The company needs to upload new leaders

Old world bosses overestimate their status digitally. They miss the necessary shift in leadership because they do not see what is hidden in strategic blind spots.

MIT surveyed more than 4,000 business leaders worldwide. Renewal of emerging sense leadership. Subject to a real strategic myopia due to blind spots, most current leaders cannot see which elements of traditional leadership are being distorted, perpetuated or formed.

The results of a recent MIT study are clear (1). Even today, many leaders are unaware of the need to prepare for the unprecedented level of competition that digital will bring. The worst thing is that the gap between their perception of their own digital capabilities and perception of their teams is widening. Their view is biased by an overly classical angle derived from the Old World, which led them to ignore the essentials, hidden in four kinds of blind spots: strategic, cultural, human and personal.

Four types of blind spots for leaders

There are strategic gray dots when leaders fail to understand the key changes that are disrupting their careers. “Software is devouring the world,” notes Brian Holligen, co-founder and CEO of Hubspot, echoing Mark Andreessen’s famous article: “Every business is now a software business, whether you’re making desks or chairs – whether you’re in the software business whether you like it or not.” Digitalization motivates you to become an Internet technologist to pursue your business. If you do not understand this, your business will soon get into trouble. “

There are also cultural blind spots when organizational behaviors are highly entrenched, and any attempt at improvement comes against the most respected norms locally for change. Michael Schreiz, a researcher at MIT, observes that traditional protocols of communication between leaders and people (such as teams, clients, partners, etc.) are changing faster than today’s leaders would like to acknowledge. Shrez reported an exchange with the CEO of a large German company, whose spokesman blogged on his behalf. Scrooge told him, “If he wants to make a real digital mark in his company and change his culture, it’s best to comment on other people’s blogs, posts and wikis. Securing, responding to customer reviews, etc. It’s important that digital conversations show that you live in the business, and not more.”

Human Capital is a stumbling block as the company and its efficiency policy and practices strengthen existing recruitment and promotion practices: “When my last company was launched, we thought about how to attract Millennials and General Z,” says Brian Gordon, President Digital Design Site’s Marketing Officer. “It took me a while to realize that I’m older than I thought. I know the desk phone is dead, but it’s turned out to be dead on the desk! They want to work for the company that owns it, obviously, it works. “

“Let’s see how people actually get promoted and who gets promoted,” says Patti McCart, a former director of talent. Netflix. “We’ll see who we really want to invest in. Are we hiring the same kind of people who put us in trouble in the first place? There needs to be a new path for leadership in most companies. This path should be accessible. And open to everyone.”

Leaders have unique blind spots when it comes to surrounding themselves with colleagues who strengthen and sustain the old world. Nisha Leung is looking for a partner in Kim Venture Partners, a Chinese venture capital firm with $ 4.3 billion in assets. enterprenuer Not just good ideas and discipline, but “humility to know what they do not know. Very different perspectives”.

Creepy change in leadership

Behind its blind spots hides the creepy change in leadership. The classic elements of the art of directing are formed. Some are eroded, while others persist when new ones appear.

Elements of distorted leadership:

• Search for all members
• Have procedures without possible exceptions
• Strengthen command and control
• Top-down management training
• Beware of transparency
• Tolerate micro-administration
• Creates rigorous long-term plans
• Take a unique approach

Elements of enduring leadership:

• Give the company a clear vision
• Focus on performance
• Maintain a profit orientation
• Be customer centered
• Guide for example
• Show ethics and integrity
• Know how to take risks
• Organize change administration

Emerging elements of leadership:

• Be purposeful
• Ignite curiosity
• Make decisions based on data
• Prove authenticity
• Show empathy
• Implement the inclusive approach
• Show humility
• Work across boundaries

These are some of the tensions that leave leaders with so many challenges. Lack of conflict with these new challenges can keep companies in recession, which can eventually turn into cynicism and foster distrust. The common thread that connects the leaders of the next era is the ability to streamline efforts to bring out the best in people, while measuring and sustainably improving the results for customers, the business environment, our planet and partners.

Notes:

(1) d. Ready, c. Cohen, D. Crohn & b. Bring, “The New Leadership Playbook for the Digital Age”, MIT Sloan Management Review, January 2020