Why the landscape of leadership is changing
The landscape of leadership is changing. With less than one in four workers thinking that CEOs exhibit ethical behaviors, and 82% saying they don’t put faith in their boss to tell the truth, trust seems to be in short supply. [1] [2] It can even impact people’s day-to-day work life — with three-quarters of workers in the US saying that dealing with their boss is the most difficult part of their job. [3]
Gen Yers are looking for an alternative to the traditional ‘alpha’ bosses, who place achievement above all else. Instead, they are demanding leaders that exhibit better soft skills, such as empathy and emotional intelligence. There is also a desire for a more collaborative relationship between bosses and employees — almost eight in 10 Gen Yers would like their boss to serve more as a mentor. [3]
Workplace and Canvas8 sat down with Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of the Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, to find out what Gen Yers want from a boss and how the landscape of leadership is changing. The Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to executive education, research and advisory in the fields of leadership and corporate governance. In addition to being the CEO of this company, Rajeev is the author of Open Source Leadership and Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders.
1. What do Gen Yers want from their bosses?
Gen Yers value meaning more than money at work. Economic factors such as the post-depression landscape meant that financial freedom and success were the main career goals of Baby Boomers. But Gen Yers are more focused on opportunities to make a difference and the experiences they have doing it. This cohort is creative, flexible and doesn’t like to be boxed in by too many rules and policies in the workplace. This means they want bosses who respect and listen to them, rather than talk at them. They want bosses to treat them as equals and to give them the autonomy to make their own choices.
“Gen Yers value meaning more than money at work.”
2. How is the landscape of leadership changing?
In the past, business leadership was about establishing control. Management was driven by objectives, and policies and procedures focused on control. But Gen Yers are used to having a voice — through social media and the climate they grew up in — which means they are looking for more freedom at work. These attitudes are also driven by the rise of freelancing. By some estimates, almost 40% of the US workforce is already self-employed; something that gives people the freedom to decide when they want to work and how. [4] This, in turn, is changing the expectations of full-time employees — they expect bosses to give them the same sense of freedom.
“Gen Yers are used to having a voice — through social media and the climate they grew up in — which means they are looking for more freedom at work.”
3. What are the benefits of New Alpha leadership strategies?
Research shows that trust begets trust. When leaders show that they trust their employees and give them more freedom, the majority of people will respond with responsible behavior. At the Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, we talk about leadership energy, which is the combination of clarity of values and purpose. And this is something that people will follow and want to be a part of. They’re more interested in following a leader’s purpose and values, than his/her authority or title. Creating a culture of trust and freedom also benefits those in leadership positions, as it encourages ownership, accountability and collaboration among employees, thereby reducing the need to ‘manage’ closely.
“Creating a culture of trust and freedom also benefits those in leadership positions, as it encourages ownership, accountability and collaboration among employees, thereby reducing the need to ‘manage’ closely.”
4. How can businesses break down outdated stereotypes of leadership to help rebuild trust among their workforce?
Leadership is a verb, not an adjective. So leaders need to do leadership. That means, they need to ‘walk the talk’ by displaying and living the values of the company themselves. Culture is what your people are doing when no one is looking. Writing corporate values on posters in the hallways doesn’t prove anything — leaders have to live and breathe them. Only then will all others do the same. Technology has created greater transparency and those who don’t appear committed will be called out by vocal Gen Yers.
“Leaders need to do leadership. That means, they need to ‘walk the talk’ by displaying and living the values of the company themselves.”
5. Keeping in mind Gen Y and Z’s attitudes towards leadership, what does the future of the workplace look like?
In the future, workplace leadership will be focused on flexibility and trust. To achieve this, hierarchical structures and control-based structures will have to come down. For example, instead of a rigidly structured time-bound nine-to-five, people will be trusted to work the hours that suit them. More importance will also be put on the freedom to try new things to grow as an employee. When Gen Yers take on senior positions, they will exhibit these values in their leadership — focusing on flexibility, with engagement based on values and purpose rather than on authority and money.
“When Gen Yers take on senior positions, they will exhibit these values in their leadership — focusing on flexibility, with engagement based on values and purpose rather than on authority and money.”
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Canvas8 is the leading consumer behavioral insight specialist. Masterfully combining research, trends and strategy, Canvas8 deliver the inside scoop to businesses about what consumers really want.
Sources
1. ‘2016 Edelman TRUST BAROMETER’, Edelman (2016)
2. ’82 Percent Of People Don’t Trust The Boss To Tell The Truth’, Forbes (January, 2013)
3. ‘Stress is killing you’, Hogan (August, 2012)
4. ‘Freelancers predicted to become the U.S. workforce majority within a decade, with nearly 50% of millennial workers already freelancing, annual “Freelancing in America” study finds’, Upwork (October, 2017)
