Tired of the crisis and sometimes scared because the old tools in the 5.0 revolution don’t work like they used to. Leaders and managers have been struggling for several years with the difficulty of uniting people around the idea of the organization. Knowledge about everything in the organization is passé, and artificial intelligence will do its job anyway. Over time, it will reduce the importance of hard/technological skills, thereby increasing the importance of soft skills (however, only 3% of Polish managers have a high level of emotional intelligence, which will become one of the key competencies in management).
They face the problem of low employee responsibility, loyalty to the organization, low motivation, and commitment to achieving goals. They read and hear about trends such as burnout, depression (currently the fourth most serious disease in the world, and by 2030 it will be the number one disease of civilization) and the looming specter of managing “pseudo” experts who have learned how to use AI but are less knowledgeable in terms of substance. How can they be recognized so as not to waste time and money? They ask. On the other hand, they deal with “golden collars” — high-level experts who usually have much more knowledge and are more specialized than they are.
How to be an effective and desirable leader while still remaining true to yourself?
This role is therefore undergoing another metamorphosis. Leadership models such as servant leadership, empathetic leadership, and coaching leadership are becoming increasingly important. Leaders must not only effectively manage teams in an environment dominated by advanced technologies, but also create organizations based on humanistic values and a culture of innovation.
Management based on the values of both employees and the organization is returning to favor, because a good salary, “fruit Thursdays,” “well-being” programs, and bonuses are no longer enough. Leaders have also “made peace” with emotional intelligence (emotional maturity), seeing it as a remedy for burnout and depression. They have also placed emphasis on logical thinking, facts, and extremely high communication skills (average skills are now simply average and ineffective). Currently, there is a need for managers who are experts—engineers who can “tame” diversity in a team and the resulting conflicts through excellent communication.
What next? Leaders ask.
Next is the development of lifelong learning skills, but not everything and everywhere. The value of “Experts of Experts” is growing, those who combine the above competencies with a high level of technological skills in their profession – after all, someone has to operate and manage AI. Such true “golden collars” are hard to find on the market, which is probably why they are “golden.” However, as leaders, we need to start somewhere. Preferably with an “internal audit” of our own competencies and achievements. It is worth asking ourselves what we currently need in our style of managing employee knowledge. How do we generate profit? Through the strength of ‘old’ relationships and “fast-paced business”? Or do I see a decline in business relationships on the horizon because inflation does not ask anyone for permission to enter? Only then should we set out to conquer the world with the help of new studies, training, courses, coaches, trainers, and experts. We have already had success without them, so the question is whether the tools from the previous revolution will be enough in this new one.
Author: Anna Modrzewska
