The rate of technological innovation in the twenty-first century is accelerating at a speed that has never been seen before. Sharing information, developing a better degree of trust between one another, and fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging are all necessary steps in this process. Leaders in this period of the technology revolution are concerned about the health and well-being of their teams, as well as their professional aspirations, contributions, and achievements, and they invest more time in these areas. It is through this process that leaders are able to adopt a modern mindset, which in turn prepares them to deal with the peculiar difficulties of the twenty-first century. This theory makes use of leadership behaviors, abilities, and traits that can only be obtained and adopted through thorough training and practice.
Leaders will be able to use these abilities to develop the kind of leadership style that is important in today’s world. Leadership in the twenty-first century is fundamentally different from leadership at any other time in history. Developing leaders with new competencies involves more than just a change in the competencies themselves. For example, a twenty-first-century leader is a real connector, capable of aligning employees from vision to execution to profit along a path that connects the results of each aspect so that embedded coherence can be achieved. They link the appropriate individuals with the appropriate tasks, as well as the organization with the community and the market. More than anything, they know how to make the customer feel like they’re getting exactly what they want.
These leaders know how to cultivate and foster a spirit of cooperation, since the number of groups, projects, and partnerships continues to grow. Leadership in the twenty-first century requires the ability to sustain the importance of teamwork while also keeping collaboration productive and focused. There will be more overt disagreement as the environment changes and work becomes more collaborative through the linking and disconnection of teams. Conflict and competing demands will arise as a result of high cross-functional demand and transitory and high-agility teams. In order to be effective, leaders must be able to demonstrate that they understand the importance of strategic conflict and know when to intervene and ease it.
Like a conductor of an orchestra, today’s leaders begin with an idea and then put it into action. Without them, the orchestra can still perform, but each member of the orchestra will perform it in a unique way. While conducting rehearsals, the conductor keeps a close eye on the clock and ensures that the musicians are ready to perform at their best. Then, with the help of the orchestra, they bring the concept to life.
An audience may be scared when it comes to performing in public. A conductor in front of a group of musicians may be a great source of encouragement and inspiration. It is common for conductors to serve as inspirational figures who make decisions about the group’s creative course of action. There are a variety of ways to do this, such as picking a new piece of music to play or enhancing one’s technique. Giving motivational speeches or using body language to assure the group that they are doing well onstage is another way to motivate the group. A smile from a conductor may be the difference between a lackluster performance and an explosive one!
The leaders of today are not much different. They will have the abilities necessary to “do,” but they will also require the traits necessary to “be” in order to carry out the personal processes needed to support the operation of the company. Nevertheless, as I have stated on numerous occasions in this book, great leaders need to be powerful decision-makers with a forceful presence that is a voice of knowledge while also demanding accountability from their followers. Advancements in technology are producing an increasingly chaotic and fast-paced business environment, which calls for increased levels of flexibility and collaboration in the workplace, and because of this, teams frequently experience increased levels of anxiety. As a result, those in positions of leadership need to exercise their influence through means other than command and control.