Where have the leaders gone? What good leadership could mean in the digital era

Good leaders are usually very difficult to find, no doubt, they are a rare species whether in business, politics, religion, etc.

Everyone has an opinion on what makes a good leader, and so we see a variety of characters playing the role accordingly, only to find that in so many cases poor leadership, which characterizes itself by placing blame on the subordinates, has shattered our hopes and efforts.

New times demand self-actualizing leaders

A good leader is an observer and knows how to listen. Now, we are not talking about workplace interactions here precisely, an actual leader can spot change coming on the horizon and take necessary actions on time to ensure the company’s adaptability in any situation. This ability to adjust according to the times is what ultimately matters when it comes to decision-making in any effort one undertakes.

A leader without vision will cause the ruin of any business simply due to his short sight, it may present itself in the form of their over the top conservative business attitudes, or simply as unrestrained greed and irresponsible behavior towards their subordinates.

In the end, the lack of good leadership will stump any company’s growth and prevent it from actualizing itself to compete in the market, wreaking havoc inside the company and resulting in scandals that outshine its efforts to build their brand with the public.

We can take a look at the case of Wells Fargo, which happened just last year. This Bank opened two million accounts without their client’s consent, but when actions had to be taken five thousand mid-level and low-level employees lost their jobs and the heads of the bank assumed almost no responsibility.

Communications maze and the ethics of leadership

Today we have digital technologies allowing us to complete more tasks in less time; this means that mid level workers have more responsibilities and decision power in the company, and they usually work in teams with people from different parts of the world that require real time communication.

If a company is unable to redesign communications models in which these workers can access and share information on time, it will result in their inability to avoid possible crisis that can in turn become scandals undermining longtime efforts to establish a reputation.

Leaders are not only responsible for this adaptability, but they also set the ethical standards for everyone else. If a company engages in something unethical, we must assume, is because the head of the company permitted it somehow, or maybe even promoted it, as we saw in the case of Wells Fargo.

So leadership is not yet an old-fashioned or obsolete concept and we need to really take under consideration what type of leader our company and our times are demanding right now, seeing how the qualities of the leader will work as a compass for the subordinates.