Short commentary: 2021 Vol: 25 Issue: 2S
Shwetha Mittal, Indian Institute of Management
Citation Information: Mittal, S. (2021). A short note on leadership in the digital age and contemporary leaders. Journal of Organizational Culture Communications and Conflict, 25(S2), 1-2
The Digital Age is well and actually upon North American country. Compared to the sooner eras in business and society, the digital age desires new talent sets and mastery of those attributes would verify success or otherwise within the on-going Fourth age. Right from the tip of high down hierarchies to the requirement to master technology and not become a slave to that, yet as staying grounded and leading with values, leadership in up to date times is something however a cakewalk that demands further attention to detail and also the ability to envision the massive image.
To start with, the digital age companies don't bear similitude to any of the recent organisational structures which usually had Leaders supply commands that were then enforced by the managers down the hierarchy and this percolation bolstered the authority of the leaders. In distinction, most digital age companies’ square measure Flat which means that rather than a rigid organisational hierarchy, there square measure independent and selfsustaining groups whose member’s square measure capable of deciding on their own and every one that the leaders ought to do is to articulate a vision then guides them on the trail that the organisational mission demands. Next, there square measure newer ways and ways in which of operating as seen within the shift to agile methodologies. Agile is tailor created for the digital age with its versatile and variable groups that respond in real time to rising issues then base their responses consequently. As the digital technologies that power the digital age companies operate in Real Time, thus too do the groups that square measure autonomous in their deciding (Nachira et al., 2007). During this context, leaders within the digital age not have the posh of taking their time to reply and react and so, unless there's a haul that desires higher level interventions, leaders will merely let their subordinates handle the issues.
At identical time, this doesn't mean that leadership becomes obsolete and instead, what leaders within the digital age ought to master is that the ability to direct their energies towards higher price adding activities and to make sure that they maintain the power to envision the massive image (Osborn et al., 2002). Indeed, Agile in up to date companies desires leaders World Health Organization will articulate a vision for the long run while not losing sight of the values and also the desires of their organisations within the 24/7 Real Time world. The third talent that leaders within the digital age ought to master pertains to the power to master technology and not find you as slaves to that. With social media broadcasting events Real time, Leaders cannot afford to lose their means within the Maze of the knowledge overload and at identical time, cannot take their eye off the Ball. In alternative words, they have to at the same time respond and react in Real Time while not losing their perspective Tropp (1993). Indeed, once everything happens quickly, it's straightforward to measure for the instant. However, leadership is regarding vision and long run thinking and action and thence, leaders within the digital Age ought to make sure that they're prior to the technological curve while not being bamboozled by it.
As mentioned earlier, except avoiding the immediacy entice that technology leads them into, Leaders even have to retain the values like being humane and being compassionate towards their workers. Indeed, the power to remain grounded is maybe the foremost necessary attribute that leaders within the gift times ought to master if they're to create property long run price for his or her organisations and successively, Groom succeeding generation of leaders. Turning to the up to date samples of leaders World Health organization have perfect a number of the talents that are mentioned thus far, Sundar Pitchai of Alphabet (Google) is one example of a contemporary day leader World Health Organization is navigating the parcel of land of the Digital Maze in ways in which square measure merit emulating Vera and Crossan (2004). For instance, having to steer Google once the exits of its picture founders meant that Pitchai had to articulate his distinctive vision and he has done this during a manner that will justice to the core values and also the visions on that Google was based, and at identical time, should conjointly give his workers a brand new sense of direction. Moreover, Sundar Pitchai has not lost sight of the values that square measure required to be a digital age leader World Health Organization doesn't become associate degree Automaton himself and as are often seen from his refusal to figure with the Pentagon on comes that his workers were uncomfortable with, Pitchai has semiconductor diode from the front. In addition, he's conjointly taking the lead in job upon his peers in alternative technology companies to rethink however newer technologies like computing need to be used for the general public sensible and not in cases like automatic face recognition for control as is being worn out china and to a lesser extent, India.