Over the years, the processes that are part of an organization will always undergo changes, and this is mainly due to the fact that humanity is constantly changing and evolving. Consequently, this ends up happening with management and leadership, so we can already consider that we are living a type of leadership 4.0. But what is leadership 4.0 and what are its characteristics?
In today's article, we're going to understand how Leadership 4.0 has impacted the reality of companies and what characteristics and skills a leader who is connected to the present needs to develop in order to become a good leader.
What is leadership 4.0?
Leadership 4.0 is the combination of leadership practices related to how to manage teams, processes and organizations at a time when change is increasingly dynamic and driven by digital transformation.
In order to better understand this concept, we need to understand the previous leadership styles, which are:
- The main characteristic of leadership 1.0 is the industrial revolution, in which the main focus was on achieving maximum power from production systems.
- Leadership 2.0, on the other hand, has established itself in the same growth space as industries, but now focused on improving the company's performance and quality.
- Leadership 3.0 aimed to create and manage businesses, venturing into the new universe of the internet.
As history progresses, Leadership 4.0 aims to consolidate the advances and use of technology, making companies keep pace with society's changing thinking. Generating healthy relationships in the workplace.
The characteristics of a 4.0 leader
The main characteristics of a 4.0 leader are their ability to adapt to the changes that technology proposes. A 4.0 leader has an innovative spirit and a collaborative profile. In addition to these characteristics, there are others that are very important if you want to be a 4.0 leader, see below:
1- Innovative
The 4.0 leader must breathe innovation, as the world's big companies are increasingly showing as they vie for space in the corporate world. This innovative spirit, when brought into the workplace, encourages the team to have the mentality that there are always new things to be created and improved.
2- Collaborative
The image of the imposing leader who always remains one level above his or her subordinates doesn't exist in Leadership 4.0, where the leader has a different profile from the standard boss, but rather has the characteristic of being a more collaborative leader, who adds to the day-to-day work of professionals. The 4.0 leader adds new insights, learns from their collaborators and even takes on their mistakes.
3- Empathetic
The 4.0 leader has empathy, as he or she is increasingly present on social agendas. Empathy is an important characteristic if you want to be a leader who is seen in a positive light.
An empathetic leader also always puts himself in the other person's shoes, no matter how difficult a task it may be. It is from this attitude that the 4.0 leader begins to develop his empathy skills.
4- Courageous
With all the changes taking place in the world, companies are increasingly demanding a firm stance from their leaders. Leadership 4.0 has this role of showing courage by raising a flag and standing up for what it believes in.
The skills of the 4.0 leader
In addition to the characteristics we've already mentioned, Leadership 4.0 needs to master fundamental skills in these new scenarios: mastery of technologies, understanding of different areas and other interpersonal skills. Find out a little more about each of these skills below:
Mastering technology
The business world is increasingly adapting to new technologies, and a good leader needs to have a minimum mastery of these new technologies. Leadership 4.0 requires managers to know how to deal with the virtual terrain, whether it's apparent, such as social networks, or unseen, such as the configuration of new software.
Minimum knowledge of several areas
It is becoming increasingly common for companies to prefer leaders with training or knowledge in a wide range of areas, which makes it a Leadership 4.0 skill. The broader the manager's area of knowledge, the greater the characteristics of different areas he will be able to apply new skills to the company and the team, making the environment richer and allowing analysis from different perspectives.
Interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication skills enable leaders to relate to their team members in a healthy way, which leads to better results.
To be a good 4.0 leader, you need to be open to constant evolution, know how to adapt to new challenges and understand that it is essential to try to adapt to the next steps that leadership can take.
