Hi, Alison - thanks for this thought-provoking and articulate post:)

I agree with your comments about the digital competence of current leadership in many companies, but I would imagine that is at least somewhat generationally-connected.  I don't mean that older folks cannot be technologically and digitally saavy, since they certainly are.  I mean that top managers and leaders at larger organizations probably did not get to their current posts by honing those skills, but rather used other strengths.

Since the world is changing at a faster pace now, newer and younger leaders will be forced to possess and demonstrate deeper understanding of the technological aspects of business and the digital world than their older "brothers".

Having grown up with technology, many need only to incorporate what they know about that technology with a strong business sense.    Just being able to use the "toys" is not enough for leadership.

I also agree with your assessment about the changing nature of leadership, especially around that "big data" element.  This is not about being a Twitter rockstar or having a viral video of the annual state of the organization speech, but about being able to use the current and evolving technology to make better business decisions.

I think agility figures in here somewhere, since technology now allows us to move at the speed of the Internet (not my home Internet, which can be quite slow, but at the pace of information flow, such as 24-hour news cycles and other output).   Business is a much faster game now.

Appreciate this very interesting article:)

John