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Here is the underlying message of being promoted to a leader in the pre-digital age:
“You’re pretty good at getting your shit done. Now you are responsible for making sure other people do the same.”
That was it.
Every training, every book, every motivational poster existed to make you feel more accountable for getting other people to do their work. That’s what leadership was.
As we wake up to the digital age, that kind of leadership isn’t enough. It’s time for an upgrade.
Levels of organizational leadership
Described above is the lowest level of organizational leadership. Let’s call it a task enforcer. These leaders are supposed to coerce others to get more predefined tasks done. They pass on messages “from the top” and make sure production doesn’t slip.
Next up from task enforcer is a project manager. A project manager connects and sequences tasks to achieve a larger objective. Project managers plan, schedule, and coordinate. We need great project managers, but you can’t stop there.
Next is the strategy manager. These leaders choose and prioritize which projects will best reach a larger objective. They build and change project teams to get the desired outcome. They see a much bigger picture and have more autonomy. This is also a big need, but it’s not the last stage.
The real need for leadership in the digital age is for systems thinkers.
What is systems thinking?
Systems thinking is about interconnectedness. Your team isn’t just a collection of individuals working on tasks. Their work impacts each other, other teams, and other objectives. Systems thinking is seeing the ecosystem of the entire forest around you.
A core concept of systems thinking is fractals. A fractal is a never ending complex pattern that is present as you scale up, or down. You can see them in natural branching patterns such as trees, rivers, or blood vessels. Organizations have objectives to reach, which cascade down to departments, teams, and individuals. Each level must approach work in a similar way for the entire organization to be successful.
Most teams don’t have this harmony between the individual and the collective. Team members aren’t aware how their daily tasks impact others, or the organization at large. They are pushed to produce, but not shown how their efforts affect the rest of the organization or customers.
Great digital leaders create systems, and recognize how those systems are connected. They see how work cascades up and down, and side to side. They reflect on how their actions and systems affect team members, the entire collective, and those outside the company.
Why is systems thinking important in the digital age?
Systems thinking is critical for the digital age because of the speed of business, connectedness of teams, and the saturation of existing systems.
The current speed of business is striking. We change strategies, form teams, dismantle teams, kick-off projects, and go-to-market in weeks, not years. Leaders must be able to put these changes into context quickly for team members. Lack of understanding leads to carelessness and demotivation.
Work teams are unlike any other time in history. They aren’t just a group of people in an office. They are people living in different countries and time zones. They are freelancers and contract workers. They are on many teams at once. Everyone is a quick message away and video calling removes huge barriers.
In our world, we have layers of systems all around us. The digital age has promoted more connection, which increases how interdependent we are. It is impossible to make an impact in the business world without intersecting with multiple systems.
Leaders in the digital age must be systems thinkers. They need to create interlinking, virtuous systems to help humans work better.
How to build systems thinking in your leadership
If you want to build systems thinking as a skill, start with clarity. Heather Haas, President of ADVISA, says that clarity is a highly underrated skill of leaders. It removes barriers and allows us to move forward with confidence.
Systems thinking requires architect-level clarity. Digital leaders need to consistently build clarity in themselves and team members. They need clear objectives and trustworthy feedback loops. They must find metrics to see how their systems impact others.
Here are five questions leaders need to ask to build a systems thinking mindset:
- What are the roadblocks my team consistently hits? Why do these exist?
- Are humans and machines doing the right roles inside this system? Does this process need more humanity? Or are humans doing machine work?
- If we start or change this project, how will it affect everything else we are doing?
- How are other systems dependent on me, and how am I dependent on them?
- Which systems am I able to change, and which ones are beyond my control?
Where can I learn more about systems thinking?
Thinking in Systems from Donella Meadows is a primer for systems thinking, and all digital leaders should be familiar with it.
Leyla Acaroglu understands systems thinking deeply. She has a lot of great resources.
The challenge for digital leaders
Digital leaders cannot be content with being task enforcers. They need to move forward to higher levels of leadership. They should also train others around them how to think about and create systems.
The digital age presents amazing opportunities, but it requires a new type of leader. Let’s move forward together.
