How to be a leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Jennifer Artley, President, Americas, BT Group Plc
We
often underestimate the scale and speed of change that occurred in the
20th century. Wave upon wave of scientific discovery and technological
advance has transformed many aspects of our daily and working lives. As
we strike out into the digital age it is our responsibility as business
leaders to navigate these changes with integrity and to provide
positive, impactful leadership as the business landscape takes a new
shape.
Currently,
many jobs involve long commutes, hard physical labor, or low pay, and
little opportunity for professional development or personal fulfilment.
But what if that all could change? The digital age will create an
opportunity to reinvent work and to reinvent the workplace.
Connectivity
is a by-product of technology. It leads to a more inclusive workspace, a
chance for co-workers to collaborate despite miles and oceans between
them. The digital era now allows us to work anywhere at any time,
playing a vital role in the work/life balance for families. It is now
fully possible to swap long commutes to the office for the precious
moments of being available to run our kids to school and still be online
for a full day of work.
While
we are improving our lifestyles in some ways, there are many of us who
feel uneasy in the face of such momentous and rapid change. We have seen
examples in the news of companies that have automated labor-intensive
tasks and reduced their workforce as a result. It’s only natural to
wonder if our jobs are vulnerable.
It’s
impossible to predict the future, but we can look to the past to find
similarities that might provide indicators of where we are heading. The
Industrial Revolution of the 1900s brought forth new technologies and
different ways of working. Many skilled workers found themselves
replaced by machines.
While
there were certainly displacements during this shift, the situation
created an opportunity for education, previously not available for
agricultural workers living in rural areas, and prompted the adoption of
a whole new skill set needed to handle the then-modern machinery.
We
certainly will face our own set of labour-force consequences as this
Digital Revolution progresses. But, if history is to be our guide,
business leaders must consider what skill sets will be most favourable,
and then help their employees develop those proficiencies.
Supercharged human beings and a more human leadership
Technology
democratises human capabilities — physical and intellectual. We might
be able to hand over labor-intensive or highly analytical tasks to
machines and robots. We’ll likely use digital technologies such as
artificial intelligence and machine learning to boost the skills, talent
and outputs of our people.
In
some sectors and some markets, a lack of IT skills is already holding
back digital transformation. Many governments and employers, including
BT, are actively encouraging young people to study science, math, and
engineering in order to increase the pool of future candidates.
We
can also fill the pipeline by attracting more women into the technology
industry. As of now, women are drastically under-represented in the
global technology sphere — just 24% of the information and communication
technology (ICT) workforce is female, according to the World Economic
Forum report, The Industry Gender Gap.
Jobs
should always go to the best and most-qualified candidate, but it is
important that we not overlooks the rich differences between men and
women, and the space where diversity of thought and approach encourage
creativity and innovation.While we don’t need everyone to be a software
engineer, we do need employees who can learn, who can share, who can
connect the dots and build good relationships with colleagues inside and
outside of the organisation. Just as important, we need employees who
understand how technology and society interact to drive progress for all
stakeholders.
If
we need employees who can do all of that, then we need leaders to
match. We will need to learn new ways of leading: how to successfully
manage people who are not sitting in the office where you can see them;
how to measure and reward in a virtual work place and how to virtually
connect diverse skill sets that will lead to optimum results.
As
Professor Klaus Schwab notes, “We need leaders who are emotionally
intelligent, and able to model and champion co-operative working.
They’ll coach, rather than command; they’ll be driven by empathy, not
ego. The digital revolution needs a different, more human kind of
leadership”.
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