With Baby Boomers looking towards retirement, and Gen Xers marking their territory in leadership today, the question arises: who are the leaders of tomorrow, and how might we contribute to their ability to lead well? Top-down leadership, although still maintaining a strong presence, is antiquated, destined to make an exit in due time. This hierarchical approach is considered to “diminish people’s intelligence” according to Liz Wiseman, president of The Wiseman Group and author ofMultipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. We cannot expect this obsolete leadership strategy to reap the same results from today’s independent-minded Millennials as it has from Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Leadership is taking on a new personality, and the workforce is beginning to expect leaders to work withthem, not over them.  Leadership is no longer characterized by being the smartest person in the room, or the person most willing to play hardball. Today’s effective leaders are those that have the charisma and know-how to draw out the valuable talent of those around them. These leaders connect, respect, trust, let go, praise, challenge, and inspire. They believe that others are intelligent and capable. If society is beginning to expect leaders who can effectively access and revitalize the talent of the people around them, then it is fitting to consider how we might create leadership development programs that will promote and nurture these traits. 

5 Tips for Considering Shifting Expectations in Leadership Development:

  1. Consider their audience. When designing a leadership development program, it is important to not only consider the participants, but to contemplate the future audience of these up-and-coming leaders. It is imperative to understand the dynamics of the rising workforce and the type of leadership to which they will respond well. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t want to teach someone to ride an elephant and then put them on a bull.                                                                                                                
  2. Model the phenomenon. What is the most effective tool for coaching future leaders to create environments and build working relationships that leverage the capabilities of those around them? To experience this phenomenon themselves. As their own talent is unearthed and leveraged, they will recognize the power of being well led. Experiential learning, combined with healthy reflection, will provide future leaders with meaningful tools that will not be easily forgotten.  To read more about effective leadership strategies according to Liz Wiseman, click here.                                                                                                                                              
  3. Promote connectivity and altruism. With ubiquitous access to information and people, the days of cliques and hoarding resources for personal gain are behind us. Likewise, the ability to build meaningful connections and offer resources for the benefit of others is becoming increasingly valuable. “Sharing” is no longer a term used only in the preschool classroom, and tomorrow’s leaders must be taught to be relational and generous in their approach to leadership.                                                                     
  4. Inspire a facilitator’s mentality. High-potential leaders are often really good at what they do. Likely to have a strong personality, they may also be articulate and opinionated, with a propensity to over-work and underutilize those they lead. In order to transform these overpowering leaders into leaders who can access and revitalize the talent of those around them, they must learn to think like a facilitator. The facilitator’s job, as suggested by Sam Kaner, in his book Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making (2007), is tosupport everyone to do their best thinking and practice by encouraging full participation, promoting mutual understanding and cultivating shared responsibility.                                                                                                        
  5. Recognize.Equip.Practice. Altruism, making connections, sharing, trusting others, praising people for their work, and creating a stimulating working environment, are often challenging skills to master. Proficiencies that are not woven into the fabric of the future leader’s personality will require special attention and frequent reinforcement in a diverse set of environments. Leadership development programs must teach future leaders to recognize these vulnerable competencies, equip them with strategies for exercising those skills in their daily lives, and provide immediate opportunities for practice.

As we consider our approach to developing future leaders, we must contemplate what is now expected from leaders. The paradigm shift from vertical to horizontal leadership reminds us that leadership is not really about getting people to follow, but about getting things done. Developing future leaders who have the charisma to generate movement around a common goal, and to tap into the talent of those involved, is our golden ticket to getting things done!