Abstract:

Nowadays traditional leadership theories are prevalent in business and management educational curricula (for example, in courses “Fundamentals of Management”, “Organizational Behavior”, “Leadership”, etc.). An ongoing systemic transformation driven by the development of digital technologies and the rise of the platform economy creates new managerial and leadership practices.

This study explores the emerging patterns in the leadership domain, using a mixed-methods approach, incorporating theoretical and practical analysis of contemporary papers and industry experiences. The author reveals dual and contradictory trends in modern leadership:
(1) On the one hand, industry shifts toward “algorithmic management” with platform-based environments where digital leadership prospers (e-leadership and virtual leadership). On the other hand, there is a rise of human-centered management (or humanistic approaches to leadership).
(2) Today leaders require technological literacy to manage human-algorithm interactions and high-level soft skills to navigate ethical dilemmas, foster inclusive practices within diverse virtual teams, and focus on human development over metrics.

The author discusses the findings, reflecting on teaching leadership in a contemporary context. He concludes that today we need ambidextrous leaders, simultaneously exploiting flexible algorithms and exploring new human capabilities. He also emphasizes the necessity of a roadmap to update academic programs and suggests incorporating topics on leading human-algorithm groups and organizations, as well as success and failure cases based on industry experiences.

Keywords:

Management, leadership, ambidextrous leadership, education, platform economy, research.