Leadership Mindsets to Engage the Next Gen

Engaging multiple generations in any context can be challenging, but within established teams and organizations there can be unique barriers to effectively adapting to new expectations and needs. In these contexts, leaders need to be aware of their own mindsets toward younger employees, team members, and clients. It is also important to consider what assumptions we might be making that could result in confusion for those we are hoping to engage and equip. Steve Moore, President of Growing Leaders once said, “When institutional activities last more than one generation of leadership, the assumptions behind those activities become invisible to the current membership.” What is considered “self-evident” to most senior leaders may not be apparent to many new employees or participants. In this month's episode of The Leading Tomorrow Podcast, I talked with Doug Harrison, Director of Strategy and Innovation at Mission Aviation Fellowship. We identified several key mindsets and action steps critical for leaders and organizations in effectively engaging the next generation. These include the following: ​

1. Develop empathy. Seek to understand the perspectives and experiences that inform the values and views of younger generations. 
2. Lean into the future. If we are not excited about the future, we need to examine our own mindset about changes that are occurring and consider how to lean into the opportunities that exist for our teams, organizations, and the next generation.
3. Hold organizational structures with an open hand. Current generational, technological, and cultural trends consistently require teams and organizations to change and adapt. As leaders, we must be willing to reexamine our structures and strategies. 
4. Give the next gen a voice. Teams and organizations need innovative ideas, new perspectives, and disruptive insights to help us navigate today's complex world. Younger generations can bring those much needed questions and thoughts to generate creativity and innovation. Find ways to advocate for and engage the voice of younger people around you. 

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