By R.Sukumar

e-Biz requires e-leadership. While the broad tenets of leadership in the Digital Age may be the same as those of the Industrial Age, there are differences in the nuances. Based on their experience at Spencer Stuart-a CEO-search firm-and talent.com, which commissioned a survey on the impact of the Net on leadership, consultants James M. Citrin and Thomas J. Neff have explored these issues in an article in Strategy & Business, where they argue that successful digital leadership is a function of 6 CEO qualities:

OBSESSING ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. With markets rapidly fragmenting, and branding costs on the rise, firms have to spend more to acquire and retain customers. At the same time, the Net shifts power to the customer. So, e-CEOs have to constantly think about their needs.

BUILDING A NEW ORGANISATION. Responding to emerging customer needs, on-line and in real-time, require an organisational structure that reduces transaction-time and -costs between various functions of an organisation. e-CEO has a major role in creating this structure.

MANAGING VIA A DYNAMIC BUSINESS MODEL. The key to competing in the digital economy is the ability of the e-CEO to manage on the basis of a business model that is constantly evolving. While strategic planning was an annual exercise in the Industrial Age-it is a far more fluid process now.

GENERATING A POSITIVE BUZZ. This was important even in the traditional economy, but in a context where profits and revenues are hard to come by, e-CEOs have to play the role of evangelists. They have to keep employees, analysts, and stakeholders on their side.

ENCOURAGING RISK-TAKING. Innovation has always been a function of risk-taking. But e-CEOs of Net-businesses, where competition is intense, have to foster a culture that encourages experimentation.

WORKING HARD. Most CEOs do their work through others. But e-CEOs should be willing to work as just another person in the team.

So, where does that leave the leader of the 1990s? Well, a comparison of amazon.com's Jeff Bezos and GE's Jack Welch indicates that it doesn't take much for the model-leader of yesterday to become the e-leader of tomorrow. Just a little e-development.

The Media is the Message

How do you net new on-line customers? Web-design and e-Commerce consulting firm Epoch Networks Incorporated suggests you do exactly what you would have done if you were marketing to real-world customers. Only, give the whole thing a digital twist. The 5-step template:

TRADITIONAL ADVERTISING. Surfers haven't sworn off other media yet. So, print and television are good media to advertise in. The catch? Netizens are more receptive to on-line advertising. And more likely to believe it.

ON-LINE ADS. The mass-media channels are still the best. So, using broad demographic variables is a good idea. As is positioning ads in everyone's favourite e-mail service or default homepage.

NEWS GROUPS. On-line marketers can generate requests for their products by participating in discussion groups and steering the conversation around to their products and services. Caveat? Subtlety rules.

e-MAIL. Spam doesn't work. But some e-mailing lists can make this approach as effective as direct mail.

WEBSITES. For on-line marketers, their Website, which offers information about the company as well as a customer interface, is the ideal marketing medium. However, ensure that your site is easy to navigate.

Our recommendation: stick to off-line media for now. You can't go wrong.

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