IR 4.0 and leadership” by Juneid Kodabux

Leaders must master all the complexities of the Industrial Revolution 4.0

Juneid Kodabux is a barrister called to the Bar of Mauritius since 2009. He is the Head of Department of the African Guarantee Fund since January 2016. He was previously a senior associate in a top-tier law firm in Mauritius and has been involved in both the corporate and litigation fields. He has been actively involved in the global business sector in Mauritius and in relation to company secretarial duties. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from the University of Birmingham (UK) and also successfully completed the Bar Vocational Course at the College of Law (UK).

In January 2020, the chief executive of Google, Mr. Sundar Pichai, called for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to be regulated in an article in the Financial Times. He emphasized the requirement to have tailored rules in several areas of the new industrial revolution. We all recognize the tremendous potential of the new technologies as game-changers in many aspects of our daily lives. However, they also expose various challenges and dangers which shall not be undermined. Regulators around the world are today coming up with new laws and guidelines to regulate the use of AI and other new technologies as part of the IR 4.0. This is proving to be a very fine balancing exercise between ensuring that society benefits from the new technologies which are now fully embedded in our daily routine and the need to ensure that society is protected from the new dangers that these new technologies entail. There is also the need to make sure that the legislation does not kill innovation amongst the new tech entrepreneurs. The workplace is gradually transforming itself into a complex environment where all the players at the different levels from governance to operations have to ensure that they fully comply with all legislations relating to the new technologies. The leaders who will excel are those who are fully confident to cope with all the unknowns and ready to master all the complexities of the IR 4.0. They have to prepare themselves and their organisations and staff for the digital transformation that is currently sweeping across the globe. This involve investing in empowering their staff with more skills to give them a cutting edge when dealing with all the new technologies and may even lead to a re-training of their current workforce. The leaders must ensure that each and every one in their organization are aware of the legal implications of all the new technologies – how to ensure data is fully protected, how to protect oneself from any hacking or cyber-attack and even, the consequences of misusing company property online and in the technological field. IR 4.0 is bringing along a whole rethinking process. The excellent leader should not shy away from allowing his staff from using the new technologies to explore new ways of carrying out their duties and meeting their objectives. However, the key aspect is to ensure that any activities in the IR 4.0 field is carried out within the ambit of the regulations and legislations that are being put in place.