By 2020, Millennials will make up 50% of the employees in the United States. And it’s not just business as usual. Cone Communications found that 89% of Millennials want to provide feedback, ideas and solutions to improve their company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR). Whatever their job description says, they want to be involved. And they’re expecting employers to lead the way.
But making space for these ideas and ensuring that those voices are heard requires work. Leaders can’t sit in their corner office behind a closed door and hope everyone will just get along. We came up with four strategies to leverage your influence as a leader.
Embrace authenticity and transparency
Employees want authentic leaders. They expect to deal with real people who have real feelings. By admitting and acknowledging that managing diverse teams can be messy and hard, you, as a leader, are showing your own authenticity. Embracing transparency includes talking to your team about promotions, initiatives and policies that could affect them on any level.
The book, Primal Leadership — Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence — helped promote emotional intelligence in the business world — and made it an important skill for leaders. The books’ authors began by writing, “Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion and inspire the best in us. When we try to explain why they are so effective, we speak of strategy, vision, or powerful ideas. But the reality is much more primal: Great leadership works through the emotions.”
By being transparent and authentic, your emotion comes through and allows employees to feel empowered and inspired. They feel seen, heard and important. They feel part of the organization in a critical way.
Communicate your communication preferences
Teach your employees how to communicate with you and report to you. Harvard Business School professor Michael Watkins talks about this in his book, The First 90 Days. Learning your employees’ communication preferences can enhance your working relationship. Watkins recommends having these important conversations at the beginning of every new work relationship. He recommends asking questions like:
-What form of communication do you prefer (face-to-face, email, phone)
-How often should I communicate information or updates?
-What kinds of decisions can I make myself and when should I loop you in?
Multigenerational workplace expert Linday Pollak echoes this. She encourages leaders to simply ask their employees questions.
-How often do you like feedback?
-What can I do to help further your professional goals?
-If you were given a reward, would you prefer a day off, cash, massage, etc.?
Consistently do the right thing
In a recent interview about sports and leadership, Tom Higgins, CEO of the Canadian Football Academy and former coach in the Canadian Football League, said that the most important aspect of being a leader is doing the right thing on a consistent basis. “By doing the right thing consistently, you’re building trust. Without this one ingredient, you’re doomed to fail.”
The late Warren Bennis, a pioneer of leadership studies, author and consultant, echoed this approach. In his book, On Becoming a Leader, he wrote, “There are four ingredients leaders have to do to generate and sustain trust: constancy, congruity, reliability and integrity.”
Empower a growth mindset over fixed mindset
Dr. Carol Dweck, college professor and best-selling author, says two mindsets play an important role in all aspects of a person’s life: growth mindset and fixed mindset. She argues those with a fixed mindset believe that everyone is born with a certain amount of talents and skills and their level of achievement is finite. But, those with a growth mindset believe the world is infinite and people are able to continually improve their skillsets. Dr. Dweck says that having a growth mindset will lead to a less stressful and more successful life.
“The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even, or especially, when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset,” Dr. Dweck says. “This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”
As a leader in the workplace, there are subtle ways to nudge employees toward a growth mindset. Those include avoiding competition against employees, rewarding teamwork, and promoting growth and learning over speed.