Will 5G transform the Art of Leadership into a Science?

As you have probably heard, 5G is coming to a cell phone near you.

5G is the next generation of technology that will usher in the type of world that we only dreamed of when we watched "The Jetsons" back in the 1970's.

(If you want to listen to the theme song, click here.)

5G means driverless cars, smart homes, smart cities, and of course, even more information at our fingertips.  Christy will be thrilled that she can find even more Chris Hemsworth photos!  Here's one to keep you reading . . .

It's not like our current 4G is terrible, but it will pale in comparison to the shock and awe of 5G.  According to my friend and Altaworx President, Forrest Derr, there are three main differences between 4G and 5G networks:

(1) SPEED - A two hour movie that takes you 7 minutes to download on your 4G cellphone will require only 10 seconds when 5G arrives.

(2) CAPACITY - think of 4G as a two lane road and 5G as a 12 lane interstate.  With more bandwidth, everyone can click on March Madness Selection Sunday Show while in church without dropping a connection.  (My quote, not Forrest's.)

(3) LATENCY - "Did you get my text yet?" said no one on a 5G network.  Although they are related, SPEED is how fast your device can download information, where LATENCY is the time it takes you and your BFF to connect phones.

So now that you have a working knowledge of 5G, let me explain the title of my blog this week:

Will 5G transform the Art of Leadership into a Science?

I say that because if you think the amount of analytics is overwhelming now, just wait a bit. How will all that knowledge change our approach to leading the people around us?

Just this week, the WSJ published an article entitled, "Smile! Your Boss is Tracking Your Happiness!"

According to the article, here's what a few companies are looking for:

(1) At Amazon, employees are surveyed about whether they have had too many meetings, or if the boss has thanked them in the past week.

(2) At PepsiCo, an app called the "Process Shredder" asks employees if any barriers are preventing efficient work.

(3) Ford Motor Company uses HappyorNot terminals to ask, "How optimistic are you feeling about your day today?"

 

The ongoing race to make Leadership a series of manageable numbers will only intensify as analytics continue to flood our inbox. Americans tend to trust data.  We believe more information means more assurance.  Show us "the numbers" and we are satisfied.

Take a look at the graphic below, that points out the major differences between SCIENCE and ART.

Corporate America would love to make Leadership an objective, repeatable event based on sound numbers--like a Science project. That way, they could capture a good manager's behaviors and replicate them throughout the company.

Funny thing is, the more data that is collected, the more Artsy the picture becomes.

Here's what I mean.

Leadership analytics has congealed around a set of activities or actions that leaders should provide for their employees.  When leaders demonstrate these behaviors, employees respond in kind with motivation and engagement.

This is where it gets interesting.  The actions that deliver the most bang for the buck have way more to do with "how the leader made the employee feel" than whether or not the leader "possesses technical ability or competence."

In a nutshell, the level of motivation or engagement that an employee will extend toward a boss depends on their relationship.

And the last time I checked, humans aren't robots.  Healthy human relationships require give and take, service, sacrifice, laughter, humility, and grace--sounds kind of Artsy to me, or do I paint with a too broad brush?

Good leaders know this . . . and they have it down to a Science.