As we move into the Information Age, we see the changing face of leadership from what it was like in the Industrial Age to what it looks like now.The old model has turned 180 degrees to reflect one that provides more parity between the leader and the follower.

This is because the older, more authoritarian approach does not work with the empowered employees in the current Information Age. This is the reason why leaders and executives cannot succeed if they lack self-awareness.

While the leader of a global organization today needs a variety of skills to succeed, it is not possible that every single leader possesses all of these skills and talents simultaneously. Leaders are faced with an endless list of challenges in multiple areas, including finances, marketing, legal, human resources, team and leadership as well as those relating to rapidly changing technology.

In order to lead effectively, today’s leaders/executives need to be aware of the fact that they cannot possibly deal with all of the issues at hand. This is the type of personal mastery, which comes from being finely tuned with one’s own behavior, skills and motivators.

No one is perfect ‘every leader has his/her own limitations ‘it’s just about admitting and accepting this so as to improve. This is where a good Executive Coach can play a vital role.

Effective leaders do not micro-manage their team. They know how to let-go of the day-to-day activities of the business and focus on strategic decision-making to provide strong direction for the organization.They open themselves up to receive feedback from their followers.

In order to be effective, leaders need to recognize the critical difference between what they need to do as compared to what they could possibly delegate to their team.

When working on developing personal mastery, it is imperative leaders watch and monitor their own performance and progress. They may do this by making a note of the areas they excel in versus the ones they need to work on.

They should also have the confidence to communicate this information to their followers. Behavioral-based Executive Coaching has proven to be extremely beneficial in this area.

Great leaders are aware of the impact they have on others, and are comfortable giving themselves well as others credit for improving.

In today’s Information Age, decisions are made jointly between leaders and followers, who share an equal ground rather than a hierarchical one as was the case in the days past.

This has largely changed the corporate culture -where it is now commonplace for leaders to willingly accept feedback from their team. The leadership style has turned into a more participative one, which is conducive to open communication and where mutual trust and respect is paramount.