The 6 new skills of the Digital Leader
If companies are changing to exploit the potential of digital business, can the leader’s figure ever remain anchored to old practices? The cultural transformation underway necessarily requires an adjustment of professional figures and corporate roles to the new business models and visions. Abandoning the beliefs that worked in the past means using an approach that is more in line with the new goals of Digital Transformation. Let’s see what aspects the digital leader will need to work on.
We imagine a charismatic man or woman mass dragger when we hear the word leader. A kind of hero who can be trusted to achieve a goal. Yet this vision is no longer correct.
Today the leaders act behind the scenes and no longer from the top of a pedestal. They must motivate the team, engage them to achieve shared goals and visions, and not expect them to follow orders in deference to the role. They will no longer have to be a boss but a colleague who inspires confidence.
Today’s companies need leaders who build relationships, engage emotionally and rationally; who are a source of inspiration and motivation for their team. Ego will have to give way to the satisfaction of seeing their team committed to the goals they had defined as leaders. Confidence in yourself and professional abilities are essential for being a leader, but you must be careful not to turn it into presumption.
Among the many definitions of Leadership given by theorists and economists, the one that, in my opinion, best describes the role that the leader should play today is by Victor H. Vroom and Arthur G. Jago in “The Role of the Situation in Leadership”.
If society changes, if technologies change, and if business processes change, people have no choice but to adapt by changing in turn. The static nature of corporate roles, protocols, top-down directives and hierarchical structures no longer work in the current context. Flexibility and adaptability, as well as connection and interpersonal skills, are essential elements of good leadership. Today’s structures are horizontal, practices must be shared, and knowledge must reach every member of the corporate fabric. This is why it is worth outlining some key characteristics that will help a hypothetical leader become capable of motivating and directing the work of the team towards the achievement of increasingly complex goals.
Leadership is a skill that is built on relationships. Whether it’s our friends or the colleagues we share an office room with, establishing a good relationship with the network of people we hang out with is important for dealing with situations that arise.
A leader who is about to embark on a new project cannot expect to accomplish it by relying only on their intuition and giving orders to the chosen team. With this approach, the results he will achieve will be poor. On the other hand, if a leader knows how to motivate, creates the right relationships, and shares his knowledge, he will achieve the same goals in a short time and with greater effectiveness.
How do you create quality relationships? First, by listening to the people, you work with. You may or may not be a leader, listening is always the most powerful weapon for building lasting relationships. When we are in a leadership role, we must never forget to engage with our team. After sharing the goals and plans we want to achieve, we need to ask individuals their vision. Their answers will help you highlight what the operational obstacles might be. But they will also serve to help you understand what each team member’s personal issues and challenges are. By leveraging their strengths and working alongside them on complex tasks, it will be easier to move forward. The person in the stern should never forget that they will be the example that others follow.
Experience is a double-edged sword.
