Director of HR at NCH, developing high-performing people, teams and organizations. Founder of LB Talent Solutions.
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It's incredible to imagine but there are now five generations in the workplace: Generation Z, millennials, Generation X, baby boomers and traditionalists. This is just one of the many ways that our workforce differs, in addition to race, ethnicity, gender identity and many more attributes. So, how is a leader supposed to deal with all of these differences? With great intention — that's how.
Gone are the days of one size fits all; gone are the days of best practice leadership styles; gone are the days of moving up the ranks just because you rock at your job; gone are the days of "fair is equal."
Traditionally, leaders worked their way up through the ranks. They were expected to put in their time before becoming leaders. Then, whether they were actually good leaders or not, they would be placed into leadership roles simply because they were good at their previous jobs and worked hard enough. They were taught best practices of being a leader — servant leadership, democratic leadership, visionary leadership and so on. They were told that if they treat everyone the same, they'd be just fine.
That does not work anymore, and everyone is not cut out for the job no matter how long they've been working at an organization. Great leaders cannot just stick to one leadership style, and they certainly should not wait until they gain decades of experience before stepping into their roles as leaders. That is just inefficient. Great leaders lead with intention, and if organizations have people who lead with intention, they should not miss the opportunity to promote, develop and maintain these great leaders.
Intentional leaders make every decision for a reason. They don't pretend to know it all, but rather build a team around them of people who complement them. They don't pretend to be colorblind, but rather recruit diverse talent and provide an environment for that talent to thrive. They don't pretend that their teams are void of any issues, but rather address problems immediately and provide candid feedback. They don't pretend that the best teams have zero conflict, but rather encourage healthy conflict and disagreements to better innovate and produce the best results.
Leading with intention means understanding that everyone is different, with different needs, desires, responses, expectations, preferences, motivations and stories. Then, it means purposefully customizing your leadership to these differences in order to engage each and every person on your team. It's about making each person feel like they belong and their differences are embraced, rather than seen as problematic. However, this does not mean that intentional leaders do not make tough decisions about their teams. In fact, they are the ones who are best equipped to do so.
Intentional leaders are self-aware and also aware of everyone else. They know their strengths and gaps and are clear on the strengths and gaps of each team member and the team as a whole. They understand that each person is in a different place, and they meet each person where they are and help them grow. They set high expectations, and they also push their teams to thrive beyond those expectations.
Intentional leaders do not take their positions for the money, the title or the scope of work. They do not do this work for the praise, the fame or the credit. They do it because they genuinely want to see people reach their greatest potential. They lead on purpose.
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