We are in the digital age: Technology pervades our lives, data drive product and service design, and customer experience becomes a strategic objective. Innovation is pivotal to differentiate and win in the “ocean” of competition.
In this scenario, boundaries widen, relationships go beyond the company perimeter, and the collaboration with customers, suppliers, and, in general, with the market becomes key to success. COVID-19 has made us more and more digital: virtual, distant, and isolated in the new normal.
The concept of leadership must evolve. Business acumen and execution continue to be pivotal. But alone, they are not enough to achieve success. The ability to listen, create trust, and work with purpose become enablers of one-on-one engagement, high performance, and self-realization.
A new mindset is needed to face the unknown. New skills such as creativity, antifragility, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking have to be practiced to boost true leadership, inspire and motivate people, and grab opportunities in these uncertain times.
The working environment turns out to be open, fluid, and agile in response to market needs—communication and collaboration at all levels, across and outside the organization, are key for your career.
The concept of teams also changes. People come together and disband based on projects, extending beyond traditional hierarchical boundaries. Executives become facilitators, directors who choose the best actors for their projects, creating virtual teams with functional skills for their goals. They are also connectors introducing their coworkers to colleagues who need specific skills.
The hierarchical relationship between executives and collaborators flattens out: Mutual feedback allows for effective relationships and best-inclass business outcomes; trust and engagement enable remote relationships.
In this dynamic environment, it becomes increasingly important to find purpose in daily activities and ensure that each employee works in alignment with their deepest needs. “Doing without being” does not allow for sustainable success overtime.
This book was born in this context, with the belief that now, more than ever, executives must know a broad, interdisciplinary set of skills to be successful in this fluid and highly dynamic digital environment. They must be coaches, knowing how to listen, communicate, and empower collaborators, earning their trust, and relating with empathy. They must be mentors, sharing experiences and encouraging a new mindset focused on growth and continuous learning. Finally, they must be consultants, strategizing and executing initiatives, knowing contemporary approaches, using tools, and reading data effectively.
Each chapter is dedicated to one skill and presents:
• The story to observe the skill in action
• The theory to provide a theoretical deep dive about the skill
The story told in this book is the result of fiction, albeit influenced by the experience of the authors. Facts, people, and places that emerge from the experience have inspired the narrative. However, any relation with real characters and situations is purely coincidental. Similarly, the deep dives share the authors’ personal view if not specified alternatively.
The book ends with 2 appendixes:
• few interviews with successful executives who bring their authentic testimony of leadership
• an introduction to the Science of Happiness. Due to the pandemic, leaders and organizations should not ignore its clear benefits.
By writing this book, the authors want to provide managers, corporate staff, and MBA students a useful, practical, and intuitive guide to fundamental topics, often mentioned, not always known, but key for positioning the next career opportunity and learning the necessary skills to be successful in the digital age. We have condensed our experience as executives, coaches, and consultants in the IT world to challenge you with insights and further application.
To you, enjoy the reading!
Simonetta and Lucio