Leadership Challenge

Gifts from Gen "Y" ...or "Why Not"

Recently I ran a pilot leadership program for the School of Government at the University of North Carolina. The group was made up of local public officials from all around the state. Titles ran the gamut: Town Planner, County Manager, Public Works Supervisor, Sr. Community Improvement Specialist, Director of Information Technology, etc..  The participants were as varied as the titles they held, a mix of gender, race and generation. At the beginning of the workshop as we introduced ourselves, one of the youngest members responded to the inquiry about why they were attending the class with "there are a lot of older people in my town who are getting ready to retire…or at least I hope they are." This raised an "ohhhhhhh!" response from the other participants and relentless teasing for the rest of the day. The issue of generational differences had entered the room with no chance of disappearing quietly. This same young woman approached me about her "Vision" assignment after class that day. She talked about her frustration with her town not being able to see beyond their current pains to a future that could be bright for the community. "Why can't we think about a beautification program even though we have areas of poverty? Why can't we dream of producing top notch students from our schools, even though we have problems with gangs?" she said. That was the heart of her vision. Now the task was to refine it and make it accessible.

The next day the participants presented their visions. My young friend delivered a simple, sincere presentation incorporating technologies that felt familiar to her. She had the room with her first "I say 'Why not?'". Being part of the older generation, I found myself thinking back to Robert Kennedy's inspirational speech when he asked "Some people see things as they are and ask why. I see things as they might be and ask 'Why not?'" I felt 20 again. Hopeful, inspired, energized.

The next day I checked in with the group and asked what had resonated for people from the previous days. Several participants, baby boomers I will add, said they had been touched and inspired by the young leaders words. Her authenticity and her enthusiasm had them reflecting on their own state of mind. They found themselves committing to a new level of openness and positive thinking. It had even moved one member to craft small rope knots, "Y-Knots" as a symbol of the vision of positive change she articulated for all of us.

Each of us is a unique leader. Our situation, race, gender, and absolutely our age all contribute to that special formula that drives our perspective, our vision. There is unique wisdom to be gathered from these perspectives if we can stay open to receiving it. As leaders, there is so much to be gained by cultivating an open mind/open heart culture that lets the generations learn from each other. There is so little to be lost and so much to be gained, so….Y Knot.
Posted by Beth High

Are you bothered by the Millennial sterotypes?

I have been bothered more and more lately by the gross generalizations many business leaders especially HR/TD/OD professionals are making about the Millennial generation.

If there is one thing that we know for sure, Millennials are more diverse than any other generation previous. I can accept that as a fair generalization.

As a result any attempt by our profession to fit the Millennials into a box should be disregarded as an exercise in futility.

I have yet to see anyone effectively articulate a decent description of the Millennials. 

Barry Posner presented some fascinating research recently at the 2008 Leadership Challenge Forum that essentially concluded that when it comes to work all generations want the same thing.

Most workers in their right mind want the same things...they want to come to work and contribute to something meaningful, be compensated fairly so they can pay the bills and enjoy life, enjoy the people they are working with, and be appreciated for their contributions at work.

This should not be considered rocket science.

The interesting thing about generational research is that it all focuses on the differences between generations rather than the similarities.

For every one difference one finds between  the generations their are two similarities.

The generational discussion is in my mind not much more than a office fad.

As Barry Posner said during his talk at The Leadership Challenge Forum 2008, "every generation has wondered and worried about whether or not the next generation will be ready and able to handle the demands, challenges, and opportunities they will be leaving behind."

Stop the fad at your desk.

The good news is that every generation will rise to the occasion.

Not to worry. When the opportunity presents itself ordinary people will step forward and rise to the challenge to become leaders. Regardless of the generation

A few months back I was talking to Carolyn Lawson, the Chief Information Officer for the California Public Utilities Commission, we were discussing the Millennials and stereotypes.

Carolyn's Key Point:

Millions of Millennials are now coming to work for you. Rather than spending your time trying to figure out why they are so different, spend time empowering them to utilize their many talents.

Your organization will live or die by it.

Daren Blonski, Sonoma Learning Systems

Eve Carson 1985-2008

Yesterday was a day of both celebration and sadness. Eve Carson, Student Body President at the University of North Carolina, was murdered Wednesday March 5th in what now appears to be a random act of violence. Carson was honored on Tuesday by over 10,000 members of the community in which she had established herself as an admired leader. Together the community honored her and celebrated her life and spirit and focused on the positive influence she had in her short lifetime.

When the story unfolded last week we had a wonderful discussion with our kids about guns, violence, celebrity, etc.. My daughter raised the question of how strongly the University reacted, closing down all activities the day after her murder. Her discomfort stemmed from the fact that we don't have the same strong reaction to equally senseless loss of life that pervades in our inner cities. Why don't we stop and honor the small child who is killed in a gang related shooting? Good point. Perhaps it is because Eve touched so many. Regardless of why the world seemed to stop for a time in Chapel Hill after her death, I believe it is a good thing. Anytime we stop and think, it's a good thing. We all agreed on that. But it did make me reflect on why the community had such an outpouring and I believe it comes back to her role as a leader.

From the stories that were shared, Eve was a presence on campus. She adored the university and they adored her. She never stopped thinking of both ways to enjoy it and improve it. Her enthusiasm was infectious and brought out the most positive, creative sides of the people with whom she interacted, and there were many. She repeatedly inspired shared vision, challenged the process, enabled others (very often her seniors) to act, and encouraged the heart; with her enthusiasm, her genuineness, and her simple humanity she modeled the way. She was a bright light.

