What does leadership in the 21st century mean, in a world of rising speed, higher demands from more stakeholder groups and a more critical and omni-present public sphere & media? What are the key challenges of leadership in the digital age and how best to address them from an organizational change perspective?
These and other questions were discussed at LEAD Academy's Intersectoral Leadership Conference at Kalkscheune in Berlin on Feb 12, 2017, with a group of distinguished experts, speakers and panelists from all sectors and 170 executives under 40 from non-profit, the business sector, academia and government taking all part in LEAD's Curriculum.
Oliver Triebel, LEAD Director together with Tobias Leipprand, and former McKinsey & Company Expert Principal who founded the consulting firm's Mindets & Capabilities Practice, presented 7 theses for leadership in the digital world:
1.) New realities change profoundly what leadership means.
2.) In the digital world a new, enlarged understanding of leadership is necessary.
3.) In the digital age there is a need for more leadership.
4.) Leadership in the digital age means first and foremost to shape change processes.
5.) Today leadership means navigating "spaces of tension".
6.) For successful leadership in the digital age a personal stance (in German: "Haltung") is decisive.
7.) In the digital world executives need a more comprehensive toolbox.
These theses were presented and discussed in detail and 8 role models for good leadership in the digital age were distilled that can help executives guide their practice of leading themselves, their business, and others in their daily professional lives.
What is LEAD?
LEAD is a non-profit think tank founded by the large German Mercator Foundation and engaged in research into leadership in the digital age & effective change. LEAD also conducts executive training as part of its Academy ("Curriculum", "Summer School" etc.) and consults organizations and executives. A special focus is on networking and best practice exchange between executives of different sectors, i.e. non-profit, the business sector, academia and government.
Christopher Kabakis from Infinity Institute supports LEAD as a lecturer, offering an executive training course in communications as part of LEAD's curriculum for leaders working for the public good. The current curriculum consists of more than 40 leadership courses in four domains: strategy competence, multi-stakeholder competence, reflective competence, and communication & advocacy competence.
