The Changing Face of Leadership

The Changing Face of Leadership by Ken Blanchard | Diversity Executive   Globalization and the increasingly international nature of business has changed the face of leadership. More and more people from different backgrounds, age groups and cultures are stepping into management positions than ever before.   Bringing people together from a wide variety of backgrounds creates tremendous opportunities for organizations, but also some challenges. Organizations can benefit from the new perspectives and possibilities that diversity brings if they are able to unite people with a common set of values and goals. If not, the result is misalignment and disorganized inefficiencies as people go off in every direction based on their own individual backgrounds.   For leaders looking to manage successfully in this new diverse workforce, the ability to balance different cultural perspectives within the context of a clear vision and a set of operating goals and initiatives is a key skill. This allows a leader to say, "I know that we are all coming into this with different values, experiences and expectations, but in this company, this is where we are headed, and this is what we are trying to accomplish."   The Power of Conversations   One of the best ways to get everyone on the same page is to increase the quality and quantity of conversations occurring between managers and their direct reports. The greater the amount of diversity there is in the workforce, the more managers have to communicate to make sure that each party's issues and concerns are on the table.   For example, a couple of years ago I wrote a book with Mark Muchnick titled "The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today." The book was based on research Muchnick conducted with workers in the "Y" or Millennial generation - people born in the 1980s and 1990s. This generational group is the largest to enter the workforce since the baby boomer generation, and they will play a key role in the changing nature of workplace dynamics. This generation identified three things that they want from a leader.   First, they want a higher level of integrity. While we have talked about the importance of integrity in organizations for many years, what's different is how this generation will respond to inconsistencies in the workforce. In the past, if leaders were inconsistent, employees would talk about it in the bathrooms and in the hallways, but that was usually as far as it went. The younger generation in the workforce today will confront leaders. For example, in our own company, we've had some new people actually go to the president of the company and essentially say, "Listen, I don't know what you think you are running here, but let me tell you what is going on in terms of what you say you stand for and what you are actually doing." People are much more direct, so integrity is important.   Second, the newer generation wants a partnership relationship. That doesn't mean they necessarily want to be in charge, or expect to be equal on the organizational chart, but they do want to be considered a partner. One of the things younger workers hate are words like "superior and subordinate" or "head of the department versus hired hands," language that used to be commonplace in organizations. Next-generation workers want to be considered a partner and appreciated for what they bring to the party.   The last thing the newer generation of workers wants is recognition. And what separated this generation from those previously is they place a special emphasis on being recognized as a total human being. In other words, they don't want to "leave their nerve endings at the door." They want their managers to know them as people and the issues they might be dealing with in and out of work. They do not want to be compartmentalized. This leads back to the importance of increasing communication. Leaders need to continuously communicate so that all employees feel cared for, understood and supported in their efforts to make a difference at work.   Bringing Out the Best in Everyone   One of my favorite sayings is, "No one of us is as smart as all of us." When you apply that thinking to the more diverse work environment of the future, you have a roadmap for success going forward. In the past, leaders often gathered people around them who thought the same way they did. I've always believed that if you have someone on your team who always agrees with you, one of you is redundant.   One of the great advantages in having a diverse population is that you can tackle a problem from a rich variety of viewpoints. But you have to encourage participation and really listen to what people have to say to make the most of that opportunity.   Today, we need more involvement instead of less involvement, but this doesn't mean leaders need to immobilize themselves by making sure everyone agrees. It's much more important that everyone be heard. The face of leadership is changing. The old ways of doing things are not necessarily the ways of leading in the future. By using the excitement, willingness and the capability of people from diverse backgrounds, leaders will find they are able to make a significant impact in their organizations, their communities and in all walks of life.     [About the Author: Ken Blanchard is the co-founder of The Ken Blanchard Companies and coauthor of The One Minute Manager.]