The Impact of Technology on Leadership

Technology has a powerful impact

Technology has a powerful impact on every aspect of our lives. It has changed the way we connect with each other. How we conduct our daily affairs and how we do business. At a high management level, technology can be one of the most useful tools to help you become a better leader. There is no question about it: technology is the driving force behind the new style of leadership.  A leadership which embraces change, learning, communication and diversity.

The most successful leaders at a worldwide level are those who understood just how much technology can aid them in managing people. Helping them build teams and keeping track of work across all channels and in any location of the world.

The new business world is made up of connected devices, artificial intelligence, and secure cloud business solutions. These enable teams to work together more efficiently than ever and empower companies to expand their reach towards new markets across the globe.

Now, let’s explore some of the most meaningful ways in which technology impacts and enhances your work as a leader:

1. Give Your Employees More Flexibility

When various companies offer similar packages of benefits to their employees, what really makes the difference for a loyal employee is the work/life balance they can expect to achieve. The modern business environment is decentralized. Teams no longer need to be cooped up together in the same office building or the same meeting room.

Projects can be worked on using various software solutions which allow collaborative working in real time in a secure environment. Meetings can take place over audio/video messaging suites. Thus, your employees can work from the comfort of their homes. Alternatively, they can work from any other location outside the office, which they find convenient and inducing more productivity.

2. Manage People and Projects Anywhere, Anytime

Do you remember the old days when no important decision could be taken because the CEO or the manager in charge was away on a business trip and unreachable? Technology has made such scenes a thing of the past. Having software suites installed on all devices (desktop, laptop, mobile phones). Directors and managers can approve budgets, hold meetings, endorse decisions. They can solve any other critical issues from the comfort of a hotel room or in the lounge of a business convention venue.

3. Embrace Diversity and Expand On New Markets

Language barriers have been one of the top challenges for large companies seeking expansion in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Many potential markets and many potential talents which could work for you are beyond reach. This is because they use a different alphabet from the Latin alphabet. Their English speaking and writing skills are at the beginner level.

There are automatic translation tools available for almost all languages in the world. Now you can do business and expand your branch offices even to countries with challenging languages.

4. The New Leader Is an Influencer

Technology does not mean only advanced computing and IT solutions.  It also means social media and the new concept of social leadership. A leader now has the most wide-reaching channels of communication available. They can influence their employees, motivate their sales teams, build customer loyalty and connect with peers through various social media platforms and blogging.

5. HR and Training Work Is Taken to a New Level

New employee induction and ongoing training sessions used to be extremely burdensome for HR departments. Some of the employees had to be taken from their daily tasks to conduct these activities, and productivity was disturbed in more than one department.

New technologies make employee induction, training, certification and managing HR files a breeze. Through a dedicated software application, each employee can chart and monitor their own learning path, submit progress reports, and fill in peer review forms with minimum time and effort. In this way, your entire organization has the ability to move forward and become more efficient and productive.

At the same time, leaders have a simpler and more straightforward way of monitoring teams and allocating human resources across various projects and customer accounts.