Insights

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4iR) starts to reshape defence, security and critical infrastructure organisations, and change the way we work, how are leaders going to need to adapt along with these advances to ensure they can be successfully deployed?

Freyja is joined by:

• Kate Cooper, Head of Research, Policy & Standards at the Institute of Leadership and Management
• Ade McCormack, Digital Strategist, author and columnist of the Financial Times and CIO magazine
• Sue Brooks, CEO of IMAGINE, an innovation consultancy helping companies grow through collaboration

This discussion spans a huge range of workforce and workplace changes we can already see being driven by disruptive technology, and looks at how leaders must adjust their approach, both to compensate for this impending transformation and harness its value.  It looks at how 4iR has the potential to facilitate a new kind of creativity and why that means leaders need to do consider new approaches to ensure they encourage and curate this valuable opportunity.

There is an exploration of how emerging technology will inspire new adaptive working practices that can lead us to become better augmented versions of ourselves as 4iR comes into its own, if we have the right support from above. It also outlines how technology is already starting to impact hierarchical structures, creating ‘flatter’ organisations and stimulating changes in working relationships, evolving them to become more like coaches supporting athletes, where nurturing growth is central and there is a focus the development of leadership skills in all individuals.

Ultimately the debate outlines how the future lies in ‘serving leaders’, where trust is key and being risk averse is not an option, demonstrating how current leaders need consider what else they can do to prepare for the pressure of an era characterised by disruption and uncertainty.