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Digital Leadership

Digital Leadership Skills for Students

What is digital leadershp

Picture of Screens You do not have to be in a leadership position to possess and demonstrate leadership qualities. One way to demonstrate leadership skills is showing how to use technology to improve processes and provide efficiencies, enhance communication and creatively illustrating new approaches. This can be described as digital leadership.

 

The importance of digital skills

If you want to work, learn and live effectively in today's digital environment you need to be you need the right digital skills to do the job. The type of skills you need to have are:

  • an understanding of how to use the digital technology tools you have access to
  • how to evaluate, information, text, and data 
  • methods for communicating and collaborating online to produce and share ideas

The type of skills you require in these areas will differ according to your job role and will change as new tools, technologies and roles come along.

Digital Leadership Skills

Josie Ahlquist, digital leadership educator, recommends the development of the following leadership skills to demonstrate leadership 

  • Online self-awareness and reflection of digital profile
  • Awareness of emerging technology tools and platforms
  • Analysing information,  assessing accuracy and quality from fake or misinterpreted information
  • Establishing personal virtual boundaries including privacy, managing time spent online and overall Wellness 
  • Building Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) - a network where you learn from people
  • Creating a digital career strategy that demonstrates your own professional abilities 
  • The ability to deal with online conflict, mediating and resolving issues
  • Using social media for social good 

Need to know more ...

Useful Resources

Multimedia Resources

  • Charlene Li, on Giving up control:  Leadership in the Digital Era Video length: 10 minutes
  • Digital Leadership, Empowering New Ideas: Sofie Sandell at TEDxUCL 10 minutes