Essential Skills for Energy Sector Leaders of Tomorrow
At first glance, it appears that leadership in the energy sector requires a formidable combination of both technical and managerial skillsets. The industry is so diverse and dynamic, how can anybody identify the skills required to become a leader of tomorrow. Can the answer be found within the title of this article? I suggest we break it down into four, essential skills.
The first, and in my opinion, most important essential skill for every leader in every sector and at every level is Professional Attributes. Managers need power, leaders on the other hand need influence to engage their teams with their vision of the future. So, what are these skills? Well, to be able to influence others you need to be authentic, emotionally intelligent, respected, trusted and honest plus many more, but that will do for a start.
Now that we have dealt with the word “Leader,” what about tomorrow? Strategic Attributes ensure that your success today also becomes success tomorrow. The second essential skill of leadership is the ability to formulate and implement strategic direction that ensures sustainability through profit, people, and planet. The energy sector is noted for its volatile behaviour. Without the right direction and guidance through the turmoil of the marketplace, leadership will fail. So, what is strategy? These skills are often defined as anticipate, challenge, interpret, and decide, but then you must be able to influence others – see above.
The remaining two skills are more specific to the energy sector that the generic skills of Professional and Strategic Attributes already mentioned. The third essential skill is commonly classified as Workplace Attributes. Professional workplace knowledge and skills, which are the most difficult to define include problem-solving and critical thinking skills, teamwork and interdisciplinary or cross-functional collaboration skills, communication skills, and stakeholder or customer management skills. There is a need for interdisciplinary teamwork and facilitation skills, an understanding of project management, and to be able to speak the language of the people so they can work with and understand their priorities and biases.”
Finally, Knowledge & Technical Attributes. This includes knowledge of the energy industry, unique characteristics, and trends; energy and environment systems awareness; an understanding of economics and energy markets; financial & cost analysis skills; knowledge of regulatory policies; and statistics & data analysis skills. One recent survey included how power markets differ, public policy, regulation, and market factors and how power markets are unlike any other commodity markets for supply and demand. Here they stressed the need of people with experience who know how to analyze data.”
Energy Training Centre has the Leadership & Strategy training course category wherein professional development courses are being offered to equip yourself with the skills, qualities and capabilities valued by employers across the Energy Industry that underpin successful business management.
The Energy Training Centre also can also customise training courses targeted for a group of professionals that wishes to be trained on the same course.
