Leadership is an ever-evolving concept in the workplace. It can differ from day to day, between workplaces and even in your understanding of the concept. Understanding and being able to achieve an effective stance as a leader, then, can be all the harder for this reason. With that in mind, here are some of the best ways you can work to establish your leadership in the modern digital workplace.
Know the Meaning of Leadership
Some people become leaders for all of the wrong reasons, it has to be admitted. The chance to boss people around, to take it easy at work or just to earn more money aren’t the best reasons to seek a leadership role. But, they are common denominators and can produce a slough of poor leaders in the modern workplace. For that reason, understanding the role of a leader is the first lesson any modern budding leader needs to fully take in.
As defined in the dictionary, leadership is individuals who lead in an organization setting. But, it’s not so simple as that.
Leadership is a support beam, it’s someone to inspire loyalty and who can help to generate the best work from those around them. And this is true even in the digital age, though slightly transformed by the added pressures of technology. A modern leader needs to be all of the above and just that little bit more to be successful.
A Pillar of Knowledge
When it comes to following a leader we like to think they know more than us. Not necessarily that they’re a certified genius, but that going to them in a time of need is worthwhile and helpful. This is even more vital in a digital age where answers come at the tap of a button. If the answer isn’t easy, it’s much more valuable for you to know as a leader.
You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, but it helps to grow and establish yourself as a font of understanding. And if people feel like they can go to you for advice, all the better.
Consistent Learning
Learning can be fun, it can be difficult and it can be a source of great personal growth depending on your experience. The fact is that to continue learning as a leader is to continue the necessary journey of your working life.
Often, your workplace won’t push you to learn or grow. Especially once you are established in a position of leadership or any sort of power. You need to be the instrument of your educational journey in the modern digital workplace. This can include learning on any topic, from the compulsory purchase process all the way to better writing skills.
Be a lifelong learner and you will be a strong contender as a leader of the digital age.
Showcases Integrity
Good moral fiber is a concept that is hard to define, difficult to understand but easy to know when it’s lacking. And if your team consider you to be lacking it in any sense, it can be a small murder to your workplace reputation. Growing a reputation for integrity isn’t something you can actively define or set out particular goals/tasks for. It’s built on your everyday actions and your treatment of people over a long period. But there are several small ways you can act every day to improve your standing. Such as:
- Inform your team about anything that may affect them; good or bad. It shows a level of respect and integrity even when things aren’t going well. Transparency is a sign of integrity.
- Don’t let anyone take the blame unfairly, especially if you can have an influencing effect on their punishment. It can appear as if you are setting someone as a scapegoat unjustly.
- Showcase your values, if you believe in fairness than ensure that is the case throughout your team.
- Don’t operate on an atmosphere of silence. Allow your team to voice opinions, even when negative, so that they feel they have a voice. Restricting free speech is a sign of a poor modern leader.
On the whole, proving yourself to be someone with integrity in the workplace is often a case of working fairly each and every day. There is no magical formula or secret involved in this, only the everyday effort to be a good person both inside and out of the workplace. This can be a key factor for modern work, so don’t dismiss it.
Communication, Communication, Communication
One of the biggest problems in the workplace which have been exasperated by the digital age is that of communication. People are already bad communicators, add a computer screen and it just gets worse. Give clear, concise, instructions wherever possible. Don’t skimp out on details where details are needed and remember to talk. Your team might not always like what you have to say, but saying it in the first place can be extremely important. So don’t forget to do so.
Realize if you have a communication problem and learn to improve it indefinitely. As a level of self-awareness can quickly work to improve your long-term work performance, especially in the areas where you may be lacking.
Final Thoughts
Leadership is an ever evolving-concept. Which means that once you have started on the path of leadership it is not so simple to grow and develop your skills, as they can change regularly. Keep yourself abreast of these changes and work to keep yourself ahead of them is the only way to ensure great leadership.
In which case, your digital leadership skills will only grow with the effort and time you invest in them.