership skills" encompasses a range of abilities beyond executive roles, including insight, emotional maturity, creativity, effective communication, and more. Regardless of your background-whether in terms of gender, age, position, or role - leadership is a skill that is essential for everyone, with limitless applications.

1. A good leader must know how to solve problems. Effective leadership involves addressing challenges by prioritizing rationality over emotions, analyzing situations objectively, and methodically resolving obstacles to ensure timely completion of tasks, recognizing that some issues may require letting go.

2. Active listening is a fundamental trait of a good leader. Listening is a fundamental skill that is often underestimated, despite the constant influx of information and stories in our daily lives. It has been proven that listening is not limited to the speaker alone. Listening is a very simple skill, and you only need to use your heart to understand the intentions of the speaker. Only in this way can the speaker feel your sincerity without having to comment on these stories. However, by actively listening to questions, you can receive valuable suggestions. Of course, one can provide suggestions on how to solve problems, regularly pass on positive energy, or encourage team members. As an individual's listening ability improves, their leadership skills will strengthen with increased listening.

3. A good leader must be decisive. To be a good leader, "decisionmaking" is one of the top must-have skills because effective leaders need to be able to make decisions and solve problems in a short period under the conditions of time, resources, and various limitations. The more experience you have in management, means more advantageous, especially if you already have expertise in the field despite any limitations. Therefore, it is not surprising that good leadership skills are paired with decisiveness, because that is what helps to solve the problem successfully under many limitations.

4. A good leader must be honest. Honesty is the foundation of many excellent skills. I believe some people understand that honesty is only a question of honesty. Honesty is also a question of faith. Adhere to ideals and fairness, including adhering to the correct ideological principles. Don't forget that many times in leadership itself, one may have to decide to choose a side or punish those who repeatedly make mistakes on the original problem. Every time such a decision is made, a good leader must solve the problem based on honesty, even if the decision may not be loyal to the opinions of the majority.

5. A good leader often performs good management. Sometimes, using strict methods to solve problems with certain people may not be effective. One of the skills of good leadership must be combined with good management. Understand which methods to use for managing different individuals or situations. Some people like hardwood, and some people prefer softwood. Of course, it's a good idea to manage anything, it's necessary to have the art of communication, put your ego aside, and listen to your teammates' opinions. Then put it to use. To reach the goals that were set smoothly over time, having good human relations is the foundation of excellent management. Developing the skills for good leadership can vary in difficulty, sometimes being easy and other times challenging. Therefore, practicing and applying it in your daily life by developing these skills allows us to cultivate unique and intriguing strengths.

10 outstanding characteristics of successful people

Being a successful leader is a challenging journey that depends on personal experience and the dedicated pursuit of set goals. This will make the work successful and help achieve the goals that have been set. In addition, you must accept the changes that occur all the time. By adapting to changes, maintaining self-confidence, and valuing the opinions of others, you accept diverse perspectives from those around you. Having a positive outlook and working diligently can lead to success. The 10 outstanding characteristics of successful people are:

1. Dare to change yourself all the time. It may seem obvious that change is a positive act, but few people are willing to change on their own. Fear of various things, such as failure, rejection, damage, etc., makes us choose to stay in a familiar area (comfort zone), which is equal to stagnating in a place with no progress at all in our work. Therefore, you must dare to change yourself and do increasingly difficult things. You will gain experience in life that will make you more courageous to do it.

2. Have a clear goal in life. To be successful, you must dare to set a goal, and it should be clear. Without a goal, life can drift aimlessly, leading to an unsuccessful life. Once you've reached your aims, you'll be able to set even more goals, and you will become more and more successful. Many people rarely set goals for what they will do. At each specific time, such as this year, this month, this week, or today, think that you already have a lot of work. If sometimes it doesn't work, try setting it again, and it will succeed. Most people who have had a lot of success will explain the goal clearly until you can see the picture.

3. Face failures and start over. This notable trait is present in every successful individual, as they persist and work diligently even in the face of failure because every job has an unexpected outcome. Even if you are so well prepared, you may encounter obstacles to failure. Therefore, if you always tell yourself that failing is not a shameful thing, but if it is shameful not to stand up and learn to face the obstacle, then the determination to succeed is not difficult. Just like every successful athlete, they will encounter countless failures and just don't give up, which they will eventually succeed.

