They Are Taking Their Leadership Skills to the Grave

The first time I spoke with Funbi (Not his real name), he was terribly disgruntled, he couldn’t understand why his CEO was so insensitive to his request to work from home permanently. After all, he was not a client-facing employee and all he needs to do his job is a laptop. In his remarks, “I have never understood the guy, he is so stiff and so rigid, and carries his old school mentality with pride, anyway, their time is almost over”.

Mr Obinna, an Executive Director in a leading financial service company couldn’t understand the craze about purpose, convenience, the clamour for wellbeing at work and why workplace engagement should go overboard to satisfy some entitled neophytes. In his words “you are paid to work, then work”. Mr Obinna said he has resolved to work with those he has been working with from way back, in his words “I understand those ones, these young ones are a mystery”.

“It is obvious that a divide is not listening, the general sense of reason is that they seem to know it all and are waiting for their shot at leadership – Microwave Leadership, while on the other end, the experienced ones are not willing to deal with the peculiarities of the diversity of the other generation, they have written them off” these sentiments were voiced by my friend, Yemi.

As it stands, millennials already are currently the largest segment in the workplace. Some report states that by 2030, 75 per cent of the global workforce is expected to be made up of millennials, although these numbers have been strongly debunked as GenZ will also be significantly active members of the workforce by 2030, therefore it will be impossible for millennials to constitute 75% of the workforce.

Pew Research Center

There is a need to expand the lens of diversity, understanding, empathy, consideration and tolerance in the workplace if we would have sustainable organisations because the cracks are already beginning to show. The ‘US” versus “Them” mentality is ridding off effective corporate governance and skills/competencies transfers.

Let’s answer these questions

• ????????How do we ensure smooth transitions of leadership and management?
• ????????How do we ensure the sustainability of our institutions?
• ????????Are the more experienced leaders willing to invest in training, mentoring and coaching the new leaders?
• ????????Are the quick ascends willing to listen and tap into the wisdom of the old?
• ????????Are the new leaders so stuck up on condemning the older folks and their “archaic” mentality so much that all that wisdom goes to the grave with them?

While leadership isn’t a function of age, it is rooted in the depth of experiences and the willingness and ability to become. True leadership is not a function of age, size, ethnicity, sex, religion.?

Beyond the entire hula hoopla, there is a need to come to a meeting point, appreciate the beauty of diversity in every form and expression, the experienced hands need to get immersed in their responsibility to invest in the leadership capital of new leaders, and the new leaders must be humble enough to glean in and drink from the well of wisdom of the more experienced leaders.

There is no perfection anywhere, there is a need, however, to strike a balance, and this balance is entrenched in emotional intelligence and social intelligence.

They say the graves are the richest place on earth, don’t let the graves be filled with managerial or leadership skills left untransferred.

For more leadership deveopment resources and interventions, visit www.relliesworks.com or email [email protected]