Digital leaders are made, not born. In an era defined by rapid digital transformation, maintaining the balance between the offline and online worlds is crucial. While technology continues to evolve, human nature remains constant. Erik Qualman, #1 bestselling author and digital leadership expert, shares timeless leadership habits that keep you ahead of the competition and engaged with your team. Embrace these powerful habits to elevate yourself and your organization to digital leadership excellence.
1. PRIORITIZE BOTH TODAY’S AND TOMORROW’S GOALS
Qualman outlines habits for future-proofing oneself and organizations in digital transformation, emphasizing the balance between human touch and technical expertise. He discusses the need to operate in both the “dirt” and “clouds” of transformation, balancing day-to-day work with long-term vision. “Thinking of the blue sky was seen as a waste of time but that’s shifted dramatically. It will continue to shift as we enter the quantum era because if you can dream it, you can do it. At the same time, you have to be down in the day-to-day. You have to live in the dirt and also in the clouds. That’s a big challenge today.”
This mindset will stand the test of time as Qualman predicts leadership styles will change very little over the next 20 years. He emphasizes two things: taking action even when it’s difficult and always prioritizing people. “At your core, you need to know what you as an individual or organization are doing, and you have to take that action when you don’t want to or are afraid to. As a leader, it will always come down to the people. Leadership is not going to change too much at its core. The biggest change will be in the flexibility in the speed you’ll have to adjust.”
2. OBSERVE AND SHARPEN THE STAMP TRAITS
To stay resilient during the upcoming quantum era and digital decades, Qualman advises leaders to build the following STAMP characteristics:
- Simple: “Many of us fall into the trap of thinking about innovation or transformation as an additive thing that’s been put on our plates, when in fact, if we do it well, it’s the exact opposite. When you think about innovation, it goes back to the removal of friction. When you simplify things, which is very difficult to do, it allows you as an individual and organization to go further faster.”
- True: “You’ve got that compass for your True North and that’s a huge strength to have in this digital era. In the last 20 years, something new has sprung up, and it’s called a digital stamp.” Digital stamps are comprised of two things: a digital footprint and a digital shadow. Both individuals and organizations have a digital stamp. “It’s up to us to produce our best digital stamp and protect it because it’s the modern version of our reputation. The major difference is now it’s at speed and scale.”
- Act: “The number one reason people don’t take action is fear of failure. But we know better than most that failure is part of the process. It’s all about failing fast, failing forward, and failing better. It’s about embracing some of those mistakes and capitalizing on them. It’s what I call being flawesome.” Qualman emphasizes that it’s not perfection that makes people like a brand, but rather its perfectly flawed nature and willingness to learn from mistakes.
- Map: “You set your vision or goal and then you have a linear progression to go after that goal. Well, we can’t do that anymore in today’s world and we certainly aren’t built to do that in the quantum world that we’re stepping into. It’s about being firm in our destination and flexible in our path on how we get there.” Qualman shares an example of that flexibility, citing Steve Jobs’ journey at Apple and Pixar.
- People: “It’s all about people. Success doesn’t happen alone; you need to surround yourself with the right people both offline and online. When it comes to people, it’s all based on questions. The better questions we ask, the better our relationships can be.”
3. AVOID MULTITASKING AT ALL COSTS
According to Qualman, multitasking has a negative impact on productivity. He reveals that multitasking can decrease productivity by up to 40% in a team setting. Qualman proposes single-tasking as a solution to increase efficiency and happiness.
“Ironically enough, when we’re multitasking, we’re getting less done because we’re not computers. We’re not parallel-processing things. What’s actually happening is our brains switch between tasks because we can’t handle two cognitive tasks at once.”
4. INVOLVE EVERYONE FOR SUCCESSFUL DIGITAL INITIATIVES
How can you transform abstract innovation into actionable digital transformation initiatives? Qualman emphasizes the importance of everyone being on the same page for initiatives to succeed. “When we work with organizations, I could get about 17 different answers on their initiative goals. That’s a significant problem at its core.” He discusses aligning multiple digital leaders for change, stressing the importance of regular check-ins and diverse opinions. He suggests asking team members questions like, “How would you rate our progress on this initiative, on a scale from one to ten?”
5. TREAT EVERYONE FAIRLY, NOT THE SAME
A common challenge many organizations face is the risk of losing top talent. Qualman emphasizes the shift toward treating each employee fairly, rather than equally. For instance, if you have the world’s top programmer who prefers remote work, you’re likely to accommodate that preference to retain them. Similarly, understanding that fairness, not uniformity, is crucial for employees based in the office. He stresses that this is a big leadership challenge to overcome.
Qualman suggests frequent check-ins with team members to demonstrate care. “Just do more check-ins than ever before,” he advises. “Simply ask, ‘How are you doing, on a scale from one to ten?’ Then, over time, expand to ask about personal well-being and job satisfaction. Tracking these responses can reveal trends in morale and engagement.”
“It’s about the combination of technology and people. Always lead with people.”