As leaders, the most important thing is to be open to change. Adaptation to technology has always received mixed reactions from people. Therefore it’s imperative to educate people on the benefits of technology and how it may enhance their skill sets.

One must understand that fear is a natural emotion, you don’t understand something, but authentic leadership is about overcoming that fear for the advancement of the people in the company.

Customers and businesses are finding it hard to adapt to the technological advancement in society. However, at the bare minimum, technology has become a daily necessity to the point at which almost everyone has a smartphone.

It would benefit the nation if we were to embrace technology and think about the possibilities. For example, a construction company could develop software to remotely manage its fleet and commission that software as a subscription.

Depending on the age group, natural barriers affect people trying to interact with technology. Therefore, a company that is digitally transforming its operations will have to do so in phases to allow all customers ample time to adopt these processes. For example, in the banking sector, where banks are closing more and more branches and moving everything online, there needs to be a consideration for the older population, which are not as tech-savvy. A viable approach is to have a receptionist at the bank who walks these customers through the online procedures. The aim should be to allow everyone to understand these technologies so no one is alienated.

Additionally, there is a fluid change in organisational structure. We’ve seen organisations taking a more modern, fluid approach to leadership structure in the organisation rather than the traditional hierarchical structure. Ultimately, it depends on how the leaders want the organisation to be structured (vertically, horizontally, etc), what they are creating, and who they serve.

In any structure, technology is an enabler that influences how leadership flows. In most cases, organisations aim to create a similar structure to companies that are featured in Forbes or located in business hot spots such as New York and Silicon Valley. The organisational structure may be established based on the type of investors the organisation is trying to attract, as well, because some investors prefer to invest in companies with autocratic leadership.

However, with technology, we have seen that most organisations with a traditional organisational structure convert into a digital format. This virtual structure sees more employees participating in leadership roles facilitated by virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom. The result of this is the use and adoption of more participative decision-making. However, we should note that it does not affect the general reporting structure of the organisation.

A digital organisational structure is said to cause a decreasing traditional work culture. Through the virtual space employees can see their colleagues as their equals regardless of their position in the organisation; therefore, eliminating a sense of traditional organisational structures.

More recently, there has been a higher turnover rate in C-suite positions, as people are becoming increasingly aware of entrepreneurial possibilities created by technological advancement and the global pandemic.

Businesses must continue to execute their current strategies with a more agile and flexible perspective toward technological advancements. Despite being in the fast-moving era, there are some disciplines that businesses should keep, such as strategic thinking and planning. Still, they must view it from a technological standpoint that is ever-evolving.

Contributed by Stacy Hines, immediate past president of the JTDA, group strategic planner at the ICB Group, business leadership and transformation expert coach, and founder of Epic Transformation. Kemal Brown, founder and chairman of Digita Global Group of companies and member of the Forbes Business Council.