“e-Leadership” is the application and execution of leadership in the context of the New Economy.  Certainly, there is nothing revolutionary in placing the ‘e’ in front of leadership, only it serves to note that the New Economy, or more precisely, technology, has an effect on people, process and products and provides us with challenges and enhancements to the way we can lead our people.  In the “Old Economy”  the relationship between the leader and the team could be described in the following diagrammatic model. 

The leader was in constant physical contact with the team, able to communicate one-to-one and interact within a context beyond that of pure voice or written words.  Encompassing non-verbal communications, demonstrating behaviours and reacting locally to the team.

In the New Economy, the localisation of the team is no longer a given constant.  The team and leader can be spread throughout geographic space, and indeed even in time in relation to working hours and habits.  This more challenging environment is enabled through the Net effect of the New Economy – allowing people and places to be connected through computing and network devices (including GSM phones).

The Net Effect has demonstrable benefits and value to the team and leader – providing for instant communication, increased situational awareness and the closer linking between action and reaction within the team and organisational environment.

However, with the enhancements, come serious liabilities for the team and leader.  The opportunity for miscommunication is dramatically increased as non-verbal and observed behaviours, styles and other key personality traits are removed from the physical domain.  ‘e-Leadership’ is leadership in the New Economy that utilises the Net Effect for positive enhancements to the team, including collaborative workflow, instant communication, shared knowledge, and many more options that make up the workspace of today. 

It is also an equally important understanding of the need for humanisation within these new workspaces.  Physical contact is still an absolute necessity to develop and lead the team – however it can now be de-centralised and spread across a number of separate locations in time and space.  The leader will still need to lead, both intellectually and physically .

– “e-leadership” is something that enhances, not replaces. 

The preceding “e-leadership” model describes how the insertion of the Information domain generated by the ‘Net Effect’ enhances the leader and team’s effectiveness, however it is still connected by physical presence and behaviour as an essential component of good leadership.