With Facebook expected to announce a full video library capability, they may be poised to take away YouTube’s one main advantage. 5 lessons for leaders in the digital age However fast-changing the digital ecosystem, the essence of leadership doesn’t change one jot, though the levels of noise, obfuscations, hype and novelty do sometimes overwhelm us. These are the five things that seem important to me after 20 years of driving a digital agenda. I don’t believe they’re taught in any business school. 1. Do keep asking the question “but why?” insistently, repeatedly, like a curious 5-year-old. “Why” is the only word that cuts through the fog, gets to the real problem and helps distinguish between the means and the end. Why? Why? Why? I even run training courses entitled “The Power of Why”. 2. Don’t fetishize certainty. The ready availability of a slew of measures doesn’t mean they are useful. Treat all KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) with caution, and the singular KPI with as much reserve as a plague spore. It could infect your whole organization with a distorted sense of priorities. 3. Do programme yourself to total openness. You have a unique opportunity to break down internal silos. And you need the collaboration of a wider range of attitudes than ever before. Playing your cards close to your chest has become a loser’s stratagem. 4. Do avoid the divas when hiring. They abound, and they can easily dazzle, only then to disappoint. As one of my clients once said: “Talent is a mere commodity, only perseverance differentiates.” When I’ve repeated this to graduates, they tend to gasp, but it’s never been truer than now. 5. Do relish dualism. The tensions of the digital world can push you – or those around you – into zero-sum games. But success lies in managing the tension rather than clinging to the “either” or the “or”. It’s also more fun. DOVE