LEADERSHIP OF THE PAST, LEADERS OF THE FUTURE

What is the difference between the leaders of today and those of the past?

Can good managers be found at any time, or is innovation and technology also influencing the identity and nature of the managers we choose?

Management is selected to guide the organization toward its desired goal.

Through vision, courage, and looking toward the horizon, managers move the wheels of performance and overcome difficulties and challenges.

The Harvard Business Review published an interesting study in 2022 by Linda Hill that found digital world leaders should undergo self-transformation if they want to transform their organizations.

This means digital era leaders need different leadership qualities.

In the study, 1500 respondents identified the leadership traits most critical to digital transformation success.

50% of respondents mentioned four characteristics:

1. Adaptability

2. Curiosity

3. Creativity

4. being comfortable with ambiguity.

The study also discusses how leaders can adapt to change. As a leader, you need to promote curiosity, cultivate a culture of continuous learning, and be a catalyst for learning.

According to the author, leaders must "Trust and Let Go".

This means that vision and strategy are still important, but it's the manager's duty to trust his or her employees and help them take responsibility for both their successes and their mistakes.

It seems reasonable.

Though I agree with the research results, I would like to add my own perspective - that of the FOLLOWERS.

We ask leaders to give trust, to let go, to encourage and to form smart partnerships with their followers.

However, there are times when followers cannot or do not want to take responsibility for themselves.

It may be too overwhelming for them.

Management needs to figure out the employee's current stage and give him/her the guidance and space appropriate for that stage.

There are times a manager needs to give a lot of space, and other times it's the opposite, they need to give close direction.

An employee who feels uncomfortable with uncertainty could end up looking for mentorship elsewhere if you take a "Trust and Let Go" approach.

It is important to give followers room to make decisions and allow them to take responsibility for their own decisions,

as long as we pay attention not to give too much space, as we might get the opposite results.