Here is the underlying message of being promoted to a leader in the pre-digital age:
“You’re pretty good at getting your shit done. Now you are responsible for making sure other people do the same.”
That was it.
Every training, every book, every motivational poster existed to make you feel more accountable for getting other people to do their work. That’s what leadership was.
As we wake up to the digital age, that kind of leadership isn’t enough. It’s time for an upgrade.
Levels of organizational leadership
Described above is the lowest level of organizational leadership. Let’s call it a task enforcer. These leaders are supposed to coerce others to get more predefined tasks done. They pass on messages “from the top” and make sure production doesn’t slip.
Next up from task enforcer is a project manager. A project manager connects and sequences tasks to achieve a larger objective. Project managers plan, schedule, and coordinate. We need great project managers, but you can’t stop there.
Next is the strategy manager. These leaders choose and prioritize which projects will best reach a larger objective. They build and change project teams to get the desired outcome. They see a much bigger picture and have more autonomy. This is also a big need, but it’s not the last stage.
The real need for leadership in the digital age is for systems thinkers.
What is systems thinking?
Systems thinking is about interconnectedness. Your team isn’t just a collection of individuals working on tasks. Their work impacts each other, other teams, and other objectives. Systems thinking is seeing the ecosystem of the entire forest around you.
A core concept of systems thinking is fractals. A fractal is a never ending complex pattern that is present as you scale up, or down. You can see them in natural branching patterns such as trees, rivers, or blood vessels. Organizations have objectives to reach, which cascade down to departments, teams, and individuals. Each level must approach work in a similar way for the entire organization to be successful.
Most teams don’t have this harmony between the individual and the collective. Team members aren’t aware how their daily tasks impact others, or the organization at large. They are pushed to produce, but not shown how their efforts affect the rest of the organization or customers.
Great digital leaders create systems, and recognize how those systems are connected. They see how work cascades up and down, and side to side. They reflect on how their actions and systems affect team members, the entire collective, and those outside the company.
Why is systems thinking important in the digital age?
Systems thinking is critical for the digital age because of the speed of business, connectedness of teams, and the saturation of existing systems.
The current speed of business is striking. We change strategies, form teams, dismantle teams, kick-off projects, and go-to-market in weeks, not years. Leaders must be able to put these changes into context quickly for team members. Lack of understanding leads to carelessness and demotivation.
Work teams are unlike any other time in history. They aren’t just a group of people in an office. They are people living in different countries and time zones. They are freelancers and contract workers. They are on many teams at once. Everyone is a quick message away and video calling removes huge barriers.
In our world, we have layers of systems all around us. The digital age has promoted more connection, which increases how interdependent we are. It is impossible to make an impact in the business world without intersecting with multiple systems.
Leaders in the digital age must be systems thinkers. They need to create interlinking, virtuous systems to help humans work better.
How to build systems thinking in your leadership
If you want to build systems thinking as a skill, start with clarity. Heather Haas, President of ADVISA, says that clarity is a highly underrated skill of leaders. It removes barriers and allows us to move forward with confidence.
Systems thinking requires architect-level clarity. Digital leaders need to consistently build clarity in themselves and team members. They need clear objectives and trustworthy feedback loops. They must find metrics to see how their systems impact others.
Here are five questions leaders need to ask to build a systems thinking mindset:
- What are the roadblocks my team consistently hits? Why do these exist?
- Are humans and machines doing the right roles inside this system? Does this process need more humanity? Or are humans doing machine work?
- If we start or change this project, how will it affect everything else we are doing?
- How are other systems dependent on me, and how am I dependent on them?
- Which systems am I able to change, and which ones are beyond my control?
Where can I learn more about systems thinking?
Thinking in Systems from Donella Meadows is a primer for systems thinking, and all digital leaders should be familiar with it.
Leyla Acaroglu understands systems thinking deeply. She has a lot of great resources.
The challenge for digital leaders
Digital leaders cannot be content with being task enforcers. They need to move forward to higher levels of leadership. They should also train others around them how to think about and create systems.
The digital age presents amazing opportunities, but it requires a new type of leader. Let’s move forward together.