4. Commit to your idea and work until it is achieved. Having faith in oneself nurtures confidence in one's ideas, highlighting personal perspective over stubbornness. Regardless of others' opinions, I will endeavor to prove my capabilities and persist with my ideas until I achieve success. Many leaders cause their subordinates to lose confidence without realizing it. They will keep saying that it's not good and shouldn't be done because the boss sees the limitations, but actually, it's equal to blocking the subordinates from thinking for themselves. Finally, that subordinate will have no thought at all and eventually will be a person who lacks self-confidence, like many people who are leaders. You should be careful about this; you have to encourage them to carry out their ideas until they are successful.

5. Live less when you feel bad than when you feel good. Our lives have ups and downs; no one will have a good life forever, and no one will have a bad life forever. The key is to manage both negative and positive emotions effectively by reflecting on the events themselves. If you can control bad feelings for a short period and try to maintain good feelings for a long time, it will make your life more enjoyable or happy, lead to a smooth working life, and be successful in the end. Each person's work-life experience can help in this regard. For example, people who have been through many crisis events will understand. And don't dwell on nonsense such as depression, boredom, and laziness because you know it's useless, so you'll let the bad feelings stay for just a moment. Then you can stimulate yourself, and you can move on. For those with little experience, you must gradually continue to train yourself to become a better version.

6. Listen to criticism from others well. Knowledge is everywhere we pass; therefore, listening to others is especially important. Reviews from others: if anyone can listen a lot, they will be very successful because criticism can be translated into something that can be improved. Don't listen to what he has to say. Therefore, if you are an open person, there will be more things coming your way and more opportunities to choose good things. As for bad things, you won't have to accept them, but listening to criticism will give others the courage to talk more, including bosses, co-workers, and subordinates, making working through people better. In the end, you will be a successful person.

7. Have a positive attitude towards things, rather than having a negative attitude. "What I mean here is to have confidence in what I have done, be willing to accept the consequences of failure, and encourage myself to do it again until I succeed. Instead of imagining bad things before they happen, I always think positively about what I have done so that I can work hard and hope to succeed." Imagination can lead people to react positively or negatively to situations based on their emotions. However, if we control a positive attitude towards things, we will do many different things, and the result or work will become better, and then, like most successful people, etc.

8. High leadership ability. A leader refers to someone who is willing to do what they want to do. Therefore, a leader is very different from a manager. Managers enforce obedience to orders, while leaders inspire compliance through incentives. In work and life, there are both managers and leadership skills, but if any manager has high leadership skills, the chances of success are greater. It can be said that successful people have a high level of internal leadership.

9. Pay attention to others. Every successful person doesn't manage alone; there must always be other people involved in the work. If anyone says that they can succeed alone, it shows that the person must have misunderstood something for sure, because no great person can complete a task on his own. Thus, genuinely valuing others is a crucial distinguishing trait for achieving success. It can be seen that whoever has a great team and works as a team will be highly successful. Giving importance to others means Engaging others in your vision, values, and plans motivating them to achieve their maximum capabilities. By recognizing their worth and treating others respectfully, you pave the way for your success.

10. Act recklessly. Successful individuals fearlessly embrace failures and promptly act on any idea. But don't underestimate it, because there must be information before taking action. Begin by creating a clear plan; otherwise, the task will remain incomplete. In other words, there are certain life steps, and you will never stand a chance. Instead, view failure as a stepping stone towards eventual success, as it provides valuable lessons.

Characteristics of transformational leadership in the 21st century

In the 21st century, many scholars define the attribute of transformational leadership as multidimensional, as follows:

6Kama (2020) mentioned that the characteristics of change leaders in the 21st century consist of four skills: 1) Communication skills; 2) Creativity skills; 3) Vision skills; 4) Cooperation skills; and 6 characteristics: 1) Must be a visionary; 2) Must have confidence; 3) Must value and focus on people; 4) Must have good communication and listening skills; 5) Must show proactive behavior; 6) Must have the courage to take risks.

7Khalid et al. (2022) discussed seven key aspects that leaders should focus on for skill development: 1) Establishing and developing teams; 2) Thinking about strategic planning with foresight; 3) Leader's personalized consciousness; 4) Communication and interaction with human resources and stakeholders; 5) Analyzing and solving problems; 6) Maintaining resilience in risk and adventure situations; and 7) Making timely decisions in crises.

