Lesson 6: Seniority is not Leadership

2024 is a transitional year for global leadership. With around half the world population voting on their elected officials, the topic of "leadership" seems more relevant this year than it has in a long time. But while that is all happening, let's talk about young people!

As our political landscape changes, our offices are also experiencing an interesting transition: more and more young people are taking on senior roles. Seriously, virtually everyone is a manager now. When did you last meet someone who doesn’t have “manager” in their title description? Who are we all managing? Where are you, The Managed? Are you out there? If you read this, please reach out… We haven’t heard from you in so long and we are WORRIED!

Jokes aside, this generational switch can spell danger or opportunity, depending on how it is handled. The key is intergenerational knowledge transfer and how it is made possible within our companies and communities. While not the only lever, an important aspect is how young people will grow into their senior roles and develop beyond them into capable leaders who can take on the mantle of their older counterparts. So to provide a few guidelines for our future leaders, we have today’s lesson. Lesson 6: Seniority is NOT leadership.

Leadership is a matter of character

Seniority will come with tenure. The more you stay with a company, the more likely you are to get promoted to a senior position. But calling those roles “leadership positions” just rubs me the wrong way. It implies that seniority IS leadership, which it simply is not.

Leadership is not a matter of tenure. That is experience, which, while important, is different from leadership. Leadership comes from one’s character, i.e. HOW you do something, not for how long.

Leadership is not a matter of role. Roles are a matter of company structure, which varies depending on aspects such as hierarchy. These are extrinsic factors, while leadership is intrinsic. It is based on the company’s culture and its impact on individual employee behavior and expectations.

Leadership is not guaranteed by seniority. The youngest of your colleagues can show leadership skills by, for example, being accountable and reliable. There is no age limit when it comes to being a leader, nor is there a specific position after which one is allowed to be a leader. Instead, one should aim to be a leader every day, regardless of role.

Leadership is a matter of HOW you do things, not of HOW LONG

You can have workshops about what it means to be a leader, but those are meant for you to understand leadership styles more than anything. The steps you take after the workshop to become a leader are up to you. A good place to start with, in my opinion, are these three simple things:

Be reliable: If a meeting starts at 09:00, be there at 08:55. Have your word be your bond. Once you promise something, stick to it. This is not to be confused with being predictable, which is doing as is expected in every scenario. Being reliable means doing as you said you would do and following through until the end. It helps build trust among your peers and your employees, a foundational aspect of leadership. Make sure that your commitments are fulfilled, and you will see how your teams will also deliver to you against their promises in return.

Be a role model: Do you want people to have their cameras on during Zoom calls? Then you better have your camera on the whole time. Do you want your junior employees to perform to the company’s expectations? Then make yourself available to answer their questions, offer support when needed, and provide constructive feedback. Leaders set examples for their teams. Make sure you set the tone and the rest will follow.

Be open-minded: A leader understands that many roads may lead to the same destination. Do not dismiss suggestions out of hand. Instead, consider them and, importantly, consider the people behind them. Progress is often hidden in uncertainty and innovation rarely isn’t based on what initially seemed farfetched and unfeasible. But if you want to lead your team, then listen to them. Offer space for ideas, time for complaints, opportunities for discovery, and a path to decision-making. Always remember that, at the end of the day, a leader’s priorities are: listen, act, and then talk.

Leadership is a matter of company culture, not of company structure

Whether you are called a manager, a VP, a Director, or a "Head Of", it is frankly a matter of your company’s structure. One company’s associate is another company’s analyst and so on… The level of seniority of your role is just that: a rung on the company ladder. Some companies are flatter, as they have fewer seniority levels, while others are more vertical, with many positions to fill in the hierarchy. Neither is better nor worse, it just depends on the company, their market, their operations, and so on.

Leadership is based on the culture of your company. Because the values of your company will be reflected in the values of your employees, your managers, and, indeed, your leadership. So if your company values innovation, your leadership style should also promote independent thought, be open to mistakes, and encourage providing constructive feedback. If your company values performance, then your leadership style should also reflect a sterner attitude, backed by strong mentorship and role-modeling from experienced employees.

What cannot happen is for leadership to go against the company’s culture. If you are an industrial manufacturer of NASA shuttle parts, your company stands for precision and excellence. A leader telling their team to experiment and follow their hunches toward discoveries is how rocket ships end up on the news… in a bad way.

Seniority is a matter of responsibility; leadership is a matter of holding yourself accountable

As you grow in your role, you gather more responsibility. That is more or less a given. Your role changes and with it also the things you are expected to do. Those are your RESPONSIBILITIES. They are guaranteed. The things you hold yourself accountable for, though… here it gets a bit trickier.

You are responsible for leading a team. But you should hold yourself accountable for HOW you lead it. If your juniors are struggling, while that is not a direct responsibility of yours to help them improve, as a leader you should hold yourself accountable for helping them improve. It is a personal choice and one each individual needs to make if they are to become better leaders.

Companies may include certain incentives to promote better leadership. They are an attempt to standardize and report on a senior’s progress toward becoming a better leader. But they are in the end unable to delve into the depths of leadership. Yes, you met your mentee three times this quarter. But what did you talk about? Did the mentees get what they wanted from those calls? Or were they just coffee chats? That is where holding yourself accountable comes in. And while your company can make you responsible for your senior targets, you alone can hold yourself accountable for your own leadership.

Seniority is common; leadership is individual

Remember that seniority is something the majority of people in a corporate environment will eventually experience, while leadership is something we each must develop and experience for ourselves. Your leadership style is going to be unique and fit you and your environment. It may even change over time or as you change teams, companies, countries etc. It reflects your values and those of the environment you are in.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, develop, and be yourself as you grow as a leader. Just remember to do so despite whatever your seniority is. Anyone can be a leader; all you have to do is find out what kind you want to be.