Leadership roles to evolve as future of work undergoes change

New Delhi: As competitive forces like artificial intelligence and machine learning shape the future of work in India, leadership roles have to evolve and the top brass are expected to be watchful about long-term perspective rather than short-term pressures, says a PwC report.

According to the report by PwC India, titled 'Reimagining leadership: Steering India's workforce in 2030', future workplace will be characterised by competing and conflicting priorities and demands of its key constituents - organisation, employee, CEO and HR.

While emotional and cognitive intelligence have proved to be critical to leadership success in the past, in the future workplace, 'learning intelligence' will be the new leadership edge, the report said.

"Traditional models of development are no longer sufficient to help leaders act fast and effectively in unpredictable circumstances; organisations will need to reimagine the talent development experience at the top of the pyramid in much the same ways as they do in the customer experience," PwC India People and Organisation Partner Chaitali Mukherjee said.

In the future workplace in India, the CEO will have to focus on differentiating human capabilities and striking the right balance between humans and machines/bots.

On the other hand, HR will become the guardian of the brand, focusing on creating the right culture and protecting the organisation against sustainability and reputational risks, the report noted.

"It is the responsibility of the leader to look into the future when making decisions, to ensure they are solving the immediate problems, while also preparing their organisation for the future," said Blair Sheppard, Global Leader Strategy and Leadership Development, PwC.