8 Malik (2021) summarized research from Gartner, a research and advisory company for leading global corporate leaders, and discussed the eight key factors of effective change leadership, including: 1) having a clear vision; 2) creating operational strategic plans; 3) building in-depth relationships with personnel and stakeholders; 4) driving change with technology; 5) effective and transparent communication; 6) confronting risks and resisting change; 7) teamwork throughout the organization; and 8) engaging employees in taking responsibility. This improves the performance of the team, creates a sense of belonging, and drives organizational growth along the way.

9Sandmann & Vandenberg (1995) defined seven key characteristics of transformational leadership: 1) Setting a shared vision; 2) Participating in teamwork; 3) Learning from strategic planning and carrying out practice and reflecting on learning results together; 4) Building relationships among personnel; 5) Developing competency or potential of personnel; 6) Working as a team; 7) Communication.

Leadership in the 21st century

Leadership is crucial in modern management due to the understanding of key management principles and theories. As the working environment is constantly changing, there is a competition for excellence. To be successful, a manager must constantly adapt and evolve as a leader. A manager must always learn new things and develop themselves to be successful. This approach motivates and satisfies employees through effective leadership in modern management practices. Scholars have introduced various 21st-century leadership models in contemporary administration.

1. Knowing means that a good leader in an organization needs to be careful about the issues he or she manages for the administration to be successful. Developing leadership traits in the 21st century involves:

* Scientists in various fields of science are those who make an effort to continuously learn. Leaders need to apply knowledge effectively to their management responsibilities.

* The art of knowing how to manage an organization. The technique of working to make organizational management successful. Achieving organizational goals.

* Skill in managing the responsibilities of the entire organization. Leaders always have to train their managerial skills and lead people for the survival of the next organization.

2. Ideology means that an effective leader should possess a diverse range of attributes, including faith. The primary thought, which influences as a guide and direction of the thought of the individual, in particular, uses members of the same unitary organization, holding the same ideals all the time. All members of the organization need to uphold good management ideals.

* Adhere to ethics within the framework of national culture.

* Self-confidence, courage based on a certain hold, but a sense of responsibility.

* Being responsible to yourself and society.

* Be honest with yourself or others and avoid any dishonest behaviors.

3. Timely awareness is crucial for 21st-century leaders to possess qualities such as adaptability and risk management skills. As suddenly as the state of affairs changes, the situation consists of the following motioned factors.

* Being attentive to Thai society and the ever-changing world requires the organization to adjust itself.

* Responding to the current situation requires self-training similar to the utilization of information technology in today's institutions.

* A good leader must know how to manage risks to manage effectively and meet the challenges of the current situation.

4. Discussion Courage means that the leader will lead the organization to success. A leader must swiftly grasp the concept of precision.

* The courage to carefully consider any risk-based action based on accurate information, not a prediction or chance risk.

* The courage to invest in innovations that will lead the administration. The courage to introduce new techniques to the organization.

* Dare to admit guilt if the administration fails.

* The courage that you and your staff have given to accomplish objective work, including the courage to decide to punish unintentionally or potentially causing corporate damage caused intentionally, but this must be based on the principles of fairness and always secrecy.

5. The strategy of vision means that modern leadership has to look far. Relying solely on innovative ideas supported by credible data. Do not recognize the old concepts; look ahead and introduce the key ideas, techniques, and modern methods, as well as find new techniques to be implemented in the organization by the leader, which should have the following characteristics:

* Look far and try to accomplish what you intend with patience.

* A wide view of the world. A multidimensional view.

* Convince others to follow.

* Strategy to cover all aspects.

6. Create a team. (Teamwork) A good leader with advanced ideas needs to know how to build a team and a partnership. Well, those teams or networks will be the driving force for management to succeed quickly, because teams are considered to be the heart of modern management. Leaders cannot work without teams. Nowadays, societies are so complex that organizations cannot live alone. So, for organizations to work successfully, goals must be achieved effectively. Team-building and networking are very important. Team building can be separated into five points.

* Build a trusted team for all tasks.

* Trust in the team. It means to believe in the abilities of every team.

* Commit the team to the individual's abilities.

* Shine. Take care of the team with pride and enthusiasm.

