As times change, so do the requirements for strong leadership. In The Strengths and Weaknesses of 4 Distinct Leadership Strategies, recently published by Entrepreneur, I discussed the changes that entrepreneurs should make to adapt to the digital era, and listed the strengths and weaknesses of four relevant leadership strategies so that leaders can discern which style, or combination of styles, best fits their company and their industry.

1. The Strengths and Weaknesses of
4 Distinct Leadership Strategies
J A K E C R O M A N

2. As times change, so do the requirements for
strong leadership . . .
The primary change in leadership for the digital age is the desire for
transparency between leaders, workers and consumers. Leaders must
also develop technical, pragmatic and emotional intelligence to
understand how best to further adapt and maintain success as their
industry changes over time.

3. Here are some leadership
strategies you can utilize to
strengthen your business:

4. A
Commander
is a leader who defines the
company’s goals and directs his
workers on how to accomplish
them. This works well in
industries like machinery or
automation, but is not well-
received among employees and
customers who want a more
collaborative process.

5. A Communicator
expresses his values and mission for the company to his
employees and customers. The open sharing of goals and plans
allows workers to understand exactly what they are trying to
accomplish, but does not allow for much innovation.

6. The
Collaborator
works directly with employees
and customers to innovate and
drive intellectual
development. The less
hierarchical nature of the
leadership style gives
everyone involved the
potential for giving valuable
input, rather than just being
instructed to perform tasks.

7. The Co-Creator
is similar, allowing stakeholders to focus on individual endeavors that
run parallel to the organization’s goals. This often results in rapid
scaling, and can increase a company’s stability. Workers are still
directed, but are given autonomy in performing their duties.

8. While these strategies are all viable, the desire for
transparency and the democratizing of digital
leadership styles implies that co-creation could become
more prevalent: startups like Twitter, Uber, Airbnb, and
even a large business like Visa, all encourage
widespread participation through co-creation.

9. THANK YOU
Jake Croman
JakeCroman.com