the role of leadership in industry 4.0

The first three industrial revolutions occurred as a result of mechanization, information technology and electricity. The rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution brings increased flexibility in production, increased speed, a new dimension of mass production, advanced productivity levels, superior quality results, and new emerging business models. Moreover, a whole different new perspective of leadership.
 
Leadership in Industry 4.0 has a clearly established direction, that is building cyber–physical systems functioning in a dynamic network of connections, and it is centered around a common object of interaction that is subject to constant reconfiguration depending on changing goals and conditions.
 
One should emphasise that the growth of the digital transformation requires some strongly built leadership skills such as:

• making the right decisions even in the absence of complete information
• gaining the trust of the team by taking responsibility for the results achieved
• interpersonal skills, cooperation, and information sharing
• critical thinking and conceptual skills

Leadership in such a continuously dynamic sector is about inspiring and motivating teams, but even more about encouraging people to envision the vision of the company and to contribute to its realisation. Leaders essentially must take full advantage of the capabilities and skills of the employees to thrive in Industry 4.0.
 
In cyberspace, the implementation of leadership is facilitated by skills. Personal competences (soft skills), in particular, have paramount importance, and this is why many organisations are increasingly focused on developing their teams by attracting soft-skilled individuals.
 
In conclusion, there is a major need for developing a “leadership 4.0” culture in organizations, as digital technologies have an influence not only on the area of information technology but also on how businesses are managed, and which leadership styles are applied. “Leadership 4.0” stands for leadership in the age of Industry 4.0, and so these “leaders 4.0” could therefore be also called digital leaders.

What about your thoughts on “leadership 4.0”?
Are leaders prepared to become digital leaders and tackle their teams differently?


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Source: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/14/4338https://www.shs-conferences.org/articles/shsconf/abs/2021/26/shsconf_appsconf2021_03013/shsconf_appsconf2021_03013.html