Leadership in Conditions of Industry 4.0

University of Economics in Bratislava, Faculty of Business Management, Management Department, Dolnozemská cesta 1, Bratislava, Slovakia

^* Corresponding author: diana.puhovichova@euba.sk

Abstract

Nowadays, technological development and innovation play an important role in every enterprise. This is particularly reflected in the increase in competitiveness of any enterprise. It is Industry 4.0 that wants to lead to possible profound changes in several areas that go beyond the industrial sector. Leadership is essential for the successful promotion of a culture of innovation. Therefore, leaders and leadership style play a key role in the paradigm shift towards Industry 4.0. The aim of the theoretical research is to present the key characteristics of Leadership 4.0, the necessary skills of Leaders 4.0 and to introduce appropriate leadership styles in the context of Industry 4.0. Through the available domestic and foreign literature, we have provided a theoretical reality of what leadership in Industry 4.0 conditions should look like. According to results, that we have found out during theoretical research, we have reached conclusions that the core attributes of Leadership 4.0 include communication, knowledge and understanding, well-set standards and methods, coaching, expectations, openness and transparency, trust, employee orientation, and a culture of mistakes. We also pointed out that within the presented leadership matrix, the digital leader represents the most appropriate style within Industry 4.0, and among other things, this leader should dispose of cognitive skills, business skills, interpersonal skills, and strategic skills.