“E-leadership is a process of social influence that takes place in an organizational context where a significant amount of work, including communication, is supported by information technology.” (Avolio & Kahai,2010). This is one of many definitions of e-leadership.

In the digital era, businesses that operate in cyberspace exclusively and occupy employees who work remotely is rather common. More and more entrepreneurs choose this form for their companies, due to lower costs and almost no need for initial capital.

This perspective has also modified the role of a leader and the conversion into an e-leader. An e-leader faces some challenges that differ from the traditional leader. The prime challenge is good knowledge of technological tools. An e-leader needs to master all the technological advances, adjust to digital environments to set the right example, and achieve high productivity.

One other equally important challenge is advanced communication skills. An e-leader should interact with team members, even if they are not sharing the same beliefs, culture, or even room. An e-leader should overcome the confined methods of interaction in a digital environment. It is important that an e-leader maintains successful relations with co-workers, cultivating trust, and commitment.

The eLead Project

Many European companies, particularly SMEs and startups, often lack the proper skills to put these technologies into effective use. The main objective of the project “eLead – Enhancing VET professionals’ skills for e-leadership education and training” is to fill this gap by creating educational material for VET professionals. Especially, those involved in training processes for workers and managers in the high-tech/digital sector to implement and promote training paths for the acquisition of e-leadership skills.

If you are interested in our project and want to stay informed of all future activities and deliverables, please feel free to visit us here.