What marketing leadership skills will be in demand in 2021?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Yes, you read that right. I can say that with confidence, even amid the strange and unpredictable year we’ve all had. This time of year is wonderful. Not just because of Christmas trees, holiday decorations and seasonal baking. It’s a time to reflect on the year that was. From the strange toilet paper shortage phenomenon, to the new vantage points we all got into our own work/life balance and that of our colleagues. And with the promise of a vaccine in 2021, there is a light at the end of this particular tunnel.
As I look to 2021, I have been reviewing old blog posts. This process has made me reflect on the marketing leadership skills – both new and old – that gained attention in 2020. Our various posts highlighted many different marketing leadership skills, but there are eight that will continue to be relevant into 2021.
1. Brand Agility
Throughout the pandemic and social justice movements in 2020, we witnessed that brand agility is a survival trait. Not just the ability to adapt to a new and constantly evolving business landscape, but to do it while remaining true to your core purpose. Read more >>
2. Creativity
While this is not a new skill, creativity and creative thinking definitely felt like it was in short supply in 2020. Especially in the early days of the pandemic. Here are three tips to boost creative thinking from a 6 year old. Read more >>
3. Patience
For parents who were thrust into homeschooling and for leaders across organizations – patience was essential. I predict this will be a critical skill set to have into 2021. Especially as we navigate what the future of work looks like after being at home for close to a year. Read more >>
4. Collaboration & Co-creation
Another required survival skill in 2020 was collaboration. Further, the ability to bring teams together (while virtual no less) to co-create solutions to the challenges they face is no easy task. We talk collaboration in marketing in this post.
5. Online Presenting
As the whole world shifted online, we witnessed the ability to hold an engaging and effective meeting/presentation was not universal. I had the opportunity to learn firsthand from the experts at CreatorUp about what it takes to put on a stellar online workshop and meeting. Read more >>
6. Emotional Intelligence
Building a deeper connection with clients became an important skill over the course of 2020, as we all adjusted to our new normals. It tested us all in different ways. But the common theme was a need to rely emotional intelligence skills. Whether it was figuring out how to foster connections among virtual teams, or checking in with sensitivity during client calls. Read more about developing emotional intelligence.
7. Coaching
A core tenet at Andrew Perry is coaching, and the ability to be a good coach never goes out of style. Abena learned a lot about coaching as one of the many Canadians who got a puppy during the pandemic. Read more >>
8. And of course.......transformation
The word ‘pivot’ was heard continuously this year. On a dime, organizations and individuals had to shift gears and embrace change and transformation – often digital. We broke down the core pieces to accelerate digital transformation in this blog post.
So did we miss any? What marketing leadership skills do you think will be in demand as we head into 2021?
From all of us at Andrew Perry to all of you – thank you for reading, engaging and commenting on our blog posts over the past year. Through it all, we really try to stay true to “thinking out loud”.