* Responsible for what happened, both the good and the bad parts of the team's mistake.

7. The concept of the service mind pertains to the management approach in modern organizations. A living organization. Everyone in the organization has to work together. Work collaboratively. Leaders should not solely depend on issuing commands for effective leadership. Leaders must lead based on friendship, dignity, and a good spirit. Work as a model for the staff of the organization. In the work, the executive should check the work at every step so that the problem can be resolved on time. Addressing work issues promptly incentivizes organizational personnel to perform effectively. The service of the leader may be divided as follows:

* A good leader must learn to sacrifice to be a donor rather than a recipient.

* A good leader has to be patient, wait for the right time before taking any action, be careful, and complete.

* A good leader must have mercy and be merciful to everyone.

* Learn to look on the bright side.

Conclusion

The importance of leadership in corporate management in the 21st century for operational success needs to develop their leadership skills, and attributes and enhance their potential in all areas, both strategically, communicatively, personnel developmentally, and systematically. To prepare for new changes to take place in a changing environment, they must seek opportunities from both internal and external environments and leverage their corporate resources to maximize efficiency. To operate an organization that responds properly to changing situations, as well as being able to solve problems promptly with effective methods. Therefore, the significance of successful leadership depends on the expression in which leadership focuses on the involvement of staff in driving the process of change at every stage. By driving the strategy, training requires skills to enhance the capacity of people to work effectively. Encouraging active participation in organizational development and leadership facilitates further change within the organization.

Footnote

1 N. Ninpeng, Change agent in the 21st century, Nursing and Health Care, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2017, pp. 16-19.

2 A. Auareesuksakun, and T. Chuntuk, Transformational leadership: Changing challenges to achieve organization sustainability, Veridian E-Journal, Silpakorn University, Vol. 9, No. 1, 2016, pp. 845-860.

3 C. Thawinpipatkul, Creating transformational leaders based on human values, 2020, Available at: https://www.posttoday.com/life/work-life-balance/636446

4 R. Phonchai, Leadership and administration in the digital age, Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahamakut Buddithist University Isan Campus, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2020, pp. 53-62.

5 Y. Jakkhom, and V. Chamruspanth, Roles of Leadership on the Crisis Management in the Situations of the Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Thailand, Journal of Politics and Governance, Vol. 13, No. 2,2023, pp. 1-19.

6 M. Kama, The Characteristics and Roles of Transformational Leaders for School Administration in the 21st Century, Buabandit Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2020, pp. 92-106.

7 B. Khalid et al., Venture Leadership under Uncertainty: An Emerging Country Perspective, 2022, Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/80803

8 P. Malik, Change Leadership: How to Lead Change Effectively (2022), 2021, Available At: www.whatfix.com/blog/change-leadership/

9 L.R. Sandmann, and L. Vandenberg, A Framework for 21st Century Leadership, 1995, Available at: https://archives.joe.org/joe/1995december/al.php

References

REFERENCES

Auareesuksakun, A. and Chuntuk, T., (2016), Transformational leadership: Changing challenges to achieve organization sustainability, Veridian E-Journal, Silpakorn University, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 845-860.

Jakkhom, Y. and Chamruspanth, V., (2023), Roles of Leadership on the Crisis Management in the Situations of the Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic in Thailand, Journal of Politics and Governance, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp. 1-19.

Kama, M., (2020), The Characteristics and Roles of Transformational Leaders for School Administration in the 21st Century, Buabandit Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 92-106.

Khalid, B., Al Azad, M. S., Ed-dafali, S. and Mohiuddin, M., (2022), Venture Leadership under Uncertainty: An Emerging Country Perspective, Available at: https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/80803

Malik, P., (2021), Change Leadership: How to Lead Change Effectively (2022), Available At: www.whatfix.com/blog/change-leadership/

Ninpeng, N., (2017), Change agent in the 21st century, Nursing and Health Care, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 16-19.

Phonchai, R., (2020), Leadership and administration in the digital age, Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mahamakut Buddithist University Isan Campus, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 53-62.

Sandmann, L.R., and Vandenberg, L. (1995), A Framework for 21st Century Leadership, Available at: https://archives.joe.org/joe/1995december/al.php

Thawinpipatkul, C., (2020), Creating transformational leaders based on human values, Available at:<https://www.posttoday.com/life/work-lifebalance /636446