Like everything else, leadership has evolved quite a lot. The dynamics of organizations have changed quite a lot and that forces leaders to adept. If you analyze closely, you will find a big difference in the leadership style of old leaders and the leadership style of modern leaders. In this article, we look at some of the truths modern leaders know. If you want to succeed as a leader in today’s competitive world, then you should align your leadership style with modern demands.
1. Your Brand Represents You
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.”—Warren Buffet
That is how difficult it is to build a reputation and how easy it is to destroy it. Gone are the days when your past and public character was an indicator of your reputation. Today, your personal brand is your reputation and your personal brand is built with what you say and do. It will shape how people perceive you. Build a brand that represents you because today your reputation rests on your brand’s reputation. Your online presence also directly impacts your personal brand so be careful with what you post on social media because it can make or break your brand and reputation.
2. Lead From the Front and Empower Others
Modern leaders are enablers. They empower the masses and solve their problems. The days when you used to direct traffic from your desk are long gone. Today, if you do that, no one would obey you and follow you. That is how much leadership dynamics have changed. People love to follow those leaders who take an active approach to leadership and stay involved in the thick of things instead of those who only pass orders.
Leaders who share their knowledge and experience stand out. This is important as it establishes you as an expert of your domain. If you want to lead in today’s information age, then you should have a complete command over it and share your experiences and knowledge with others. A long-term vision and drive to innovate are two of the most important things that make you a great leader. As Steve Jobs puts it, “Innovation is the difference between a leader and a follower.” This will increase your influence, which is critical for successful leadership.
3. Margin for Error Is Minimal
When you are at the top of the tree, you cannot afford to put a foot wrong. A small mistake can cost you dearly. Since, we all are humans and make mistake, you should try your best to minimize the chances of errors at everything you do. Remember, your follower’s looks up to you for direction and if you direct them on a wrong path, they will jump on it and divert from the right path. The results would be disastrous. We live in a global village and the information travels from one corner of the world to another within seconds. This means that you cannot get away with your blunders as it is highlighted in the mainstream media and social media. Your competitor could exploit this situation and cause irrevocable damages to your business and reputation as a leader.
4. Collaboration is the New Currency
“I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.”—Mother Teresa
No matter how good you are, you cannot do everything on your own. In today’s competitive business world, you cannot survive if you work solo in isolation. Collaborate with other teams and work in partnerships to achieve improved things. Marissa Mayer, the former CEO of Yahoo said, “When you need to innovate, you need collaboration.” Organizations and businesses who fail to collaborate effectively find it tough to stay afloat and eventually the leader has to pay a high price for it.
5. Involve People in Decision Making
If you try to lead by establishing a hierarchy, be ready to face some backlash as people might challenge your decision because their voices are lost in the layers of hierarchy. If you want to become a successful leader today, you will have to involve people in decision making because they want a say in their future. At the end of the day, decisions you take will affect their future and their demands are justified if you look at it that way. That is why most organizations are shifting towards a flat model due to this. Flat organizational structure puts more accountability in the hands of employees and clients.
6. Connectivity Provides You Freedom
If you think that digital technology is making you a slave, then you are very wrong. If you think from a leadership perspective, you need to get your message across to your followers and stay in touch with them all the time. With so many digital communication channels such as email and social media available to you, your message will easily reach the masses and their awareness level and understanding will increase. Today, leadership is all about connectedness. The better your followers understands your message, mission and vision, the more zealously they will follow you.
7. Building a Strong Community Is a Must
Dictatorial leadership style has gone out of fashion long time back. If you want to achieve better results, you will have to keep all your followers on the same page. Build a community that work towards the achievement of a shared goal and assist in achievement of shared vision. The better your team gel in together, the more chances you have to do the unthinkable. It is the sense of community that keeps the team united in difficult circumstances. With so many distractions around, team members can dwindle away from the path. As a leader, you need to prevent that by making sure that your followers stay focused. Task management software can help you in this regard.
If you know about any other thing that modern leaders do differently as compared to traditional leaders then, share it with us in comments section below.
