Technology and society shape each other. This is a thesis defended by several researchers, among them the German professor Klaus Schwab, founder of World Economic Forum. Therefore, in the same way that the Fourth Industrial Revolution has transformed business models, this movement also demands new skills of future leaders.
Common skills, such as delegating tasks, inspiring people and having good communication, characteristics of traditional management, are still necessary, but a 4.0 leader needs to adopt methods that promote an environment where each employee can develop. To do this, they must have emotional intelligence, critical sense, flexibility and, above all, resilience.
This skill set is essential to align the digital transformation with the appreciation of employees, who represent the main capital of a company, after all, an organization is made up of people, processes and products. And everything must work organically, with the human factor being the main factor responsible for success.
Leadership 4.0
The term leader 4.0 defines a set of social and technical skills that managers need to develop in order to lead the work of their teams.
One of the main objectives of this leadership model is to change the mindset of employees and their routines, mainly by incorporating the use of new technologies to improve their daily work routine. In purchasing, it is no different.
The goal is to make digital resources, such as solutions Procure-to-Pay, can simplify sector processes and make them more efficient, in order to create a work environment where buyers can invest their energy in activities that bring results and competitiveness to the company's business.
The 4.0 leader is aware that his team's work needs to move from the operational field to the strategic field.
Technologies x Companies
Changes in people management also involve transforming processes within each company. In Brazil, in general, many organizations still need to go through a digitalization process.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also shown that it is increasingly necessary to accelerate this evolution to allow the continuity of various activities, even in the face of an adverse and unpredictable situation. In practice, we have seen that the most technologically advanced companies have come out ahead and differentiated themselves in the market.
In fact, companies that fail to see the need to invest in technology run a high risk of disappearing. Digital transformation is a path of no return, which has been exacerbated by the crisis experienced by many companies during the pandemic.
Skills of a 4.0 leader
Several skills make up the set of capabilities that a leader needs to have. Below are some that are considered fundamental:
1. Focus on people
A 4.0 leader needs to work to maintain good relationships between team members, and to do so, he or she needs to know how to deal with different types of people. He or she also needs to promote an environment where diversity is practiced as a differentiator, which brings different perspectives and skills to the team as a whole.
2. Transparency in actions and good communication
In leadership 4.0, to achieve results, it is necessary to make it very clear to all employees what the company's strategic objectives are and what the goals of the area and each employee are. This process will help to create a relationship of trust between those who lead and those who are led, as everyone will be aligned and aware of their importance.
Furthermore, give Feedback Constant feedback on each person’s performance helps the 4.0 leader improve skills and keep the team motivated to achieve goals and objectives. It is important that this dialogue is frank, and that leaders are also open to receiving Feedback.
3. Seek innovations
New leaders need to be aware of innovations emerging in the market that can increase their team's productivity and make the department's processes more intelligent. By doing so, the leader will encourage employees to seek out new techniques needed to optimize their work and generate better results.
4. People development
Since the human factor is the main factor responsible for a company's success, encouraging people's development is essential. To do this, a leader must promote actions such as training, lectures, courses, workshop, in addition to encouraging the search for self-knowledge. And the digital environment favors access to professional improvement platforms.
In this sense, each employee must know their own strengths and weaknesses, and the leader can contribute to further enhancing skills, through an individual development plan, which contributes to evolution in activities and career.
Working relationships tend to go well when everyone is aware of their importance to the growth of the business and remains motivated, which are fundamental achievements for a 4.0 leader.
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