Bridging the Digital Skills Gap: Positive Leadership in the Aerospace Industry 4.0

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how employees and leaders in a major aerospace manufacturing organization experience digital transformation in the context of Industry 4.0. As emerging technologies reshape manufacturing processes, organizations face a growing digital skills gap, particularly across a multigenerational workforce. This research focuses on how generational differences influence digital adaptation and how leadership approaches either support or hinder that process. Guided by the diffusion of innovations theory, the study involved semistructured interviews with 15 participants from four generational cohorts, representing IT, engineering, manufacturing, and operations roles. Findings reveal that trust, leadership style, and tailored training significantly shape how individuals engage with digital change. Participants emphasized the importance of flexible learning formats; reverse mentoring; and leadership styles rooted in empathy, communication, and long-term support. The results underscore that digital transformation is not solely a technological challenge but also a human one. Leadership that fosters psychological safety, ongoing learning, and inclusion plays a critical role in workforce readiness. These insights offer practical strategies for addressing the digital skills gap and building adaptable, future-focused teams in the aerospace sector and beyond