Three Compelling Questions for the 21st Century Leader
by John Miller
Executive Director, Institute for Optimal Leadership Presence

Reading time: 5 minutes

Suppose you learned that your team had begun asking these questions about you and your leadership (either out loud or in their minds):

⦁ Why should I recognize you as my leader?
⦁ Why should I believe you and believe in you as my leader?
⦁ Why should I have the confidence that you will lead our team in the best way forward?

Whether those questions would be asked openly or remain unspoken, I would argue that the answers that leaders give to those questions are crucial – for your employees, your organization, and your own future as a leader . In fact, these answers actually reveal quite a lot about your fundamental motivations and vision for yourself as a leader. One thing is certain: If your answer to those questions involves pointing employees to your position in the org chart, you probably need to do some serious reflecting on how authentic your leadership presence is with those folks. Such reasons are unlikely to impress higher-ups or earn the respect of your team in today’s workplace.

So, maybe we should step back and ask ourselves why employees should even ask themselves those questions. Why would they not consider it to be incumbent on them to accept a duly appointed leader of the organization as “their leader”? Why would they not trust their leader if that leader has not directly lied to them or committed some other kind of breach  of responsibility or duty? And why is it even a matter of discussion about employee confidence in direction? Shouldn’t they just follow a leader when given a directive?

The answers are both simple and profound. First, we know from the latest research that younger generations in the workforce are simply not that impressed with org charts or authority structures. One of the critical reasons is because, well… that’s the way that we have raised them. As parents and teachers, we have consistently preached to our kids about their rights, earnestly instructed them to “speak up” when they have an opinion or what they consider to be a better thought, urged them to think critically and not shy away from a debate. At work, we have validated time and again that those at the front line or in an individual contributor role are the ones that have the real knowledge of how the work gets done and therefore they should be the
ones who should be innovating and improving the way we do it. People in organizations today have heard all of that loud and clear…and now they believe it.

Additionally, many younger people in the workforce grew up watching their parents become victims of being over-worked, over-stressed, or overwhelmed by their bosses. They have seen the stress, the tension, the ungodly hours, and the physical and mental toll that such conditions have wreaked – and they have decided that they will not become victims of such behaviors.

For those reasons, and more, the younger generations at work will simply not “emotionally accept” leaders just because those leaders occupy a space on the org chart. If their direct manager doesn’t fit their idea of fairness, collaboration, and communication, it will affect their willingness to commit and engage in their work. These are the demands of the 21st-century workforce, and they look for these qualities in their leaders’ actions every day.

Perhaps 21st-century leaders could solve this problem by turning these employee questions around as a regular introspective exercise.
⦁ “Why should my team members accept me as their leader?”
⦁ “Why should they believe me and believe in me?”
⦁ “Why should they choose to follow me?”

The purpose of this introspection is not to doubt your legitimacy as a leader but to ensure you are meeting the needs and expectations of your team. Employees ask these questions because they have a need to know and understand, feel appreciated and valued, and have a clear vision for their work and team.

Today, employees want to be treated as full partners of the work, trusted and valued for their thoughts and ideas. And if their direct leader doesn’t provide this, they will resist, withdraw, shut down and quit. When this becomes a pattern, organizational leaders will begin to see the local leader as the problem and employees as the casualties – not the other way around.

So, to take this all one step further, when leaders ask themselves those three questions introspectively, what kinds of answers should they be expecting of themselves? It should probably go something like this:

⦁ Because I have demonstrated in words and actions that I care for and value every team member.
⦁ Because I work with my team to develop a vision that reflects our best work and accomplishments.
⦁ Because I have a respectful coaching relationship with each team member and care passionately about their growth and development.
⦁ Because I advocate for them within the organization, ensuring they have the resources they need and championing their talents, skills, and abilities.

I believe those are the right answers to the three compelling questions of this discussion. What do you think?