There are several attributes of a leader that are important to lead in a digital learning environment. A modern education leader must be visionary, communicative, adaptable and credible.

Firstly, it is important for the leader to set a clear vision and mission for the organizational group. As Shenigner (2019) claims, “Digital leadership can … be defined as establishing direction, influencing others, and initiating sustainable change through the access of information, and establishing relationships in order to anticipate changes pivotal to … success in the future” (para 6), so it is important that the leader’s direction is clearly focused to effectively bring about the desired relational and organizational changes. Also, given the frequent lack of a shared physical workspace when working in digital environments, the leader should create an atmosphere in which employees are mentally tethered to, and invested in, the same purpose. Castelli (2016) notes that a shared purpose helps followers understand the purpose and relevance of their work and their contribution to the organization, which will lead to increased job satisfaction and motivation.

Shenigner (2019) also makes some contradictory claims, on the one hand stating that leadership hasn’t changed over several years, but on the other, saying that the relatively new concepts of public relations and branding are critical components of digital leadership. This seeming contradiction is, in fact, in keeping with the times insofar as leadership today is more multifaceted than ever before, with stakeholders and constraints imposed from multiple directions at once. Despite this, or rather because of it, a leader in modern environments, digital or otherwise, will need to understand and respect diversity and alternative perspectives. Open communication is a cornerstone of good leadership (Castelli, 2016, Shenigner, 2019) and leads to improved trust, commitment to the organization, job satisfaction, and when, valuing ethnically diverse voices, increased performance (Castelli, 2016). So leveraging a changed world of increased global access, a leader who applies sound, age-old principles of communication will still be effective.

Given the rapid pace of change in education, including changes in learner and learning characteristics, another critical attribute of a leader in digital learning environments is adaptability. According to Udas (2008), a leader in online and distance education, as leaders, “We are branded internally as change agents in what is turning out to be one of the most dynamic areas (online learning) in a rapidly growing part (educational technology) of a changing sector (higher education)” (para.2). Because of the magnitude of technological advances, leadership will need “to be flexible and responsive to change” (Khan, 2017. Pp.1-2). In fact, Khan (2017) argues that dealing with and planning for change is not optional but a requirement of today’s leaders, and it is as important to consider issues with the relationship amongst the team, and outside factors. Adaptive leaders are skilled in defining problems and finding solutions to solve them (Khan, 2017). In addition to external factors, “Change also includes subjective elements such as conscious and unconscious assumptions, beliefs, values, and emotions that can influence organizational outcomes, both positive and negative” (Castelli, 2016, p.226). This connects well to the recognition above that diverse learners and learning environments require diverse, flexible, challenging and even disruptive ways of thinking and doing. It is impossible to be inflexible in the everchanging world, so leaders “should be embracing as normal the notion of a wider ecosystem of learning technologies; a constellation of digital things, more or less loosely joined” (Scott, 2019, para.9), with themselves at the centre, moving the organization forward.

Finally, it is important that leaders have credibility and hold themselves to a high standard of excellence and integrity. This is probably one of the harder aspects of leadership in that there is an almost heroic expectation of the leader, where they should be superhuman, without faults or failings. It has been shown that followers will try harder and produce greater results when they perceive their leader as a positive role model, and seemingly paradoxically, will also work harder if leaders share personal experiences of success and failures, and can admit mistakes (Castelli, 2016). “Credible leaders make a positive difference in people’s lives” (Kouzes & Posner, 2011, Ch 2) and “produce positive results” (Kouzes & Posner, 2011, Ch 2, & Castelli, 2016, p. 222). Kouzes and Posner (2011) quoted someone who summed it up perfectly, saying a leader should “Honor and respect people, show [they] care and be genuine, they will do anything for [them].”

It seems logical that in digital learning environments, like any other organizational structure, a competent leader is required to move the organization successfully forward.  So long as the leader has a clear vision for the team, communicates effectively, is adaptable and committed to integrity, the organization will be in good hands.

References

Castelli, P.A. (2016). Reflective leadership review: a framework for improving organisational performance. The Journal of Management Development, 35(2), pp. 217-36. DOI:10.1108/JMD-08-2015-0112

Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or transactional leadership in current higher education: A brief comparison. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(3).

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2011). The characteristics of admired leaders. In Credibility : How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from Skillsoft e-book database. Retrieved from https://royalroads.skillport.com/skillportfe/assetSummaryPage.action?assetid=RW$564:_ss_book:43184#summary/BOOKS/RW$564:_ss_book:43184

Scott, A. (2019, June 30). Why we need learning technologists. Retrieved Feb. 7, 2022 from https://ammienoot.com/brain-fluff/why-we-need-learning-technology-developers/

Shenigner, E. (2019). Pillars of digital leadership. International Center for Leadership in Education. http://leadered.com/pillars-of-digital-leadership/

Udas, K. (2008, June 30). Distributed learning environments and OER: The change management challenge. eLiterate. http://mfeldstein.com/distributed-learningenvironments-and-oer-the-change-management-challenge/