Overrated analogue: Why digital leadership is a crucial tool

The digital space has affected so many parts of today’s world of work. Finances, administrative tasks and even company policies are all devised, revised and distributed online. This presents challenges for business leaders.

More of their staff are likely to be comfortable in the digital space. There can be little denying that millennial and Generation Yers have their fingers on the technological pulse. Moreover, most of those types of employees will have access to more technology at home than they do at work.

Consequently, they simply expect those above them to be equally savvy.

Driving engagement through digital

Put simply, anyone trying to build up a set of advanced leadership skills needs to be aware of engagement. A significant proportion of today’s workers aren’t interested or excited by their professions. Digital can change that. Younger generations, in particular, are often active and engaged in the digital space.

Adapting that mentality and giving them the freedom to work with technology in their roles is the mark of great leadership. More on the relationship between engagement and digital leadership can be seen in this Ted Talk from author Charlene Li:

Making the change

Research collated by Capgemini suggested that one of the biggest factors in transforming into a digital leader is vision. In short, you need to ready and able to adapt to change. There’s nothing scary about using digital solutions, even if you’re a technophobe.

As Forbes contributor Bill Fischer pointed out: If you want to be innovative in the digital space, then pursue the latest and greatest solutions.

There really aren’t any hidden traps or pitfalls. Naturally, there can be a bit of a learning curve in pursuing digital leadership, as having a coherent plan is key. However, the benefits hugely outweigh the negatives of ignoring technology altogether.

The culture shift

Digital leaders can have a big influence on the overall culture of their workplaces, according to the findings of PricewaterhouseCoopers, as published by Forbes. This is mainly due to the fact that technology can be used to create environments that are perfect for effective communication.

This includes opening avenues of discussion across the company, making it easier to pass on any widespread messages between different people or even entire departments.

At the end of the day, leading in the digital space not only creates avenues for you to find better ways to do things, but it also has the ability to boost employee engagement as well. Even though it may be tough at first, if you aren’t comfortable in the technology space, the end result is more than worth it.