Written by Carole Stizza, Executive Leadership Coach
Carole Stizza, PCC is an expert on the leadership ripple effect and resiliency. She is an executive leadership coach, speaker, author, and military spouse who has been able to study military and corporate leadership in real-time.
In the ever-evolving digital age, leadership demands are shifting rapidly, requiring new approaches to development. Through the stories of Sarah and Tom—two managers navigating global teams and emerging technologies—we see the importance of adapting to a business landscape that constantly changes. As organizations face economic uncertainties and technological advancements, investing in virtual leadership training becomes essential. This article offers five actionable insights for thriving in leadership development, ensuring managers are prepared to lead effectively in the digital era.
The evolving landscape of leadership
Meet Sarah and Tom, two ambitious managers at a global tech company. As 2024 unfolds, they navigate a business landscape that barely resembles the one they knew just a few years ago.
Sarah leads a sales team spread across three continents, most of whom she's never met in person. Tom, meanwhile, grapples with integrating AI into his learning and development department while maintaining team morale. Both face the challenge of steering their teams through economic uncertainties that seem to shift with each news cycle.
"I never imagined leadership would be this complex," Sarah confides during a virtual coffee break with Tom. "It's like the rules are constantly changing."
Tom nods in agreement. "I know. Sometimes I feel like I'm falling behind, especially with all this new tech."
Their conversation highlights a crucial reality: leadership demands a skill set that's radically different from what worked in the past.
Why leadership development is more critical than ever
Recognizing the struggles of managers like Sarah and Tom, I often explain to the leaders I coach why a company must invest in ongoing leadership development programs. I often cite a recent World Economic Forum report stating that 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025, with leadership skills topping the list.
Most leaders move from “We can’t afford to train all our leaders” to “We can’t afford to have our leaders feel unprepared because our success depends on the ability to adapt and guide teams through these changing times." Nice change until they need to put it into action. That is the value of virtual.
The rise of virtual leadership training
Using Sarah and Tom’s situation, it isn’t a big leap for an HR director to propose a virtual leadership training program. The thinking is, "We need something flexible enough for Sarah's distributed team and scalable enough to include emerging leaders like Tom's junior managers."
Many, like Sarah and Tom, are skeptical of virtual training. Therefore, they must be immersive and engaging online learning experiences. Participants need virtual reality simulations that challenge their decision-making skills, join global cohorts for live discussions, and access bite-sized learning modules they can fit into their busy schedules.
Key leadership skills for the digital era
Through a good virtual program, leaders will
Learn techniques for building trust in virtual teams by using digital collaboration tools more effectively and develop strategies for fostering innovation across time zones.
Dive into modules on change management and digital transformation to gain confidence in guiding their team through technological changes and learn to balance automation with the human touch.
Focus on enhancing their emotional intelligence and recognize its critical role in managing remote and hybrid teams.
Overcoming challenges in virtual leadership development
Not everything will go smoothly. Some, like Sarah, will struggle to stay engaged during some longer online sessions, while others, like Tom, will miss the in-person networking of traditional training programs.
Programs will adapt, introducing more interactive elements and creating virtual networking spaces. I have recently developed a 'Virtual Leadership Lab,' where participants can practice handling complex scenarios in a safe, simulated environment with a coach.
Thriving with virtual leadership development
Imagine if, six months into the program, your team, like Sarah’s, reports a 30% increase in collaboration across regions while another department, like Tom’s, becomes a model for successful AI integration, with employee satisfaction scores rising by 25%.
A company's success like this gets noticed, and soon, other organizations are reaching out to participate.
The future of leadership development: Trends and predictions
Reflecting on their journey, Sarah and Tom offer 5 pieces of advice to other organizations:
Start with a thorough assessment of your leaders' current skills and challenges.
Choose learning platforms that offer flexibility and engaging content.
Blend self-paced learning with interactive, collaborative sessions.
Incorporate real-world projects that allow immediate application of new skills.
Foster a culture where continuous learning is valued and rewarded.
As we all look to the future, we want to feel better equipped to handle whatever challenges come our way. Sarah and Tom’s story illustrates a new truth emerging: in today's rapidly evolving business landscape, virtual leadership development isn't just a training program – it's a vital strategy for organizational success.
Carole Stizza, Executive Leadership Coach
Carole's first awareness of any type of ripple effect came after she experienced the loss of several family members from a reckless driver, only to see her father never regain his love of life, his spark, or his ability to lead as he once had. The ripple effect was profound. Equally profound was experiencing brilliant leadership via several employment roles. Taking note of the ripple effect of each type of leadership now allows Carole to coach clients to recognize the ROI.
