Mindsets in Action

In Jeff and Mindy’s scenario earlier, the three landscaping plans reflect three different mindsets. Their family “organization” is trying to create a physical living “working” environment to satisfy Jeff’s productivity need, Mindy’s mental well-being need, and Tom’s digital transformation need. They won’t be able to reach an agreement if they all hold very tight on their OWN mindsets in relation to what they think needs to be prioritized for the good of their family “organization”. Not to mention that there are other things that need to be factored in as well, such as budget, manpower, professional development, impact on the neighborhood, etc. So, a shift in mindset is required for them to develop a feasible and workable landscaping action plan. Using a technology term, they need to mesh their mindsets into one to make it work, which is one of interpreting what digital leadership entails.

The past couple years have taken their toll on organizations worldwide. From the unknown of COVID to the anticipation of life returning to normal, to variants, to more unknowns, and the constant newness of social, economic, environmental, and political challenges. Every time things seem to be improving, something happens and puts one’s organization on fire. To thrive, or even to survive, most leaders are asked to be adaptable and agile. To do so in the era of the 4IR, it is reasonable to believe that a shift to digital leadership mindset is necessary. Here, I want to reiterate what I said earlier that be it a shift to adding digital to complement traditional leadership mindsets or treating digital leadership completely differently, both will help us unveil the unknown attributes of digital leadership. Make sure you keep this mindset in mind when working on the assigned readings and learning activities for this week.