Remote working. Zoom. Virtual meetings. A few years ago, these were never considered in a corporate environment. Following the pandemic, big businesses and smaller companies had to rethink how to run a tight ship without compromising output.
The job market suddenly changed tact, and employees had to sink or swim.
The labor market is increasingly relying on digital skills. A report cited by the World Economic Forum showed that job postings for digital roles in the US increased by 24% over four years.
Companies were, and still are, on the hunt for members who excel in organizational leadership careers. However, there’s more that leaders must have to achieve success today.
If you’re entering the job market or considering a big change, this article will enlighten you on the competencies needed for a good leader in the digital age.
Leading a Remote Team
Eons ago Napoleon Bonaparte said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” It’s hard enough leading and managing people face-to-face. Imagine the many challenges you’ll encounter when doing it remotely.
According to Forbes, about 7.9% of full-time employees worked remotely, and 25.6% worked a hybrid model in 2023. Your job as an effective manager is to ensure your workforce keeps up productivity and fosters constant communication within the team.
To ensure your team is operating like a well-oiled machine, organizational leadership skills are of the utmost importance for training and development managers.
Across the United States, companies are looking for people skilled in organizational leadership, says Rockhurst University. Get the upper hand by investing in yourself by obtaining an Organizational Leadership degree.
Kent Ingle is the host of the Framework Leadership podcast. He’s a big supporter of always communicating expectations. Sometimes your instructions can get lost in communication, so it’s important to outline them from the start. Keeping in constant contact and creating goal deadlines in big projects are ways of making sure you are on the same page. Acting as a human resources manager comes into play as well.
Jaime Nacach runs a remote-first company. The founder of Virtual Latinos says he uses four techniques with his remote teams around the globe. His biggest takeaway is to always be transparent so that everyone works towards the same goals.
Using Technology to Your Advantage
Thanks to the various technological platforms at your disposal, you can become part of a global village. Digital transformation has enabled workers to collaborate in real-time.
Leveraging advancements in AI can help companies drive innovation and success. Investing in software and automation products is a strategic pathway to enable departments to communicate holistically.
U.S. cloud communications company Twilio recently made headlines after it confirmed a massive data breach. Security Week reported that hackers leaked 33 million phone numbers linked to the Authy app.
While companies may have cybersecurity low on their priority list, this shouldn’t be the case. No business is immune from a security breach. By maintaining cybersecurity awareness, you safeguard your company’s digital assets and protect its reputation.
Future Trends in Digital Leadership
The intersection between leadership and coaching has become increasingly interlaced. Shamila Mhearban is a leadership coach with several years of experience.
She states that the synergy between coaching and leadership is more critical than ever. Expanding on her thoughts, she suggests AI can facilitate personalized coaching programs to enhance leadership qualities.
New career opportunities are also on the rise. Large organizations are appointing Chief AI Officer roles. The job specs include developing a company’s AI strategy to align with its business goals.
The role of Chief Information Officers is evolving. Faced with a growing technology skills gap, their job is to ensure building and retaining a skilled workforce.
Raconteur’s Ben Edwards made an interesting remark while discussing successful leadership in the tech industry. To ensure their survival in the ever-evolving digital landscape, businesses need to approach operations more holistically. It requires leaders to first transform themselves.
While chatting to Richard Townsend, CEO of QA Workforce Learning, Edwards wrote that business leaders would need to enhance their soft skills. For instance, resilience and mental agility are sought-after traits.
Good leaders will have to be oracles and predict how the business landscape will change in relation to technological developments.
As the world changes to accommodate our needs and wants, it’s evident that a digitized workforce is here to stay. By upskilling, you not only invest in yourself but future-proof your career.
Embrace the challenges and opportunities that come along. See them as a learning curve and use the tools at your disposal to constantly educate yourself.
