Digital Leadership: What's Different?

Whenever there is a marked change in how workplaces are run, the media is swamped with many articles calling for new leadership styles. The latest impact on workplace organisation is the advent of remote work, giving rise to the term: 'Digital Leadership.' Unfortunately, we have yet to come across any article that defines this new way of leading people in any way unique or different from the leadership styles we have known for ages.?

Instead, the pundits are dishing up the old familiar leadership styles, redressing them and presenting them as something radically new. Some propose that this new way of leading should be called 'Digital Leadership.'

Here are some examples of the new leadership approaches that are recommended, that when unpacked, are akin to styles familiar to the world of work:

1. Outcomes Focussed Leadership: this leadership style aims to fulfill the employees' individual interests to enhance job satisfaction. In a remote and virtual workplace, without physical contact between the leader and the employees, a leader can establish active interaction through strategies like body language, eye contact, verbal modulations, clothing, and presence to encourage the employees and make them feel rewarded. This leadership style will make the employees try their best to meet the organisational objectives. At the heart of the issue is the trade-off assumption: seeing that I cannot see you, we must forge an agreement that allows you to be invisible as long as you achieve the goals set for you. I will only make inroads into your new-found virtual freedom if you do not deliver as required.?In the old familiar terms, this has been known as Transactional Leadership -?nothing new here.
2. Clarity of Purpose Leadership: this style aims to fulfill the employee's need to know what is expected of them and what process needs to be sure the employee is delivering as expected. It also draws on the fact that in the absence of the leader's physical presence and the ability of the individual to obtain guidance from the leader visibly, the leader needs to be explicit about performance expectations. Typically, leaders who follow this model gain control of a situation by dictating to their subordinates, setting goals, and giving them directions on how these goals can be achieved.?For decades we called the Authoritative or Directional Leadership?- nothing new here.
3. We are in this Together Leadership:?this style suggests that the way to foster trust and to motivate the team is for the leader to ensure that they are seen to be working alongside the team, participating fully in the brainstorming and deliberation as to how best to do the work. This requires the leader to make a special effort, using the most modern virtual tools, to ensure ongoing engagement with team members and the team itself. The trade-off here is to allow the employee to see that the leader is facing the same challenges of virtual work in exchange for the individual's commitment to the task.?This approach has been called Collaborative or Participative Leadership Style for years?- nothing new here.?
4. What can I do for you? Leadership: this style proposes that the leader's role is to support the team and its individuals fully. For many employees, remote work is new, and they battle in many ways to successfully transition to the virtual workplace. It is the leader's role to ensure that they are there at all times to offer support in whatever form is required. The trade-off is: I am there for you always, so get the job done. Again,?this style has been around for years, and we call it Servant Leadership?- nothing new here.

There are more examples, but these four should illustrate the point: there is nothing new in what is proposed as the new leadership style for remote work. Does this beg the question of whether a new leadership style is required? What is so different in leading remote teams?

The most often quoted reason is?a lack of face-to-face communication.

Without in-person communication, many people might feel isolated from their coworkers. Supposedly, connecting and collaborating in a remote setup is more challenging, so leaders should make an extra effort to encourage a team to get together through collaboration tools, team huddles, or virtual parties.

Herein lies the clue as to whether remote leadership requires a radically different way of leading. Since isolation is one of the most common challenges remote workers experience, and there may be communication challenges, it does not necessarily translate into a new way of leading. We contend employers and managers must lead the team using the tried and tested leadership approaches. It may require more time and effort. According to?Management Issues?(https://www.management-issues.com/connected/6905/how-different-is-leading-remotely/) but there are even more similarities than differences for good leaders:

• If you have a coherent, compelling vision, people will work towards those common goals.
• If you have trust and genuinely open communication, you won't be stressed when people aren't in your line of sight.?
• Communication is absolutely necessary, and communication is a complicated 2-way process, not just a stream of emails.
• Team relationships must be nurtured and maintained, and working with other human beings isn't easy whether you're co-located or separated by oceans.
• People are accountable for their work whether you're hovering over them or not.

In the final analysis, leading people in the virtual world is similar to doing so in face-to-face settings. It may require different tools to improve communication levels and time to adapt to the new communication methods, but it does not require a radically new leadership style. The concept of 'Digital Leadership Style' may seem stillborn.

So, before you go dashing off to attend the next 'Digital Leadership Course,' ask yourself whether it is necessary and whether you want to confuse your people by experimenting with so-called 'new approaches'.