Essay Leadership Assignment Sample
Is digital leadership the same as leadership? Discuss with reference to theories of leadership.
Introduction
Leadership is defined as the approach of guiding a group or group of followers to achieve the desired goals (Bârgău, 2017). Leadership is considered to be important in managing business activities inside an organization. In the contemporary era, businesses are forwarding to using digital assets or infrastructure as a key resource for completing business activities. Digital leadership is defined as the organizational approach or strategic use of digital resources to achieve organizational goals. Digital leadership primarily focuses on utilizing digital assets to explore information technology and response to customer needs and changing business needs (Sheninger, 2019). This essay focuses on exploring the concept of digital leadership and its relevance with the traditional leadership style of organizations. It is a contradictory argument where many researchers claim both the leadership as same. Whereas, certain researchers also claim the leadership style is different from the traditional leadership styles. Considering the argument, this essay has used different theories and models to explore the relevance between leadership and digital leadership.
Main body
The traditional leadership styles are quite focused on the development of an approach to motivate the employees and work together to achieve an organizational goal. The employees under the traditional leadership styles are considered as a resource of the company to execute the plan and strategies. On the other hand, digital leadership focuses on developing a strategic approach to managing the digital assets of a company to achieve its business goals. In this regard, Cloutier, et al. (2015), claims that the basic difference between traditional leadership and digital leadership involves the consideration of digital assets as a resource in digital leadership. Whereas, the traditional leadership styles utilize the employees as a resource to execute their strategies. The digital leadership approach is quite focused on bringing transformation in organizations of the existing time (Ghasabeh, et al., 2015). With the influence of information technology, the production, as well as operation management in organizations, are focused to improve under digital leadership. This is why a change in organizational strategic approach is observed under the digital leadership style. The change involves the replacement of traditional employees with developed technology to improve the capability of production and operation.
Regards to the change in the organizational approach of using resources can be considered under the transformational leadership theory. The transformational leadership theory involves the change in an organizational approach to bring innovation and work as per the vision of the leader. The transformational leadership theory is based on the approach of a leader to develop a vision and guide all the members to bring innovation through changes. Such characteristics of the leadership theory can be considered under digital leadership as the digital leaders work for bringing innovation through the use of technology (Ejimabo, 2015). The innovation brought by Jeff Bezos in the e-commerce industry can be considered as an example of digital leadership as per the transformational leadership theory. Jeff Bezos has incorporated technology in Amazon to develop the company as an e-commerce business. The business’s transformation from a book store to the world’s largest e-commerce platform is a major example of the influence made by digital leadership over the organization.
Although the role of leadership is same within the organisation but there are difference in between traditional and digital leaders that being including of digital leaders conducts all of their task and activities through electric channels (Golensky & Hager, 2020). Whereas, on the other hand traditional leaders perform the task in accordance to the organisation roles and responsibilities. Traditional leaders mainly focus towards using traditional approach such as employee engagement and one-to-one interaction, in comparison to that digital leader undertakes digital tool such as skype, zoom and google duo for interacting with the employees. Differences in their working style help them in achieving their objectives within no time.
On the other hand, the study by Chaudhary & Panda (2018), claims that both traditional leadership and digital leadership focus on developing an organization. It simply represents the approach of taking an organization to a new height for achieving the goals. Both the leaders work for the same goals. However, the approach or ways of forwarding to the goals are altered in both the leadership styles. For example, traditional leadership styles focus on utilizing soft skills (Gao, 2017). On the contrary, digital leaders mostly use their hard skills to achieve the desired goals. Soft skills are the characteristics that can be developed by own capabilities and inborn abilities. While hard skills are the competencies that are developed with external influence or training and development. In this regard, the great man theory can be considered to explore the skills of leaders. According to the great man theory, leaders are born with certain abilities which cannot be developed (Marx, 2015). Such natural abilities like confidence, courage, intuition are the major factors that influence developing soft skills. Considering the fact, Daniëls, et al. (2017), states that the traditional leaders mostly develop the skills through such inborn abilities. On the other hand, contradictory, it is also claimed that the digital leaders’ abilities like intelligence, charm help in bringing innovation. This fact proves that digital leadership and traditional leadership both can be influenced by the inborn qualities of the great man theory.
