New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,263

Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

The NewMars forum is a repository of contributions by a wide variety of persons, with a wide variety of backgrounds, educational attainments, and skill sets.

In the short time I've been following discussions, I've witnessed an (to me) astonishing level of creativity.

On the other hand, there don't seem to be many discernible results.  It is entirely possible readers have taken ideas and run with them, but if that is the case, they have not come back to let anyone know.

At the present time, (2020) we have several initiatives under way, any one of which could become an entire global industry on Mars, and in some cases even on Earth.

For example, the Large Ship topic could become the basis of a massive industry on Earth with multiple major players.

The article at the link below is about research done to try to identify and clarify the traits of successful leaders in a virtual environment:

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20 … ket-newtab

(th)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,428

Re: Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

For the Large scale colonization ship by RobertDyck topic the use of the word Captain from page 1 on has shown that we have connected that term as to leadership with an underlying command structure or organization for whom has rank.
That said leadership can also be from lesser ranks and even be a bottom up approach.
This happens within the civilian world as well as the boss, supervisors and foreman are a level of command structure.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,263

Re: Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

For SpaceNut re #2 .... thanks for picking up on this new topic.

However, the role of Captain in a space vessel would NOT be virtual.  The point of the article is that the personality traits that allow some individuals to assume leadership in analog human communities are ** different ** from those that allow some individuals to succeed in digital human communities.

Edit#1: kbd512 pointed out that the term "digital human communities" is unclear.

I was trying to think of another way to refer to what the article is referring to as a "virtual" community.

The NewMars forum (and all others like it since the beginning of the Internet, and since ham radio began using Morse code) is a community of people (for the time being at any rate) mediated by communications rendered using digital processes.

What the article with which this topic was opened was reporting is research that shows that leadership qualities that are supported by followers differ in the "real world" from those that appear to work best in the "virtual" world.

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-09-12 17:11:04)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,428

Re: Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

Virtual like the internet...even a web site has many layers of command from web server ownership all the way to the very content that it can display...
As well as levels for what can be done by others on it....
Leadership has many attributes virtual or not that are balanced by a command level structure as to not have chaos....

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,825

Re: Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

SpaceNut,

Yes, leadership traits are also present within the lowest ranks the civilian and military workforce.  Good leaders learn to recognize and cultivate these traits within their subordinates to do jobs more effectively than they otherwise could.  Real discipline and devotion to duty are required, which is an expression of ethos.  Other people can use whatever terminology they find most pleasing to them, but it will never change the fundamental concepts that must be applied to this herculean effort.

tahanson43206,

What is a "digital human community"?

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,263

Re: Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

For kbd512 re #5 ... thanks for the feedback ... I went back to the opening post to try to clarify the text.

The article reports on research that appears to show there is a difference in qualities that allow for individuals to assume leadership roles, through approval of the follower community, depending upon whether the community exists in the "real world" or in a "virtual" one.

(th)

clark

Member

Registered: 2001-09-20

Posts: 6,374

Re: Leadership Qualities for a Virtual Environment

Why would someone follow you? Because they have to? Because they are expected to? That isn't management or leadership. Follow me because i say so. Follow me because you have to. Right? It's bullshit. You are allowed to ask why it is that you do what you do. You are allowed to ask why what you do is a better ROI. If you dont want to ask, cool, the alternative is simply WTF are we doing.

Mars is absence. Mars is the results of non commitment