Enhancing Digital Leadership for Managers in the Construction Industry

The digital transformation driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) has significantly altered the operational landscape of the construction industry. The integration of technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Internet of Things (IoT) has necessitated the emergence of a new leadership paradigm—digital leadership. However, the industry’s entrenched reliance on traditional methods, fragmented workflows, and low digital literacy have hindered the full-scale adoption of these advancements. Considering these challenges, this study aims to identify effective strategies for enhancing digital leadership skills among construction project managers. A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected via structured questionnaire survey distributed to 78 project managers across contractor and consultant organisations in Malaysia. Data were analysed through both descriptive statistics (mean & standard deviations) and inferential analysis (Kruskal–Wallis H test) to identify significant differences across respondent groups. The findings revealed five key strategic domains for enhancing digital leadership: (1) comprehensive training and development programmes, (2) implementation of digital tools and software, (3) strengthening networks and collaboration, (4) establishing policies and cybersecurity protocols, and (5) promoting exploitation and application of digital innovations. These strategies were widely acknowledged across respondents, indicating a shared understanding of digital leadership development needs. The study concludes that fostering digital leadership requires more than technical upskilling, it demands a cultural shift supported by structured initiatives and visionary leadership. As a way forward, construction organisations should institutionalise leadership development frameworks, encourage continuous digital literacy programmes, and align leadership strategies with national digitalisation goals. This will better equip project managers to lead in an increasingly digitised construction environment.