One Part Technology, Two Parts People Skills

Leading a distributed workforce that you only see in little Zoom boxes on a regular basis requires a special set of skills that often gets muddled in the rush to digitize and become more technology savvy as one’s competitors. Rather, succeeding in a leadership role in digital enterprises in the months and years ahead requires a blend of communication skills, creativity, and adaptability.

That’s the word from a number of successful business leaders, who have a very different take on what it takes to aspire to and assume leadership roles in digital enterprises. One may assume that our current fast-changing world is destined to be dominated by those with deep understanding of sophisticated technologies. There’s some truth to that – but that is only a piece of the story. While there may be increasing reliance on artificial intelligence for decision-making, but this only makes critical thinking more important for aspiring and current business leaders. “All jobs will require some critical thinking skills, especially as AI starts to get deployed,” says Matt Hulett, CEO and president of PetMed Express. “Communication and creativity skills are going to be critical.”

Strong leaders “are excellent communicators,” agrees Jeff Van Pevenage, president and CEO of Columbia Grain International. “It's important to articulate your strategy and position very clearly to ensure corporate success. Empathy is also critical to smooth functioning. Your number one priority is your people, and how you treat them shows that you believe in their value."

The rise of remote work has changed the equation for leadership. "Prior to the pandemic, we all had work personas and home personas, which were separate," says Jen Grant, CEO of Appify. But we suddenly were in everyone’s homes, saw their kids, their dogs, the stuff they had on their walls; it changed how we viewed our colleagues, but it also changed this separation of personas. As a leader, you can no longer ignore what’s going on in the world or in people's lives. More often than not, the team needs to hear that it is okay to feel sad, okay to get tired, okay to need a moment to step out and recover."

Be adaptable, empathetic, and transparent as well. The need for transparency is especially critical because there’s no such thing as a core, centralized 9-to-5 office anymore; much of the workforce is distributed across networks. “Employees need additional training and resources,” says Tyler Crawford, chief operating officer for Bankers Healthcare Group. ‘With many companies operating remote, being overly transparent and visible is vital in environments where you are no longer meeting with your team face-to-face."

Such transparency – regardless of working arrangements – is perhaps the most important trait an aspiring or current leader requires in today’s environments, says Van Pevenage. “This requires educating teams about what is happening within the company — strengths, challenges, and opportunities for growth. A strong leader ensures employees feel more involved and understand the current climate and end goal.”

In terms of skills to bring to organizations, "a mental attitude primed for innovation and thinking outside of the box will always be a tried-and-true trait sought after by companies around the world," Crawford says. Leading companies "enjoy working with people who can push the envelope to continue creating, building and expanding.”

We look to technology to guide us through the rough spots, as well as provide enlightenment. But technology alone doesn’t pump out new ideas, design new business models, or turn creaky, moribund organizations into forward-looking services. It takes motivated, inspired people to build great companies.

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