It's not as awkward as you may think.
I have come to appreciate a coaching super power of mine. I am a tween in corporate America. I am neither a seasoned CEO nor a rising leader. I’m squarely in the middle. I’ve led organizations as a CFO and President and I’m young enough to remember the grind of climbing the ladder.
Currently, I spend half my time coaching CEO’s as a Vistage Chair and half training new managers in the LeadWell program.
And it’s really quite cool to hear both perspectives on effective leadership every day.
It allows me to share with people how their behaviors are received out in the wild. I can create closed loop feedback based on real experiences.
It sounds like: “most of the CEO’s I talk to just want to know that their leaders are thinking about the business the way they do.” It also sounds like “a surprising number of brand new managers say they would like to better understand their metrics and bonus structure to improve motivation.”
I’m riding a generational divide and hoping to spark conversations that create alignment and healthy cultures.
So this brings me to a question for all executive leaders. What are you doing to understand the needs and trends of the younger people in your company? How is your culture evolving to represent future leadership? Where are their rifts that you can’t quite resolve?
There are many ways to peek behind the curtain. My favorite is the simplest on paper but is actually the result of years of intentional leadership. When you have a culture rooted in trust and psychological safety, you can simply ask. You can hold 1:1 conversations that are meaningful. Curiosity leads to collaboration.
In larger organizations, it may be helpful to employ a consultant and use a data driven approach to better understand the employee experience. If you choose this path, please pair it with personal inquiry.
Whatever path you choose, I would strongly recommend that you prioritize this work in 2025. The expectations of leadership are changing. Curiosity allows you to thoughtfully adapt rather than find yourself a relic of the past.
May you live & LeadWell,
~E
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