Every week throughout this course there has been a recurring theme and this week is no different. The theme is change. Environments change. Markets change. Organizations change. And, with these changes, leadership must change. There was once a simplicity in leadership within an organization because doing business was more straightforward. A leader could rely on their functional expertise and experiences as their leadership foundation. Now, mix together all the complex elements of a current organization and it can become a leadership nightmare. Leaders today are being faced with challenges they have never experienced and often situations they could never have prepared for. Complexity has melded into today’s organization and leaders are having to deal with it. For example, “in a Robert Half Management Resources survey, 66 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) said it’s more challenging to be a company leader today than it was five years ago” (Manciagli, 2016).
One reason leadership dynamics have changed is because of the technology explosion. Yet some organizations continue to apply leadership theory based on an industrial revolution way of thinking (“Changing Nature,” 2015). The pace at which technology has and continues to advance is remarkable. Like anyone, organizations want the latest and greatest technology to increase efficiency and maintain their competitive edge. However, constant technology upgrades can leave an organization trying to catch their breath and search for continuity. This can place a great deal of stress on the employees and have them looking to their leader for direction. The problem is the leader may also be trying to keep up with the pace of change. Additionally, “it’s crucial for managers to stay on top of industry trends and remain open and adaptable to change. Successful leaders regularly read the top industry blogs, subscribe to newsletters, follow industry leaders on Twitter, and join relevant groups on LinkedIn” (Manciagli, 2016). This aspect of leadership was nonexistent a decade ago, but now it is a necessity if a leader wants the organization to be relevant.
I think another reason there is a shift in leadership is because of the largest multigenerational workforce in history. We currently have four generations each with their own values, beliefs, and motivations in our workforce and in a few years there will be five. To say it is a challenge to effectively lead so many different types of people is a gross understatement. For example, Boss (2016) suggests “the challenge for leaders, then, is in translating what they know and how they’ve been raised in an organization into a language that Millenials speak and that resonates with them” (para. 4). The third reason I believe leadership dynamics are changing is the fact that leaders have to deal with the pace of change. Trying to convince an organization to maintain or increase the pace must be approached with a precise delivery. For example, if a leader demands the organization increases their traditional pace, it may be “met with reactions ranging from incredulity to outright cynicism and cannot be dished out by executives like some form of real-life motivational poster” (Petty, 2016). 
The bottom line is that whether dealing with technology, diversity, or pace of change, leaders cannot single-handedly provide solutions for their organization. A leader must rely on the entire organization because “those at the top do not know the solutions to the problems faced by the organizations they lead” (Obolensky, 2014, p. 37). It is important for any leader to accept and communicate to the organization that they do not have all the answers. Although most leaders know they do not have all the solutions, they simply want to avoid losing credibility and continue to play charades. Obolensky (2014) mentions three ways to put an end to these charades by employing three approaches: the ‘I do not know’ approach, the challenge and support approach, and the dynamic approach to Q&A. Like most organizations, I believe leadership has to face these elements every day in my organization. However, I think the best way leadership can get the entire organization to buy-in to how solutions to these challenges are implemented is through communication. Leadership must share the vision as to why any change is necessary and how it can be accomplished for the organization to successfully follow the strategy.
Boss, J. (2016, February 2). The top leadership challenges for 2016. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/02/02/the-top-leadership-challenges-for-2016/#72d43b401cf3
Manciagli, D. (2016, April 13). 4 biggest challenges facing business leaders today. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2016/04/4-biggest-challenges-facing-business-leaders-today.html
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.). Farnham, Surrey, UK: Gower.
Petty, A. (2016, June 13). Leading a change of pace: moving faster when your firm is on the clock. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/leading-change-of-pace-4053158
Twentyone. (2015). Changing nature of leadership. Retrieved from http://www.twentyoneleadership.com/resources/changing-nature-of-leadership/
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