SAME YP Council Webinar: Developing the Next Generation to Fill the Leadership Gap

Late Gen Xers and Millennials (professionals 41 and under) are the next generation of leaders, also known as natives in the tech world, and have a digital competence that translates to agility, flexibility, and collaboration producing better results. Leaders may be holding on to behaviors that might have worked before, but now stifle the talents of their employees. Leaders must be empowered to change their ways of working to succeed in a new digital economy. Leaders must know their team’s strength and weaknesses and how to guide them to understand their full potential. This requires knowing when to provide recognition and the opportunities to excel as well as appropriate training, resources and mentoring as needed. Performance management and communication go hand in hand in helping your team to set necessary stretch goals and when to provide the appropriate positive reinforcement and corrective action. Even as leaders, we need to be able to identify the next great leader and how you can help them to grow in the skillsets and capabilities required to accomplish their own professional and personal goals. It is also key to understand how the individual’s qualities and values align with the company. Knowing what motivates your team ensures successful goal setting and career succession planning. Leaders must work with the individual to define their career path and create a realistic timeline to reach pre-determined milestones. People are our greatest asset which is why it is essential to know how to influence the five ‘Es of leadership’ to unlock your team’s greatest potential: Engage, Excite, Empower, Encourage and Empathize. Leaders should provide a vision, establish an effective organization structure and communication protocol, adopt an enhanced culture and more importantly inspire and motivate their team. Empower your team to create ownership and opportunities to shine. Empathetic leaders build trust with their teams and results in higher team performance and morale. Learn how next generation leaders are building confidence and results through inclusive leadership. Inclusion happens in the everyday and enhances team performance and productivity. Leadership is having the courage to challenge entrenched organizational attitudes and practices as well as courage in humility by acknowledging your personal limitations. As leaders, now more than ever, it is your duty to create and promote a comfortable and collaborative environment with shared goals and group identity, so team members are willing to share their own perspectives and value each other’s knowledge and capabilities.