The Future of Leadership Development: Threat or Opportunity?

Senior leaders are becoming a scarce and precious asset. With 10,000 Baby Boomers hitting retirement age each day companies are facing a gap in leadership. Are you shifting your leadership model to meet the requirements of the next generation of leaders? Are you investing to prepare younger talent to take on the highest leadership levels? If not, you risk being left behind.

• The Threat: Change is Inevitable

Millennials are different. No doubt about it. They have a different outlook on life than earlier generations. Born between 1981 and 1996 and estimated to make up more than a third of the workforce in America, their influence is strong. Like it or not, they are changing our global workplace.

For some, this could be threat. If you’re used to doing things a certain way for years, and it worked, why change? Most people don’t like change.

The truth is everything changes. Nothing stays the same in this universe. Even if you’re sitting still in your office chair and think nothing is moving, you’re moving at about 107,000 km/hr (about 66,500 miles/hr). As this is the speed the Earth circles around the Sun. Plus our Solar System is rotating around the Milky Way galaxy at about 700,000 per hour.

Change is inevitable. The question is, will you allow change to become a threat? Or will you be proactive approach and take advantage of change to create new opportunities for growth and improvement?

• The Opportunity: A New Paradigm

Millennials are innovative, highly educated and tech-savvy. They want flexibility to create life on their own terms. To them their job is more than a paycheck: They want to make a meaningful contribution to a purpose that is bigger than money. At the same time, they want to improve and develop their strengths.[1]

Just imagine what a great company you’ll have when people are driven by purpose and are eager to improve. Millennials want to maximize their potential, which is why they prefer a coach who helps them to perform at their best instead of a boss telling them what to do. This paradigm shift opens the door for growth at a whole new level.

What if you would work with you to develop the leadership skills to empower every employee, millennial or not, to be the best they can be? What if we would help you create a high-performance company culture where employees are committed to bring results instead of being disengaged and hunt for other opportunities elsewhere? We’ve done it successfully – and we can do it for you too!

Providing effective leadership programs and creating a high-performance company culture are critical to drive your business strategies forward and position your organization for future success. Where to start?

[1] Research report “How Millennials Want to Work and Live” by Gallup

Here are 3 effective ways to create a high-performance culture:

1. Define Your Company’s Purpose

For baby boomers the mission of a job was to provide for our families. Whereas millennials want the company they work for to have a mission and purpose beyond making profit. To them a job is no longer “just a job.” Money is very low on the motivation scale, which is why there is little engagement if the only reason someone shows up for work is his paycheck. Without a meaningful purpose there is a lack in engagement and high turnover.

We all have the desire to help and make a difference, which is why a meaningful purpose ignites action. Their job becomes a vehicle for contribution to a better community, a better world, a cause more meaningful than just money.

2. Offer Leadership Training

Nothing stays the same in this universe – just like a plant is either growing or dying, a person is improving or getting worse. Millennials are driven by development. By providing leadership training and coaching, you raise your team up to become the best version of themselves – more competent, skilled, and confident. Help them improve their leadership skills, performance, and productivity: They will be better employees and your company will prosper.

A culture which rewards improvement and production, attracts and keeps –those who are driven and motivated, to bring results. They will be encouraged to apply their strengths and skills to make the company succeed and become a very valuable asset to your organization. Plus, there is no need for ‘job shopping’ if someone is happy and afforded the potential for career growth in his current position. Thus, increasing retention.

3. Validate Improvements

As a baby we learned to walk with praise and encouragement – not by someone yelling at us when we’d fall or pointing out our mistakes. We were cheered on and validated for every improvement we made. It’s how we learn best. Yet, as we grow older, the focus is shifted. People are quick to point out mistakes instead of seeing the good intention and validating the positive results. Keep in mind, you fix a machine by finding what is wrong. You “fix” a person by finding what he’s doing right.

Millennials want to be valued for their contribution to the company. Be generous with praise and encouragement. The best leaders are great cheerleaders as they infuse confidence. Stay away from trying to correct wrong behavior or giving ‘positive criticism.’ Instead, validate improvements by acknowledging every betterment you observe. Focus on strengths and you’ll bring the best out of employees. The results: Their productivity, confidence, and willingness surge exponentially.

With a looming global recession, slower economic growth and a changing world scene attracting and grooming the next generation of leaders is more important than ever. With the right leadership training young high-potential employees (between 21 and 38 years) will also be a tremendous asset to your company.

Email us at Friends@LeadershipMasteryInt.com to find out more about our “new millennial” leadership training. Equip your leadership team to create a high-performance company culture where young leaders are groomed, employees are motivated, and profits can soar. It’s a win/win for everyone involved. Happy productive employees make happy clients and profitable businesses.