The Evolution and Legacy of 21st Century Leaders.
As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others. Bill Gates.
The core purpose of leadership has not changed in millennia.
Leaders still function as influencers, for the benefit of their people and organizations.
Little has changed in this regard, yet in our times the processes, methods, the manner in which leaders operate has been revolutionized by today’s media and communications technologies. Where once a leader necessarily lived and worked amongst his/her people, today they may literally be on the other side of the world, available only digitally: enter the virtual leader.
Where once leaders fought for, and dominated by physical strength, today they must demonstrate superior communications skills and levels of strategic thinking and understanding not considered even a few decades ago.
Once, followers could see and touch their leaders physically; now they are touched more by emotion, intellect and sense of loyalty than any vestige of physical contact.
Today’s leaders influence more at heart level than by domination.
The mouse has overcome the sword.
Today, leaders must more than ever command respect, as compared to demanding respect; the rule of force and sheer strength has given way to empowerment and confidence building in their people and teams.
In our new world, secure leaders, those who don’t feel threatened, will fully empower those around them to reach out and reach up; empowering them to extend themselves, to seek out and embrace the latent potential that is within them.
Conversely, insecure leaders will persist with overt, and often covert, efforts to suppress any leadership aspirants who they perceive to be a threat, who potentially challenge their self assumed ranking in the pecking order.
For these fragile leaders the harsh reality is that every person has an innate reserve of latent capacity, talent and capability that is waiting to be discovered, recognised and released. This is the big fear for insecure leaders who mistakenly believe that these people’s only goal is to usurp their title, role, position or career path.
However, the frenetic pace of change today mandates that the only organizations who will really reach their full potential, who find form and achieve their absolute best will be those who are prepared to take risks; who demonstrate confidence in their people; who are prepared to invest in them, release them, and foster the growth of their best leaders and performers. To assume their rightful positions in the organization and beyond.
To this end, the way leaders communicate, influence and empower those around them, behind them, and even in front of them is changing rapidly.
Once, a leader would have a vice-like grip on power, position and title, and would see others only in the context of subordinates, doing as they were told. Often it was not do as I do, but do as I say. In this paradigm communication was more like a decree, issued on a needs basis and often delivered as an impersonal memo or speech, more recently evolving into emails and trending towards social media. But for these leaders, the message was the same: do as you’re told!
Today the communication and leadership dynamic is changing, and fast! Today leaders are seen, not just in person, but digitally, online and in social media; they are known not so much for their physical acts and presence but for their ability to communicate, inspire and encourage; to trust, have confidence in and empower people to take risks and then to back them fully; to allow them to fail and still back them. Gone, well, going at least are the days when someone makes a mistake in a team and are punished, derided or demoted, or in some way have their image damaged or denigrated for their perceived errors and sins.
Leaders in this new age realize that they themselves are part of the team, yes, but more so part of the continuum that is the future. They understand that their biggest legacy lies in the people they create around them, the leaders they build and the potential they release within their ranks and their organizations.
They understand the principles or equity, of ensuring that people within their reach are treated fairly, regardless of who they are, where they are or what they are.
These leaders are not threatened by change. They understand that change is their friend not their foe; they realize that change is the weapon, the method by which they and their organizations evolve into something stronger, greater, smarter, more resilient, more powerful and more enduring than ever before.
These leaders understand that in order to leverage the latent power within their organizations, they must be prepared to allow people to rise up: to extend themselves, to grow, change, even challenge the leader themselves; to excel and potentially exceed the talent and potential of the leaders themselves.
These leaders know that only by doing this will their endeavors really succeed; only by empowering and releasing their protégés will they ever hope to leave an enduring, surpassing legacy to future generations.
These are the real leaders who will make a mark, who will be remembered , who will be written about and spoken about in the generations ahead, who will be credited with the major advances in industry, business, organizations, civilization itself in, and after our generation.
These leaders have an inbuilt sense of perspective, who implicitly know that their own future is encapsulated in the future of those around them; in this sense, they don’t own their own future, it is owned by those around them
These men and women know how to connect, how to breed and instill confidence in those they lead; they know the importance of, and how to develop and promote integrity and trust; they know how to connect by the most appropriate means of the day; they are just as comfortable to appear in person, on social or live media; they understand how to leverage real influence.
Their reach is now not limited to simply those who they meet personally, but their reach is global, it is leveraged, extended, and touches people and potential leaders anywhere the internet is available. These are the leaders of tomorrow, who are appearing today to build our tomorrow.
These are the real leaders the world is looking for, waiting for and expecting.
We, each of us, have this latent potential and ability within us: to be a 21st Century leader.
We are the future, if we choose to be.
Author Neil Findlay
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