Few in business would disagree that the result of being too late in making the necessary changes – changes in approach, mindset, strategy and execution – is much more detrimental today than in the past. One fundamental area is the overriding force of a new era, such as the 4th Industrial revolution. Whereas the first three mainly focused on the empowerment of corporations, the revolution we are now experiencing focuses on the empowerment of people in general.
How to lead in the digital age
The impact goes beyond industry to the general empowerment of all people. Leadership cannot ignore the importance of how to empower people and how to be more human-centric. The explosion of digital technology puts more power in the hands of the individual. For leadership, it means to learn how to lead when increasingly more people can think for themselves and execute on their judgment.
Empower for more and better engagement
It all starts with empowering leadership. Empowering leadership leads to employee engagement which precedes the collective unlocking of potential. Employee engagement is the extent to which employees feel passionate about their work, are committed to the organisation, and put discretionary effort into their work. Employee engagement drives performance. In one study it was found that empowered employees engage up to 55% more than those who don’t feel empowered. If the top leadership in organisations are slow to adapt their thinking and behaviour towards an empowering style of leadership, they do so at their peril. Even more so since the advent of the Covid pandemic. It requires empowering leadership to replace negativity and despondency with optimism and confidence. It requires empowering leadership to realise teamwork which leads to more resilience. The logical flow is –
Author: Dr Gerhard van Rensburg
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