A Different Optic

I mentioned this Harvard Business Review article (in the January 2008 issue) during the Y-Talk Radio roundtable last night, and I think it’s worth a read — “Where Will We Find Tomorrow’s Leaders?  A Conversation with Linda A. Hill.”  Prof. Hill of Harvard Business School has been researching new forms of leadership, looking closely at emerging nations and “invisible” groups here at home to see what U.S. companies can learn from leadership models other than the standard Western styles of leading.  She has some fascinating observations for us, and she explores two ideas in depth in this conversation:  leading from behind, and leadership as collective genius.  It’s clear that these trends in leadership thinking apply directly to the kind of leadership that will appeal to Gen Y — they will naturally gravitate toward leaders who operate in these ways.  Also of interest is Prof. Hill’s contention that we should cast our nets more broadly when we search for emerging leaders to be developed; if we let people volunteer for leadership development experiences, we’ll expand the pool of potential leadership talent and capture a greater diversity of leadership styles — something else that appeals to Gen Y.

Carol Graser of NextGen Leadership Development, Bea Fields of Millennial Leaders, and I did a roundtable interview this evening on Y-Talk Radio.  Sara Thomas, a corporate communications specialist, moderated the dialogue and asked us some very insightful questions about what’s going to be different about developing the young leaders of Generation Y now entering the workforce.  What made the conversation especially lively was the interplay of generations around our own (virtual) roundtable — three Boomers from early, middle, and late stages of that generation, and Sara the Gen Xer — talking about the Gen Y people we have been getting to know in our research. 

You can listen to this fascinating conversation here, and please give us your thoughts and ideas by leaving a comment on the blog!

 

 YTalk Radio Show - Beth, Carol & Bea Feb. 13 '08: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Our research on how to develop the next great generation of leaders is just beginning, and already we’re hearing from our contacts about the genuine need for real insight and creative solutions to help Generation Y leaders grow.  Everyone I talk with has a story or concern, and most share my own view that this new crop of “millennial leaders” is going to face challenges unlike any we’ve seen before.  My partners in this exciting work Bea Fields, Carol Graser, and I will be interviewed together on Wednesday night, February 13, at 7:00pm on Y-Talk Radio about what we’re hearing and how we are framing our research.  We’re curious to hear what you have to say, too.  Tune in and listen live (note: you’ll need to register with BlogTalkRadio.com if you want to call in during the broadcast) or check back here later for the podcast of the complete one-hour interview.  Whichever you choose, you’re invited to join our conversation!