I was recently asked what I thought were the essential traits leaders should have in order to best lead the next generations. I was shocked to find that I didn't have a blog post about the topic.
Leaders who harness these 6 elements will experience A-game leadership that is sure to influence Millennials. Due to the length, I have split into 2 posts.
1) Agile
89% of Millennials prefer to choose when and where they work rather than being placed in a 9-to-5 position. The emerging generations have a knack for adaptability because they grew up (and are still growing up) in a turbulent and every changing high-tech culture. They expect and thrive in change. One of the most essential next generation leadership skills will be agility. Leaders who achieve agility in their thinking, skill development, and communication styles will thrive tomorrow.
Millennials are interested in reverse mentoring, flatter organizations, and flexible work schedules which all fly in the face of traditional work culture. It’ll take leadership agility to adapt to this new wave of work. Technology driven by Millennials will spur a shift to remote and project-based work. Agile leaders will find new ways to lead across generations, time-zones, and cyberspace to ensure they can move their organizations forward. The more agile your thinking becomes, the faster you can combat the never-before-seen obstacles of tomorrow
Just as athletes achieve physical agility through rigid daily routines, an internal commitment, and pushing themselves so must next generation leaders to achieve the same agility in their leadership. Establish routines that stretch you as a leader, make an internal commitment to embrace change, remain curious, and push yourself outside your established/legacy thinking.
Related Read: The #1 Leadership Skill Of Successful Next Generation Leaders
2) Authentic
Growing up bombarded by advertisements and breaking news of unethical leaders and athletes, Millennials have developed an acute sense for detecting unauthentic people and messages. In today’s digital age, Millennials value and practice transparency, and they demand that their leaders mirror that transparency.
Strong leaders find common ground and connect on a personal level with those they lead. That takes authenticity. It’s said we do business with those we know, like, and trust…it’s no different with those we choose to follow. It used to be the only way to build that same familiarity and trust was with a firm handshake, eye contact, and a sharp appearance. Now trust can be built online where many times Google is the first handshake.
In today’s hyper-transparent digital world, context rules. The social web allows for amplified storytelling of one’s personal brand which is an incredible asset for today’s leaders. Leaders can digitally share their knowledge to create credibility, share their story to create connection, and share their passions to create common ground. Next generation leaders will have to create authenticity to cultivate deeper connections online and offline.
Invest in your personal brand. Use the web (social media, a blog, or podcast) to establish yourself as a thought leader and share more of the real you. Video is also a powerful tool that allows others to really experience the real you. Allowing followers a peek behind the scenes fosters loyalty and trust. Authenticity earns authority…be authentic.
3) Assemble
Google became a global powerhouse and a staple of society for doing one thing well...curating information. Since it’s creation, the World Wide Web has been bursting at the seam with information, inundating any user that ventured onto it’s webpages. Google became massively relevant and useful when it curated and distilled the best information the web had to offer on a particular topic.
Just like Google, next generation leaders must become skilled curators. Curators of resources. Assembling resources such as relevant information, tools, and talent will be key to lead tomorrow. With today’s inundation of information and options, Millennials will look to leaders who can assemble the right resources to execute the job most effectively.
Have you assembled useful tools to allow for effective execution? Or the relevant information that empowers teams to make quick decisions? Or the right team members to compliment each other?
A big component of assembling resources is finding the right human capital. Assembling the right talent means identifying true strengths. It’s harder than ever before to be a “jack of all trades” in today’s ever-changing marketplace. At best a well rounded person can be good at many things but will be great at nothing. Laser sharp skills are significant. The best leaders aren’t well rounded but rather the teams they create are well rounded because each offers a complimentary sharpness. Assembling the right team is essential.
Related Read: 3 Ways To Strengthen Your Next Generation Leadership Bench
Stay tuned for Part 2 where I reveal the remaining 3 elements needed to lead the next generation.
Question: What other traits would aid next generation leaders?
