The Role of a Leader in the Age of Digitalisation

The Role of a Leader in the Age of Digitalisation

by Pasi Joensuu

The world around us has changed faster than most of us were ready for. We used to believe
leadership meant having the answers, setting direction, and keeping things under control. Today, the ground keeps moving.

Markets shift overnight. Teams expect more freedom and meaning. Technology evolves faster
than we can adapt, and leaders are still expected to deliver, motivate, and shape the future.
That’s a lot to carry. But maybe that’s exactly where leadership truly begins – when control
fades and trust starts to matter more than certainty.

Acting Without Full Certainty

A CEO recently told me:

“I believe in digitalisation and I want to support it. But I have a problem. When we invest in
hardware, software or training, and I ask if it works as planned, the answer is always yes. But
when I ask what the return is – how much it really improved work – I only get guesses. I need
proof, not wishes.”

His frustration captures the modern leadership paradox. We expect clarity in a world that runs
on uncertainty. The numbers don’t always show up right away – and yet, leaders still have to
make confident choices. Proof often follows belief, not the other way around.

Leaders rarely have the comfort of complete information and often need to act before all the
data is in. The best ones build feedback loops instead of waiting for perfect clarity. Progress
rarely comes from certainty – it comes from courage.

Leadership in uncertainty often swings between two extremes – too much control or too much freedom. Finding balance between them defines maturity. As Jouni Kekäle, Chief Operating Officer of NRC Group – and a leader I once had the privilege to work under – reminds us:

“Both are needed – depending on the situation and context. When clarity, trust, and collaboration begin to break down, control becomes necessary to restore order and regain clarity. In other words, clarity and trust are the foundation for growth, but sometimes control is needed to reestablish those foundations when they are at risk.” -Jouni Kekäle

As Kristiina Uurasmaa – a leadership coach and board professional who has guided our
management team in reflection and growth – observes, leaders often feel helpless without
clear answers. Their instinct is to remove uncertainty – when the real opportunity lies in facing
it together with their teams.

“We don’t need to have the answers, but we need to have the willingness to explore
together and move towards our chosen future goals.” -Kristiina Uurasmaa

It’s a valuable reminder that courage doesn’t mean chaos. Even the most adaptive leaders
sometimes need to pause, stabilise, and rebuild clarity before moving forward again.

Redefining Competence

Another quiet challenge is understanding what competence means in a changing world.
Technology reshapes work faster than job descriptions can keep up. What was enough
yesterday isn’t enough tomorrow.

Leaders must constantly redefine what “good” looks like – for their teams and for themselves.
That requires humility, curiosity, and the willingness to admit we’re all learning.

As Kristiina reminded me through a story of a sales leader she once coached, many of us get
trapped in our strengths. What once made us great performers doesn’t necessarily make us
great leaders. The true shift happens when success is measured not by our own results, but by
how well others are empowered to lead.

And as Jouni notes, leadership itself must ensure that people are engaged and empowered to
lead at different levels. Continuous learning is not just individual – it’s structural.
True competence today is less about knowing everything and more about empowering others to grow.

Trusting Data & Trusting People

We often say “garbage in, garbage out.” It’s true – data never improves by itself. Systems only
process what people feed into them.

The real question is: what kind of culture shapes that data in the first place?

When the environment encourages people to validate, question, and refine information, data
becomes more reliable. Without openness, even advanced systems repeat the same uncertainty.

So the integrity of data is, in the end, the reflection of human integrity. Reliable information
flows from reliable behaviour – and reliable behaviour grows from trust.

That’s why leadership in digital transformation isn’t about trusting data blindly; it’s about
building a culture where people take responsibility for it.

Leaders must create transparency, not control – openness, not blame.

As Jouni reminded me, trust and clarity are interdependent: if either weakens, re-establishing
structure may be temporarily necessary.

Leadership is not the absence of control — it’s knowing when to loosen and when to hold.

Culture as the Real Platform

No leader succeeds in a culture that fears mistakes. We can design the perfect process, but if
people are afraid to speak up or try new things, progress stops.

Culture supports leadership when it rewards openness, treats learning as part of the job, and
connects work to a bigger purpose.

Kristiina pointed out that culture of trust reveals itself in everyday moments – how people
speak about each other, celebrate success, or share a laugh even under pressure. Those small
signs tell whether people feel safe enough to learn and renew.

When people understand that failure is part of improvement, they start leading themselves.

The Silver Lining

“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
— John C. Maxwell

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But beneath the uncertainty lies opportunity – to rethink how
we lead, how we learn, and how we create impact.

Change forces us to let go of old definitions of control and success. It makes us better listeners,
better learners, and, ultimately, better leaders.

“Every leader’s or manager’s personal commitment to driving change is essential — and this is reflected in their words and actions. Leadership is not about collective slogans; it is each leader’s most important individual task.” -Jouni Kekäle

That may be the truest definition of modern leadership.

We don’t have to know everything. We just have to stay open, curious, and willing to move
forward – even when the path isn’t clear.

Because leadership has never been about perfection. It’s about direction, trust, and courage.
My thanks to both Jouni Kekäle and Kristiina Uurasmaa – two professionals I’ve been
fortunate to learn from – for reminding that leadership is, above all, a shared journey of
reflection and courage.

So, what does leadership mean to you – when control is no longer the answer, and trust
becomes the only way forward?