True or false: different
generations need different kinds of leaders. Conventional wisdom says older
generations want a command-and-control type of leader and that younger generations
want leaders who include them in the making of every decision. But research
from CCL says that effective leadership is less about style and more about substance.
« People of all generations
want leaders who are credible and trustworthy, above all else, » says CCL’s Jennifer
Deal. « The way leaders demonstrate this will differ according to personality
and situation, but there are no strong preferences for one ‘type’ of leadership
by any generation. »
Before beginning the research
study, Deal, along with other CCL faculty, heard from client organizations that
there seemed to be a major disconnect among the generations’ expectations of
leadership. « Sometimes the failure of a leader is attributed to her not having
the leadership attributes that one generation — or another — thinks
are most necessary to be a good leader, » says Deal. « Others, people say, fail
because they cannot connect with a particular generation of employees. »
« We wanted to see how the
different generations viewed effective leadership so that we could help clients
better develop needed capabilities, » Deal explains. « But rather than confirming
the assumptions that we’d been hearing, the research found generations in agreement
on the essential attributes they want to see in their leaders. »
The study created a process
for people to rank the leadership attributes they thought were most important.
Credible, trusted, listens well, farsighted and encouraging were chosen in their
top ten by more than 50 percent of the people surveyed and by all generations.
Other attributes that appeared in the top ten most often were dependable, focused,
a good coach, dedicated and experienced.
So why the perception that
different generations expect different things from their leaders? « Lack of confidence
in leaders isn’t about a generational disagreement; it is about what leaders
do and say, » says Deal. « In other words, a leader’s behaviors may signal different
things to different people. »
While you won’t know exactly
how every word and action is interpreted by the people around you, now you know
that everyone wants leaders to be credible and trustworthy. With this common
ground to guide you, you can find ways to build trust and credibility into your
own behavior and encourage it in the people you lead.
A Few Fine Points
You don’t have to radically
change your leadership style for every generation you encounter. As long as
you are credible, are farsighted with regard to the business, listen well
to the people around you, generate trust and encourage your employees, you’ll
do fine with people of all generations.
That said, a couple of
fine points are also worth considering:
- It is a good idea to
make sure younger employees feel listened to. They want to be heard and
are likely to feel that they aren’t. - When working with older
employees, it is a good idea to emphasize your experience. They understand
and appreciate the experience people bring to the table and expect you to
appreciate theirs.
This article is adapted
from a new CCL publication: Retiring
the Generation Gap: How Employees Young and Old Can Find Common Ground
by Jennifer J. Deal (Jossey-Bass/CCL, 2006).
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