Vademecum for meeting the new leadership challenges in the digital society

Can a young talent with no management experience in the company be a good leader?

It will probably be a smaller group of people, but technically it is possible. If a talented young person has the right skills, the right values and the necessary motivation, he or she has all the makings of a good leader. And it is likely that these qualities have already emerged in contexts other than the classic work environment, such as student organisations or similar.

What personality trait cannot be missing in a manager who wants to make a career?

It depends on the position one wishes to hold. The best answer, as is often the case, is 'it depends'. However, if I had to point out a fundamental quality for a leader, it would probably be ambition, a characteristic that includes how competitive and self-confident this figure is, how willing he or she is to express his or her successes, how much he or she identifies with the leadership role and how prone he or she is to social anxiety.

Is an empathetic leader who draws maximum commitment from his or her team more successful or a competent leader who prioritises the achievement of personal goals?

I see these two characteristics as complementary. An empathetic leader will probably also be able to prioritise the personal goals of his or her team. And it is certainly an advantage if those personal goals align with the intention to stay and excel in the same company.

Of the 'dark sides' of leadership, which one is likely to have the greatest impact on the organisation?

All the risk factors we focus on are potentially harmful. We may notice typical tendencies depending on the sector: leaders of financial institutions, for example, may be excessively risk-taking and are described as 'Mischievous'; a leader of a creative sector may be too imaginative, while a chief accountant may be more scrupulous than necessary. All these tendencies, however, are not always obvious and these unfiltered behaviours may emerge when we abuse our qualities. Let me take another example: taking risks in an investment context is crucial, but exceeding a certain limit can be detrimental. Similarly, being punctual and diligent as a CFO is important, but when we overdo it and do not delegate to team members, the task becomes so burdensome that it becomes a leadership problem.

Let's end on a high note: is there a risk that we will become 'slaves', in the workplace, to artificial intelligence?

I do not think this is possible. Artificial intelligence is still far from being able to take on a leadership role, because it can only perform tasks and is not able to make all the decisions and considerations that a leader has to face. AI represents an opportunity to increase our efficiency and problem-solving ability, and its use in employee selection, both from a legislative and a legal point of view, is currently banned or is at least in a grey area in some regions. Rather, we are trying to improve efficiency by helping our client companies interpret results or by supporting coaches in integrating artificial intelligence into their processes. We are not trying to replace in-house HR staff or a coach, but to help them grow and improve.