Under digital leadership, the operational and organizational tasks are performed using electronic mediums and platforms. Digital leaders use technology to perform tasks like planning, allocation, execution. It simply replaces the traditional mediums for operation and production management in organizations. It shows the major visible difference in organizations where human resources are replaced by technologies (Jan DeBell, 2019). The use of information technology helps in executing the task faster with minimal flaws. It ensures the improvement in organizations which influences in adapting the digital leadership approach. With digital leadership, organizations also make it simple to manage the data generated and transacted in regular business activities. Data management is a major aspect of the organizational approach in modern times (Marx, 2015). The management of data is becoming complicated across companies as well as industries. This is where information technology has made a significant impact with the development of technology like big data, the cloud. Businesses have also been influenced to use technology for the growth of business and simplification of management.
Digital transformation alludes to the reception of an arrangement of advances that, at different degrees, have been utilized by most businesses. Internet of Things (IoT), social media, Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Big Data are examples of advanced technology used by organizations and influenced by information technology. These devices and technologies are “quickly becoming as infrastructural as power”. At full scale levels, the shift toward various innovations is setting the plan for new components of market competition, industry structures, work procedures, and relationships to arise (El Sawy, et al., 2016). At the micro level, digitalization has affected business elements, dynamics, schedules, and abilities. Considering the difference between leadership and digital leadership, it can be said that the basic leadership traits are becoming abrupt in contemporary times due to the influence of technology. However, the replacement of basic leadership traits is becoming the reason for improving the efficacy of leaders. Across various areas and paying little attention to organizational size, it can be said that organizations are changing their traditional working environments into advanced work environments. Many positions currently include broad utilization of innovation which requires the capacity to take advantage of it at a high speed (Kane, et al., 2019). However, digitalization is being seen both as a worldwide phenomenon of work creator and destroyer, driving a significant change of occupation prerequisites. As in outcome, leaders need to put resources into upskilling representatives, with an end goal to help and persuade them despite steep expectations to absorb information and profoundly intellectually requesting difficulties.
Situational leadership theory is also a considerable theory in analysing the state of leadership and digital leadership in the contemporary era. The situational leadership theory is not connected with a particular kind of leader or guarantee that any particular style is ideal. Overall, situational leadership theory contends that the most ideal sort of leader is one who can adjust his or her style in light of the circumstance (El Sawy, et al., 2016). They might react to a circumstance by telling, training, convincing, taking an interest, designating, or anyway they believe is essential. Situational leaders are characterized by their adaptability as well as flexibility. Based on the leadership theory, it can be said that digital leaders have adopted the existing situation of businesses to incorporate information technology in business. With the incorporation of digital technology, businesses can be grown faster and meet future demand. It has become a major aspect in digital leadership that influenced the adoption of information technology (Kane, et al., 2019). The existing situation of every industry is based on the fulfillment of high customer demand along with quality. This is a major factor that influenced the leaders to use information technology for customer satisfaction. For example, the introduction of Amazon by Jeff Bezos is an example of using technology for high customer demand of delivery of products and wide range of ability to choose from.
Digital technology as well as leadership correspondingly impact and change each other in a recursive relationship. In the viewpoint of Covelli & Mason (2017), innovation impacts leadership, however, additionally leaders also influence innovation, and it is through the relationship between IT as well as organizational structures that the impact of innovation on people, gatherings, and associations arises. In this view, the setting is not just forming and moulded by leaders but it is a vital part of the build of digital leadership itself. In an organizational setting, leaders are considered as the person to implement and use technologies. In the contemporary era, it has become difficult to avoid technology in the workplace. This is why every organization is using and adopting digital technology in their business. This has also become a reason for adopting adapting digital leadership as digital leaders are capable of exploring the technological dimensions and implementing them in business. Although digital technology incorporation in business is considered to be a major concern for modern organizations (Sheninger, 2019). This is because the incorporation of technology in business requires the involvement of employees too. However, incorporation of employees among the employees is a difficult task that can be managed by digital leaders. It reflects on a major positive aspect of adopting information technology in business. Although, traditional leaders and their ability to use different soft skills are also considered to be important in organizations which is why traditional leadership is also significant for organizations.
