The world is in the midst of a global shift where technology and digital platforms have completely transformed every aspect of our lives. Digital is the future of business, so it’s imperative for leaders to develop the right skills to stay ahead of the curve.
Leadership in the digital era is challenging. You need to empower others to lead self-sustainable and creative teams to plan and execute changes in no time. You should engage, motivate and persuade people to see through a different lens that helps them adapt to technological changes.
1. Collaborative Approach
Digital age leadership calls for an advanced thought process. Varying from the traditional top-bottom approach, leaders of the tech era encourages the participation of all team members for better cohesiveness. It necessitates having leaders at all levels.
A leader can empower and build trust by inviting team members to share their ideas, inputs, and insights. Create an environment of collaboration by being compassionate, understanding new needs, and taking pride in your team. Freedom and autonomy within boundaries will bring a sense of ownership among team members.
2. Intuition
Experienced leaders have the ability to see changes coming and prepare their team members. Communicate the right information based on your intuition and create a problem-solving attitude among team members. This is one of the most vital leadership skills during the digital age as it helps smooth transitions.
3. Lifelong Learning
A fast-paced digital transition needs constant upskilling. Knowledge sharing between industries has become the norm, so you cannot remain a specialist in just one field. To stay at the cutting edge of technology you need to have an open mind and an attitude of lifelong learning. A leader in the technology era needs nimbleness to adapt to changing situations. It helps to address skill gaps you may discover in you and your team. Learning new skills and technology betters your performance and helps your organization stand out in a highly competitive world.
4. Find Solutions
Let us take a quick look at Netflix. The total number of subscribers in 2019 was 167.09 million compared to 209 million in the 2021 end of Q2. When people could not visit movie theatres due to social distancing, film producers, directors and actors decided to release movies and series via OTT services.
Pivoting to a technological platform provided an opportunity for more creativity and business at a time when market conditions weren’t ideal.
5. Agile Teams
With trends and tech changing at such a fast pace, leaders must be quick to adapt. You’ll only be equipped to make quick decisions if you’re agile and open to changes. Leaders with agile teams are better prepared to handle pressure and constant changes. Agility requires a positive attitude, the ability to face challenges, foresee future needs based on current situations, and the desire to learn new technologies.