5 Ways to Lead the Next Generation and Avoid Becoming Obsolete
Somehow we’ve gotten a little confused about the essence of leadership. If you think it’s all about getting bigger, going higher, and commanding more respect and attention from others, you’ve missed the point.
Leadership is all about giving everything we’ve got to others. If we have knowledge, wisdom, and insight, we lead by giving it away. We grow by investing in others.
There is an entire generation of up-and-coming leaders who need elders. They need fathers, models, mentors, and friends. And leadership is, among many other things, the willingness to lead the next generation of leaders.
Becoming obsolete is easy. All you have to do is stay on the path of least resistance, pay the least cost, and think only about yourself and your own success.
To avoid becoming obsolete, try one of these tips for leading the next generation…
Grab Coffee
Can you lead from a distance? Sure. But if all you do is lead from a distance, you are severely limiting your opportunity to lead to your fullest potential.
And that’s why coffee is so important (and espresso is even better!). Keith Ferrazzi’s book, Never Eat Alone, makes a pretty excellent point. Every time you eat (or have coffee) alone, you’re missing out on one of the most opportune moments for mentoring.
Aside from those rare times when you really just need to work alone for a while, always ask yourself, who could do coffee with me?
Give Resources
A few years ago, a mentor of mine gave me a copy of Jeffrey Gitomer’s book, The Little Black Book of Connections. I’ve since given away a few dozen copies. I keep a few in my car for when I’m doing coffee with a young leader.
That book taught me a big lesson about leadership — that if you want to succeed, add value to people’s lives. And Jeffrey was saying it before it was so cool to say it.
When you come across a great book about leadership, buy an extra copy to give away. And when you use an app that makes you more productive, share about it on social media.
Gather a Group
