Leadership What Are the Biggest Challenges That

Leadership What are the biggest challenges that the leaders of today and tomorrow have to face? Leaders of today and tomorrow cannot rest on the assumption that a position authority will allow them to continue serving in a position of power. The truth is that the pool of potential leaders grows rapidly, and no person is irreplaceable. Effective leaders need to understand how to navigate the tricky waters of a hyperlinked, hyper-networked world. Increased democratization of organizations and organizational culture parallels the ever-increasing democratization of knowledge.

As individuals have greater access to information that is potentially or actually empowering, leaders are redefining their roles and the meaning of power. Flattened organizational cultures are not the only major challenge facing the leaders of today and tomorrow. Increased diversity, of opinion as well as of personal background, is making organizational climates changeable and complex. We no longer have organizations run by the same type of people with the same biases, beliefs, and interests. Now, boardrooms are filled with people from various walks of life.

Gender, race, and social class continue to be barriers to success but those barriers are shrinking. Soon the glass ceiling will shatter, and the upper echelons of business and politics will become more colorful if not more crowded. The challenges facing the leaders of today and tomorrow are unique because the leaders of the past have been able to rest on the laurels of firmly established hegemonies. Those hegemonies, especially patriarchy, still exist. However, it is becoming harder and harder to get away with discrimination.

The current challenge facing leaders is finding a balance between cultural sensitivity and universal ethics. While Western Europe and most developed nations value the input of women in organizations, not all cultures have escaped the tyranny of sexism. Doing business in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East is a matter of course for most large companies. This means being patient and sacrificing ideals temporarily, in the interests of promoting the integrity of the business.

It is important for leaders to not feel singularly responsible for changing the world in one sweep of the brush. The leaders of today need to be tactful and diplomatic when dealing with diverse points-of-view, but without sacrificing their ideals. For example, the leader of a large American company wishing to woo potential investors in Saudi Arabia might think it would be a satisfactory statement to send over a female executive.

Yet doing so might risk losing the contract to a company more willing to play by the rules of the old boys' club. In this case, an effective leader might acknowledge that the contract with the Saudi Arabian company is too valuable to risk. Another challenge that the leaders of today and tomorrow face relates to environmental ethics and individual responsibility. Corporate ethics are becoming more important, as leaders can no longer count on being able to win over corrupt politicians.

An increased awareness among the general public about business practices is.