It is this light and hope, this sense of what's possible, the energy this young leader provided that was mourned Tuesday along with the young woman. Something the community needed and wanted was taken away with Eve.

She leaves behind many friends, a beloved family, a grateful student body, and a world that will miss the difference her leadership could have made. She also leaves behind an example worth following, one of leading with joy, energy, commitment, and hope. That light will not dim and may light the way for another young leader to emerge. For that, Eve, thank you.
Posted by
Beth High

The Curse of Helicopter Parents on Leadership

There is a new generation coming to the workforce (those born between the ages of 1981 – 1998). Some call them Millennials, others call them Generation Y or GenNexters. Whatever you call us we are a new and distinctly different generation. Get ready because we are your next generation of leaders. One of the traits being stereotyped on us is that we are lacking the ability to connect the dots. When trying to achieve a simple task some of us need a little more guidance to complete the task. For some this is true. The root cause: over zealous parents, parents who do too much for their children. No doubt you only want the best for us, but you are over coddling us, negating our ability to connect the dots and to eventually become leaders. I recently heard an executive from a major U.S Insurance Company exclaim:

"The other day I told my daughter to take a bath so she went up stairs to take a bath. About ten minutes later I asked my husband if she had gotten in the bath, he said no she is just sitting in there. I asked my daughter why she did not get in the bath, she said to me ‘I got in the bath but you did not tell me to turn the water on.’ Baffled, I asked her to take a bath and turn the water on."

While this story certainly seems a bit exaggerated, it makes a good point. Those parenting our generation have gotten so over involved in our lives that they hinder our ability to connect the dots necessary to complete the simplest tasks. This inability will have wide sweeping negative effects on our ability to be leaders. A critical attribute a leader must have is the ability to see what needs to be done and connect the dots necessary to get the task done. In other words, to take the initiative.

Although it is critical that parents raise their children in such a way that they can develop the skills necessary to connect the dots, the responsibility does not rest on the parents. Those who have been cursed by a helicopter parent need to understand that they are ultimately responsible for their own life, and if they aspire to be a leader they will need to learn how to overcome the curse.

See the next post for overcoming the curse.

- Posted by Daren Blonski

Leading the Millenials

In a recent article in IndustryWeek Jim Kouzes was quoted as saying that "Collaboration is a social imperative – without it you can't get extraordinary things done in organizations." Not only is collaboration critical to successfully getting things done in organizations, but to the newest generation of workers, namely the Millenials (those born between the years of 1980 and 2000), collaboration is a breaking point. I am talking about the kind of collaboration where your voice is actually viewed as legit and is taken seriously as a viable perspective to contribute to the greater good. This doesn't mean that our opinions have to be agreed with, but it means that we have to feel listened too and that we are contributing to solving meaningful challenges.

Those of you who have had a Millennial in your office you know what I am talking about. We are the type who wants to share our opinion on everything, even when it is not wanted. This is because we grew up sharing our opinion and collaborating. For many of us we collaborated with our parents even about how they disciplined us when we did something wrong. Simply asking what we think will not work.

I was recently reflecting back on my experience in school and figured that by the time I got to college I had already been to at least five trainings and four week long camps where I either learned or taught skills like collaboration, communication, and team work. Nonetheless, my generation is coming to the workforce with a lot of unprecedented skills to share, the companies that will win our allegiance in the up-and-coming labor crunch (your aught to read up on this one) will be those who learn how to value what we have to say and help us contribute to the organization in a meaningful way.

Secondly, if you want the Millenials to come to work for you after college you will have to increase your M-Factor. What do I mean by the M-Factor? The M-Factor is the degree in which employees perceive the organization as contributing to a meaningful cause or the greater good in society. This Generation perhaps more then any other, because they were raised by parents who experience/lived the 70's have an innate desire to contribute to the greater good. As a result when organizations create a vision for their organization that includes influencing the world for the greater good their M-Factor will increase. In turn organizations will do much better in the recruiting arena if they wear their M-Factor on their shirt sleeve.

Now how does all this relate to leadership…many of the top organizations are run by a command and control bureaucratic structure. This type of organizational structure flies in the face of the way Millenials want to be engaged at work. Leaders who have a command and control organization realistically are not going to be able to change their organizational structure overnight, but in the mean time they can carve out a space within the organization where Millenials feel like they can contribute and collaborate for a greater good. Secondly, organizational leaders should take a look at the Ten Commitments correlating with each of The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. If leaders learn how to lead with The Five Practices, they will be a millennial ahead in engaging the future workforce. In their essence The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership speak vibrantly for the Millennial Generation and our approach to getting things done.

Posted by Daren Blonski

Generation Y our Leadership "Liberators?"

I have to begin by saying that I'm a Gen-Xer. At one time, that meant that I was a slacker, or a rebel of some sort. And, admittedly, I have rebelled at times against institutions such as "Corporate America," even though those institutions have provided me with tremendous opportunity and reward. Now being a Gen-Xer means I'm getting older and looking at the next generation with wonder (as has every generation before me).  What will become of the world with this so-called "generation me?"

Well, Julie Hanus has an idea. In the November-December issue of the Utne Reader, Julie's article "The Kid in the Corner Office" asks "Are Gen Y workers worth all of the coddling?" In the end, the answer may well be a resounding "Yes!" Julie contends that Gen Y is "a generation that wants to get feedback, have input, and engage in meaningful work. They want the companies to which they commit to be environmentally, socially and personally accountable."

I have to say I'm excited about this! A whole generation who is looking for LEADERSHIP in their institutions, and who want to be leaders. I believe they may just change those institutions that I and my fellow Gen-Xers rebelled against!

Posted by Renee Harness.