The 3 Skills Needed to be a Leadership Master in the Digital Age

Let’s face it it is more challenging for leaders today than it has been in the past. The evolution of technology and employee mindsets has created the need for leaders who are ‘ninja’s’ who can quickly and easily shift to the workplace realities of today

With the fast pace of technology in the workplace as it relates to the digital age is that we must look at leadership mastery as employing solid leadership strategies. This means being flexible in three areas, intellectual flexibility, and emotional flexibility as well as behavior flexibility.
You cannot lead others through a fast pace of technology unless you yourself as a leader are able to navigate the ongoing fast pace with workable strategies.

Intellectual flexibility
With intellectual flexibility you are willing to learn what you do not know. You are open to ‘not knowing’ and are able to tap into the knowledge of your team in areas where the team members are stronger than you. You know where to go to get the resources that you need. If you have to learn and introduce a new use of technology or process to your team you make the time, you stretch yourself and you increase your knowledge.

Emotional flexibility
With emotional flexibility you are able to not take things personally and to quickly process the reactions to things that come in a fast paced environment. You have strong and solid self-identity, you are able to see how others perceive you and you are able to move into positive action rather than get side tracked by politics or other people’s emotional responses. With your increased emotional flexibility you can then lead your team members to higher levels of emotional resiliency and focus on growth and learning versus ‘hurt feelings’.

Behavior flexibility
With behavior flexibility you are able to change yours on a dime. For example if you are normally calm and more of a ‘hands off’ leader you are able to move into inspired action quickly and incite the rest of the team to inspired action as well. You are decisive and are able to process multiple inputs all at once. In turn you are able to coach those on your team to enhanced behavior flexibility so that they can self organize themselves to proactive responses to fast pivots in the workplace.

In my keynote presentations when I present solutions for leading in a fast paced workplace I say, “you can’t go fast without taking the time to slow down”. I am a huge advocate for relaxation strategies such as meditation, mindful contemplation and just removing yourself for about twenty minutes to be away from technology and people and just being silent.
I find that by meditating daily I am more productive, less stressed, less easily rattled, make clearer decisions and behave with more inspired action.