Every year sometime after Thanksgiving, my clothes shrink. My newest suit coat no longer buttons, and the pleats of the pants pull tight. This is confusing, because in my mind’s eye, I’m still the lean, mean, fighting machine who completed Army basic training in 1971. The truth is that my clothes are the same size, but the body the fabric must cover has grown and reshaped.
In business planning nowadays, business owners and entrepreneurs will discover a similar problem with fit. They must wear many hats in the operation of their organizations. What many individuals are discovering by is that their No. 1 hat, the helmet of leadership, is no longer comfortable.
This is especially alarming because leadership is the one hat that most owners pride themselves in wearing. They enjoy the role and recognize its importance. They’re stimulated by the process and the result. They believe this to be their greatest contribution to their company. Unfortunately, careful reflection in the mirror of the real world reveals that their traditional leadership style either no longer delivers results or doesn’t provide the confidence needed to venture boldly into the changing business environment. This confuses many leaders, because their substance and style haven’t changed. They have rigid attitudes, vision, aptitudes, and values that have been the foundation for the past success of their organization.
The truth is that their leadership style, like my post-Thanksgiving suit, must be altered to effectively cover a new body of followers!
The world is changing. Driven by technology, a global economy, and intense competition, standing still isn’t an option. Every organization will have to continually adapt to a changing and more demanding marketplace.
Traditional organizations will try to go it alone, using yesterday’s strategies to compete in tomorrow’s world. They’ll constantly fight for survival. On the other hand, successful organizations will innovate. They’ll mature and prosper with systems of interdependence and cooperation. The challenges will be great, the opportunities greater.
In times of change, uncertainty, and conquest, leadership is necessary. Henry Kissinger said that 'the task of the leader is to get people from where they are to where they have not been.' As we enter tomorrow, our major concern must be leadership. We need pioneers.
In 'Leadership Is an Art,' Max DePree says the first responsibility of a leader is 'to define reality.' As we discuss organizational leadership, it’s crucial that we first define the realities of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
According to 'The Leader of the Future,' 'the only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.' To establish leadership reality, we must discover who the followers will be and then define the competencies necessary to unify, direct, and inspire them.
Three generations now work together — the Silent Majority, the Baby Boomers, and Generation X. Today is a transition phase during which the reins of power and leadership are being transferred not from one individual to another but from one generation to another.
Leadership of business, government, industry, and society has for the most part been in the hands of the Silent Majority, an independent and hard-working group. They’re handing the reins to their children, the Baby Boomers, and charging them to protect and perpetuate the American Dream for all three generations. A more subtle but very important aspect of this charge is to prepare Generation X for leadership when their time comes.
For the Silent Majority, the Great Depression and World War II were formative experiences. They built structures and systems that assured security, and their leadership style was command and control.
The Baby Boom generation was defined by the war in Vietnam. Most experienced a life of abundance, with greater opportunities than their parents. They value the individual over the tradition and the institution. They’ve inherited a world of technology and information, and for them, knowledge will be more important than power and money.
Generation X is still wet cement. Their tradition, values, and leadership style are yet to be defined. Their focus has been on the individual — social and self-esteem opportunities prevail. Their generation hasn’t experienced a unifying event such as war. In general, their influences have been more personal and individual. They’ll learn that job security isn’t guaranteed. It’s being replaced by opportunity earned through skill and knowledge.
Their world will include risk and reward — individual challenges. The future leadership provided by the Baby Boomers will be the key factor in curing their foundation.
The core competencies of leadership, such as integrity, vision, energy, courage, passion, and perseverance, will still be needed. Success or failure will hinge on the application of these competencies. The successful leader of the future won’t command and control like the Silent Majority, but instead will earn the right to lead a more diverse, independent, and in-demand following.
To assure the right leadership fit for the future, you must determine:
- In what arena will you operate? (In the short to medium term, you’ll have a global arena.)
- Who are your internal and external customers?
- What are their expectations?
- What are the needed functions in your operation?
- What resources and skills are necessary?
- Who can unify the personnel? Who can create energy and top performance?
When you’ve answered these questions, assemble the staff you need, involve them in defining your vision, and commit the time and energies needed to determine how to realize it. Adjust your direction as needed. Encourage constant learning and improvement. Go for it!