The Next Generation of Senior Living Leadership

Where will we find the next generation of senior living leadership, and what will they look like? Will they have transitioned from other fields, looking for a more meaningful career?? Will they be embarking on a second career after retirement? Will they be green from college or rise up from community staff? Most importantly, how will you know them when you meet them?

We sat down with Northbridge Companies Regional Vice President of Operations, Courtney Freeman , to learn a little bit about what the next generation of senior living leadership will look like and where we will be likely to find them, or in most cases, promote them from.

Hint – you’re probably working alongside them right now!

Courtney recently completed the Argentum Leadership Advancement & Development Program where she completed a Capstone project fittingly titled, “Finding and Investing in the Future of Senior Living.” As part of this program Courtney worked alongside a team to delve into this topic and explore why we have seen a labor shortage and solutions to attracting new talent to the senior living industry. The group also explored investing in those already committed to your company.

We asked Courtney to share her thoughts on where to find the next generation of leaders, what qualities they should have and what paths they should take in advancing their career.

Where will we find the next generation of senior living?

We are already working beside them in our communities, we just need to give them the opportunities to grow. Many of our associates come to us with a passion for doing the right thing for our seniors and that is something you cannot teach. We can however teach them the necessary skill to be the best in future leadership roles through mentoring, training programs, education opportunities and more.

We also need to be thinking creatively and connecting with the future of senior living before they start deciding on a career path. This means, partnering with high schools, trade schools and colleges to allow us the open the door to a career many might not know exists. Taking the time to speak with classes, schedule job fairs, and partner to create internship programs may lead the next generation of senior living into the workforce. It is also important to track your efforts to see how and where you were most successful for future planning.

What qualities do you think these leaders need to have to be successful?

Good leaders will often come from within your organization because they have firsthand experience when it comes to guiding their team. Creating lead positions and internal mentorship opportunities will allow for a culture of learning and growth that will not only attract new associates but retain the ones you already have.

Good leaders come in all shapes and sizes, but at the end of the day if you can be a leader that always maintains humility, integrity and grit you will go far.

What are the paths that someone can take to become a leader in Senior Living?

What we are seeing today in health care is there are more layers and opportunities for growth than there were ten, even five years ago. I would say that you should always be on the lookout for those opportunities and continue to find ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone in order to grow professionally. You never know which one of those opportunities will lead to a purposeful career. In addition, make sure you are also seated at a table surrounded by people that know more than you, so you are continually learning from all angles and opinions. Indulge yourself in the most up-to-date trainings.

If there is one thing that we learn from our residents, it’s that it’s never too late to try something new. It could be a creative hobby, a new recipe or even a new career. If you think that senior living may be an industry you would like to learn more about, we encourage you to reach out to our Northbridge Leadership team for unique insight and perspective on the industry. We encourage you to start by reading our other Ask the Expert articles featured on our LinkedIn page!