History has a habit of repeating itself. In the words of Pierre Nanterme, CEO of Accenture, speaking at the 2016 World Economic Forum:
“Digital is the main reason just over half of the companies on the Fortune 500 have disappeared since the year 2000.”
The accelerated pace of the “digital decades” has led to estimates that the scope of change seen in a single year now equates to that experienced in seven years during the pre-digital era. A “digital leader” is not just one who leads a software house, or one who leads a gaming start-up. Leaders of all organisations, whether those are tech-centric, start-ups or established for decades, face the challenge that digital enhancement is having on product, people and pace.
Handling the rapid pace and increased cognitive demands of an “always on” business brings with it a wealth of challenges. To thrive in the digital world, organisational leaders need a diverse set of attributes.
Non-negotiable are the core behavioural requirements of successful leaders. These include:
When exercising those leadership muscles, the key difference in the digital world is the impact of size, scale and speed.
As a result, there’s a shift in the cognitive requirements for leadership. Digital leaders must have the ability to:
Essentially, leaders who truly ride the digital wave have to be motivated to continually learn about and embrace new digital enablements and opportunities, adapting as they go.
Are your leaders “always on”? Cubiks’ talent assessment experts can help you identify the extent to which your leaders are ready to harness today’s digital demands.
If you’d like to know how your organisation can benefit, email info@cubiks.com or get in touch with your local Cubiks team.
About Daryl
Daryl heads up the UK consultancy operation at Cubiks. She has responsibility for building the UK business across the talent identification spectrum, leading a team of skilled organisational psychologists who design and deliver a broad range of talent solutions.