Conclusion
This essay has explored the relevancy between leadership and digital leadership in the contemporary era. By exploring the fact surrounding the concept of traditional leadership and digital leadership, it can be said that the leadership approaches in organizations are changing in the contemporary era. Digital technology has become a common and important element in contemporary businesses. With the influence of technology, businesses are transforming their business operation and production management. The capabilities of organizations have also been improved with the influence of technology. Based on the analysis, it is understood that both the traditional and digital leadership across organizations focuses on achieving organizational goals. However, the approach of achieving the organizational goals alters in both the leadership style. Under traditional leadership, leaders focus is on the use of human capital or resources to achieve the goals. On the other hand, digital leadership is based on the efficient use of digital resources of a company to achieve organizational goals. It is also evident that the skills are key in both traditional and digital leadership. However, the influence of traits on traditional and digital leadership differs majorly. This is because the inborn abilities help leaders to achieve the goals under the traditional leadership approach. On the other hand, the skills for digital leadership are required to develop through own intentions and abilities.
References
Bârgău, M., 2017. Leadership versus management. Romanian Economic and Business Review, 10(2), pp. 112-135, https://econpapers.repec.org/article/raujournl/v_3a10_3ay_3a2015_3ai_3a2_3ap_3a181-188.htm.
Chaudhary, R. & Panda, C., 2018. Authentic leadership and creativity. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 1(1), p. 1.
Cloutier, O., Felusiak, L., Hill, C. & Pemberton-Jones, E., 2015. The Importance of Developing Strategies for Employee Retention. Journal of Leadership, Accountability & Ethics, 12(2), p. 1.
Covelli, B. & Mason, I., 2017. Linking theory to practice: Authentic leadership. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 16(3), pp. 1-10.
Daniëls, E., Hondeghem, A. & Dochy, F., 2017. A review on leadership and leadership development in educational settings. Educational research review, 27(1), pp. 110-125.
Ejimabo, N., 2015. The influence of decision making in organizational leadership and management activities. Journal of Entrepreneurship & Organization Management, 4(2), pp. 2222-2839.
El Sawy, O., Kræmmergaard, P., Amsinck, H. & Vinther, A., 2016. How LEGO built the foundations and enterprise capabilities for digital leadership. MIS Quarterly Executive, 15(2), p. 1.
Gao, Y., 2017. Business leaders’ personal values, organisational culture and market orientation. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 25(1), pp. 49-64.
Ghasabeh, M., Soosay, C. & Reaiche, C., 2015. The emerging role of transformational leadership. The Journal of Developing Areas, 49(6), pp. 459-467.
Golensky, M. & Hager, M., 2020. Strategic leadership and management in nonprofit organizations: Theory and practice. London: Oxford University Press.
Jan DeBell, C., 2019. Democratic Leadership. Dental Assistant, 88(2), pp. 6-7.
Kane, G., Phillips, A., Copulsky, J. & Andrus, G., 2019. How digital leadership is (n’t) different. MIT Sloan Management Review, 60(3), pp. 34-39.
Marx, T., 2015. The impact of business strategy on leadership. Journal of Strategy and Management, 1(1), p. 1.
Sheninger, E., 2019. Digital leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times. 01 ed. London: Corwin Press.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Know more about UniqueSubmission’s other writing services:
Essay Writing Help
Dissertation Writing Help
Case Studies Writing Help
MYOB Perdisco Assignment Help
Presentation Assignment Help
Proofreading & Editing Help
