We live in a constantly evolving world with a constantly evolving economy. This evolving economy naturally places requirements on those participating in it.
In the industrial age what was required was the mechanistic completion of tasks. Workers had roles that were governed by strict procedures and their responsibility was repetition. The role of the manager in such an organization is merely to provide the carrot to keep the workers engaged in the repetitive task and perhaps break out the stick if the carrot fails. The industrial workplace required a manager to organize and oversee operations.
This type of work environment has not disappeared from today’s economy but it has been increasingly replaced by work environments characterized by more challenging, complex, and creatively demanding roles. Enterprises have now become the locus of creative cooperation. This requires a new type of person at the helm. This requires a leader and not a manager. Increasingly, the days of managers as the organizers of mechanistic tasks is a thing of the past. We have entered the age of the leader who must provide purpose, a reason for doing the complex tasks demanded of workers which engages their higher capacities and enables innovative and creative thinking.
For a detailed discussion of these ideas please read “Why Managers Now Need to Become Leaders” by Greg Satell