21st Century "Renaissance Leaders"

Here is the last of a series of posts, started in November that talks about the kind of leaders that we need now and in the future...

How will a 21st Century Leader operate differently?

They will “flow,” moving from one role to another swiftly, easily and without changing their course. After a challenge is overcome or particular phase of work is complete, they will resume the appropriate role without fanfare or discontinuity.

They will “team” to lead. They will know when to tap others and shift power and leadership to others. They recognize the inherent value in the people of the team, harnessing the best of each person to maximize the results. They share responsibility, freely giving credit for success and knowingly accepting the burden of failure.

They will be “tele-present” and on-line. They will be skilled in the use of tools and technologies that allow them to lead and relate to others remotely. They will use on-line personas, wikis, blogs, and social networking tools to be present with others across distance. They will use these tools to “stream” their presence beyond the hours that they are physically working.

They will “cultivate” their legitimacy. They understand the new “digital” generation of employees, stakeholders and followers. Legitimacy will come from new sources. Position, experience and age are no longer the currency of legitimacy. In the 21st Century, ideas, content, and networks create legitimacy.

The new “Renaissance Leader”

The challenges of the 21st Century are enormous. The pace of change, the volume of data and information, the diversity of people and ideas, and the globalization of all manner of enterprises create a unique environment for leadership in the future. The 21st Century is like the Renaissance, an explosion of knowledge, learning and enlightenment. Like the Renaissance men of Leonardo DaVinci’s time, we need new “renaissance leaders” for the future. These leaders will embrace the lessons of the past, see the potential of the future, and use tools in new ways to excite and engage people across the globe to achieve great things. They will be adapting, learning, discerning and relating leaders. They will operate in new ways - flowing, teaming, streaming, and cultivating – to achieve extraordinary results for the organizations they represent and our collective benefit.

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