What is leadership 2.0 and how can it prepare teams for the future? 

What’s Leadership 2.0?

Leaders 2.0 are the leaders of the future. But what sets them apart from traditional leaders? The key lies in how these profiles have adapted to the digital transformation and how they encourage the use of technology to improve various aspects of the company and talent management. However, finding leadership 2.0 in companies is surprisingly uncommon.

From forming hybrid work teams to creating online onboarding processes leadership 2.0 must have the knowledge to use the latest technological tools and be able to fearlessly embrace the future to foster talent retention and stay one step ahead of the competition.  

Why do Leadership 2.0 struggles with digital transformation?

Below, we explain some reasons behind the lack of leadership 2.0 and how to avoid the negative effects they can have:

Habits

Traditional leadership styles, when applied well, haveproven effective for many companies. Some managers, therefore, wonder, “Why change if things have been working well for me? Do I really need to undergo a digital transformation?”.

Some leaders find it challenging to modify their behavior because it’s all they know. They tend to apply traditional leadership, which they have practiced for a long time, even if it isn’t the most suitable approach.

Leadership 2.0 acts as a change agent within the team and must be adaptable to any circumstance, guiding the team in the right direction.

Hierarchy

Hierarchical organization has been a constant in traditional companies (and unfortunately, it remains prevalent in many today). Some companies have very vertical structures or mindsets, where someone gives orders and others execute. This leadership approach is not well-suited to the profiles currently in demand, who are:

• Multidisciplinary
• Resilient
• Flexible
• Autonomous

Attempting to lead a company that adapts to the present and future with a command-and-control mentality, based on traditional leadership of “because I’m your boss” and fostering independent silos of work, is not only inefficient but also leads to talent loss, unnecessary conflicts, and demotivation in the team due to the lack of opportunities.

Leadership 2.0 must realize that, collaborating within a team, and operating virtually are becoming more common. They understand that professionals seek greater autonomy, and thus, work is focused on results/projects. This approach is more motivating, fosters commitment, and convinces employees to be proactive.

Presenteeism

In many cases, remote work is a necessity, as globalization and internationalization enable project collaboration with people from different cultures, cities, and countries. However, in some contexts, remote work is viewed negatively and associated with professionals who want to “slack off.” This is one of the main prejudices that hinder their Leadership 2.0.

Many team leaders enjoy “punching the clock” and have the mistaken belief that if employees are not physically present or not working extra hours, they are not committed to their job. In such cases, they exert unnecessary and excessive pressure.

What they fail to realize is that remote work, in many cases and when professionals are responsible, can be more productive because it saves costs, reduces commuting, prevents accidents, and allows people to work more comfortably. 

Leadership 2.0 must learn to manage teams and collaborators digitally and shift the paradigm from paying for hours worked to paying for results.

Hiding or exploiting efficiencies

When reaching a certain level within an organization, it seems taboo to admit not knowing something, especially about technology. At this point, one of two things usually happens:

• Managers exploit their employees to resolve digital issues (even if they portray themselves as tech-savvy with the latest smartphone). In these cases, they may use humor and jokes to imply that they are terrible with technology or that “it’s too difficult” or “not for them,” occupying their team members’ time with tasks they could easily handle themselves but do not want to learn.

• Managers who belittle technology and insist on doing things “as usual,” despite missing out on opportunities to achieve better results, be more effective, and increase productivity. This attitude is usually adopted when they do not want to reveal their lack of knowledge or competence

Leadership 2.0 must have a basic understanding of the different digital tools at their disposal for communication, task and team management, conducting meetings, making presentations, etc.

WHITEPAPER

How to Develop Leadership Skills in the Age of AI?

Download whitepaper

Fear

For a team leader who has struggled to achieve their status within the company, having their authority questioned or their collaborators being too autonomous generates insecurity. This type of boss doesn’t like to feel dispensable and prefers to keep all their team members under their control, to avoid their authority and position being challenged.

As a result, they adopt a more authoritarian and restrictive management style, unaware that being a better boss doesn’t come from pressuring or overwhelming people, but from achieving results and helping their team grow.

Leadership 2.0 constructs safely with their employees, offering autonomy while sharing authority fairly and generously. 

Leadership 2.0 is more efficient than traditional one

As we’ve already seen, the massive influx of technology in the workplace has created the need to review traditional team management methods.

It’s essential for Leadership 2.0 to enhance technology-related competencies, such as organizing personnel in digital environments and inclusive leadership.

Forget about traditional team management approaches, trust in technology, and evolve with it. With better talent management tools, internal communication, and continuous e-learning courses, you can lead your company into the future.

Are you in to Leadership 2.0? Have you experienced digital transformation in your company?