As we approach the infamous Y2K, there is a pronounced shift in the leadership demands confronting organizations, demands that are distinct from those of the '80s and '90s. Obviously these changes reflect shifts in the global economy, competition, and human resource needs. There are two distinct changes. The first is, we've heard extensively from Warren Bennis, Tom Peters, and a host of other leadership experts about the importance and role of the visionary leader. The visionary leader concept dominated much of the '80s and '90s.
Today there is a shift from vision to execution.
What we find is an emphasis on implementation in organizational life. The leader of today and tomorrow must not simply have a vision that inspires others, but be able to execute it successfully to ensure that vision becomes a reality. The second distinct change is in the human resources, i.e. people, realm. Increasingly workers are relying on the workplace as their primary community in life. This is a very complex subject, but suffice it to say, with the decline of marriage and family, neighborhoods, and traditional institutions, the workplace has surfaced as a consistent, stable community for much of the work population.