Technology has had a huge impact on the workplace and how business is conducted all around the world. It has given us access to new markets, new collaborative methods with people around the world, it has streamlined certain functions within the workplace, organized the workplace setting, helped with cost management, enabled workers and companies to be more productive and so much more. But there has also been a dark side to technology in the workplace.

Technology has replaced the human worker in factories and made certain positions obsolete across all different types of industries. It has given us the ability to work from anywhere and at any time, but it has also caused us to have to work from anywhere and at any time to keep competitive or keep our jobs. Technology has removed the barrier of being off the clock, which may be good for the boss or company but has not been good for the employees. Technology has also made it possible to work and never see the people you work with. For some this might be seen as a good thing, but it has broken down our ability to communicate face to face.

Technology has impacted just about every aspect of our lives, but technology in the workplace has changed the dynamic of the world in ways we have yet to even understand. A leader no longer needs to see their followers to lead. In fact, they no longer need their employees to be at the work place to give them a task. Although most people are not paid once they leave the office, that doesn’t stop them from feeling like they need to answer an email sent by their supervisors or leaders at 9 pm on a Saturday night, out of fear that they won’t be seen in a good light if they aren’t always on top of it. The simple ability to be able to reach anyone at any time has caused people to forget how to shut it off once in a while.

Technology, although it has done a lot of great things and continues to help the workplace grow and prosper, has also caused a lot of burnt out employees. Technology has inadvertently disrupted and hurt the mental health of followers, the family structure of people who can’t walk away from work and caused leaders to forget that they need to be less intrusive into their follower’s lives.

Face to face interaction is a good thing, and allows followers to trust their leadership. Staring at a screen that sends orders down from on-high causes followers to lose faith in our leadership and forget why they chose to follow those leaders outside of receiving a pay check.

Being present allows for people to be accountable for their actions, leaders and followers alike. Being present also allows you to leave. Going to work, meeting with the right people, having face to face time with our leaders allows us all to feel more accomplished and when we go home at night, we understand that it is our time now. If we never see each other and can just send messages back and forth, we forget that the person needs to have time to unwind and relax with family.

• Prasad, Amit PrasadAmit, et al. “10 Ways Technology Has Reshaped the Modern Workplace.” QuickFMS, 17 Jan. 2020, www.quickfms.com/blog/how-technology-has-reshaped-the-workplace.
• Northouse, Peter G., and Peter G. Northouse. “Leadership: Theory and Practice 8th Edition (9781506362311).” Leadership: Theory and Practice 8th Edition (9781506362311) – Textbooks.com, Sage Publications, Inc., 1 Jan. 1970, www.textbooks.com/Leadership-Theory-and-Practice-8th-Edition/9781506362311/Peter-G-Northouse.php.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Coeus Creative Group. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of Coeus Creative Group.

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Does leadership style matter? To answer this question, you have to think like a follower. You may be a leader in your organization, or amongst your peers, but in some aspect of everyone’s life they are a follower. As a follower, do you have a certain way you want your leader to address you, communicate to you, guide you, or are you okay with them leading in any manner they see fit? In most cases I will assume that people want their leaders to act in a certain manner and treat them in a way that is conducive to their well-being.

The answer is yes, leadership style does matter. You may get lucky; You may be able to use the same method for the majority of situations in your organization or life, but eventually a situation will arise where you may have to change your methods in order to reach an individual or complete a project on time with your team. Timothy Thomas, and executive coach, wrote “Many people go through life with an attitude that says, this is the way I am – take it or leave it. As a leader, you don’t have that option. When confronted with diverse situations in the work environment, you will often need to respond with very different leadership styles”.

Leadership style matters because the world needs great leaders to take charge. But what makes a leader great? What makes them great is the ability to take command and the wherewithal to know when to adjust their efforts to best suit a circumstance. Should the leader rely on others around them, or should they make an executive decision? Does the problem require their direct intervention, or will their followers be able to handle it on their own? When they should push and when to back off. These are some the things that great leaders must be able to understand and then execute to make their leadership great.

People generally want to follow, but they will only follow someone who they believe can and will do the right thing and will adjust to any circumstance that arises. A leader must choose their styles based on two things, the presented situation and the followers that have chosen to follow them.

• Thomas, Timothy I. “Effective Leadership: Style Really Does Matter.” Makarios Consulting, www.makariosconsulting.com/resources/articles/leadership/effective-leadershipstyle-really-does-matter/.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Coeus Creative Group. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of Coeus Creative Group.

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On February 19, 2020, formerly successful Head Men’s Basketball Coach of the University of Michigan, John Beilein, resigned from his position as Head Coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers after less than a full season with the team. The breakup was inevitable after reports of players being unhappy with how Beilein communicated with the team on several occasions.

This resignation brought me back to a conversation I had with former Butler University men’s basketball standout Ronald Nored, back in the summer 2016. Ronald played for Butler from 2008 to 2012 under Head Coach Brad Stevens, who is now the coach of the Boston Celtics. Brad Stevens is one of the few coaches who has been able to be successful in his jump from College Head Coach to NBA Head Coach. I had the opportunity of finding myself sitting next to Ronald at Dinner while at a conference that summer. Ronald had played under Brad Stevens for four years in college and had served as one of his Assistant Coach’s for the Boston Celtics. In his first 3 years, Brad Stevens had already proven to be on the trajectory of a great college coach that is able to translate that success to the NBA. I could hardly wait until the appetizer came to the table before I found myself asking Ronald, “how has Brad Stevens been able to find success as an NBA coach where so many other college coaches had failed” and continue to fail with recent news of John Beilein.

Ronald’s answer was simple; simple but not easy. He shared how Brad Steven’s leadership style has always been to build trust with his players so that they understand that he cares more about them as a person rather than what they can do to help his own coaching career. Trust, a relationship, genuine interest in the people he is leading is what Ronald thought made the difference where so many college coaches making the same transition had failed.

As a college coach, it can be very easy to use the “power” of a scholarship to get players to perform the way he or she wants. However, in the NBA with many players making significantly more money than their coach, they do not have that same leverage. Ronald shared how many NBA players come from families where they could have only dreamed of the money they now make for their profession. People who grew up around these NBA players now expect a share of what they make, which can cause hesitation in who they feel they can trust. This might be why it is difficult to be successful with an authoritarian approach in the NBA. It can be difficult for players to build the same level of trust with coaches with that style of leadership. Since Brad Stevens had always had the habit of building a genuine relationship with his players, it allowed for a seamless transition from College to the NBA.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Coeus Creative Group. Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of Coeus Creative Group.

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