Whether you’re a new leader or an experienced
one, there’s always more to learn. This is especially true if you don’t get
formal leadership training — which most leaders don’t.
In one study, almost half of leaders with 10 or more years
of management experience said they’d had nine total hours of training, and 43%
of new managers with less than a year of experience had no training at all.
As a leader, it’s important to understand that
many times, overcoming key challenges in your leadership style is up to you.
The good news is that there are many ways to identify and address challenges as
you move toward leadership excellence.
Here are some key challenges to watch for and
how to overcome them.
Identifying Your Natural Tendencies
Everyone has a default way of responding to
situations. For example, some people respond to stress with confidence and even
aggression, while others think things through before acting, and others freeze
and struggle to manage their emotions.
Interestingly, your genetics may have a lot to
do with your default reactions. Studies have found that hereditary traits can impact everything from
aggression and anxiety to risk tolerance. Knowing your natural tendencies in
different work situations allows you to know where you’re starting and what
changes you might want to make.
Of course, you’re not stuck with what you
inherited — you can always work on your default behaviors to improve your
responses. However, it takes intentionality and practice, so be patient with
yourself. Overcoming these built-in reactions is challenging!
Balancing Confidence and Humility
Many leaders understand the importance of
seeming confident — it inspires confidence in their teams. However, too much
confidence without humility can turn people off. You don’t want to come off as
an arrogant leader.
How can you balance confidence with humility?
Start by understanding your strengths but also your weaknesses. It’s important
to know your limits and surround yourself with people who are strong in the
areas where you are lacking. People will trust you more when you’re honest
about what you can do and what other people are better suited for.
In recent years, employers have witnessed a
growing trend — younger generations, specifically, millennials and Gen Z, are
leaving their workplaces at an alarming rate. This phenomenon, also referred to
as the “Great Resignation,” demands the attention of business leaders who must
start enacting more effective changes if they hope to retain their top talent.
Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Instigating the Great
Resignation
Though one can argue that every generation has
had it hard and that we all have our burdens to carry, millennials and Gen Z
have been pushed beyond their limits with stagnant wages, longer working hours,
the global pandemic, and skyrocketing inflation.
This younger generation is burnt out, and
unlike previous generations, they are not of a mind that one just has to keep
their head down and continue working hard because of societal conventions.
Instead, millennials and Zoomers have a much more philosophical view of life
that prioritizes mental health and demands more from their employers.
Self-care and Prioritizing Mental Health are Top Priority
Because millennials and Gen Z are much more
mindful of their mental health, they prioritize self-care. While self-care might
seem like something they can do in their personal time when they aren’t
working, it actually includes being cognizant of how their job is affecting
their mental and physical health.
If the workplace is toxic or if it doesn’t
allow for a healthier work-life balance, then they are more than happy to leave
and find a better situation elsewhere — and they’re just as happy to do so if
they’re feeling stagnant without room to grow.
Empower Employees with Training and Growth Opportunities
Millennials and Gen Z employees want to learn
and grow in their careers, and they are prepared to leave employers that don’t
offer these opportunities. According to Lorman Education Services, “86%
of millennials would be kept from leaving their current position if training
and development were offered by their employer, and over 70% of
high-retention-risk employees will leave their company in order to advance
their career.”
To top that off, Zippia’s statistics indicate that “45% of
workers would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and
development,” and that 59% of employees report no formal workplace training at
all.
As such, employers can turn to edtech and VR
solutions to continuously uptrain and empower employees to do their jobs
better. E-learning modules and gamified training mean that these opportunities
are accessible to everyone, no matter where they are located. In manufacturing,
one might even turn to VR to simulate on-the-job training without the risks or
costs involved in real-life on-site apprenticeships.
Millennials and Zoomers Want a Job With Purpose
Finally, younger generations want more from
the companies they work for. These generations tend to do things to derive more
meaning from life. This is in part achieved by traveling more, indulging in
hobbies, and again, prioritizing self-care, but it’s also about seeking purpose-driven employment.
Millennials and Gen Z aren’t trying to leave
the workforce entirely, but if they do have to work, they want their jobs to be
more meaningful or impactful. A study from Deloitte found that younger
generations are more likely to stay with a company that has a more
positive societal and environmental impact, and that makes an effort
to create a more diverse and inclusive culture.
How Employers Can Improve Retention Rates with Zoomer and
Millennial Workers
One of the best ways to entice younger
employees and effect meaningful changes is to go to the source and ask them
what they want.
One way to accomplish this is by conducting exit interviews. If your employees
are leaving, take the time to sit down with them on their way out and ask them
what you could have done differently. A few examples of specific questions you
could ask can include:
●
Why are you leaving the company?
●
How do you think the company could
improve?
●
How has the company helped you
accomplish your professional growth and career goals?
Even if you want to, don’t ask personal
questions. Keep it professional and seek answers that will genuinely help you
make meaningful changes.
Address Burnout
Another way to improve employee experience and
keep up retention rates is to address stress and burnout, or the cause of
it. Understandably, there could be any number of things causing burnout, which
could vary from one person to the next, but there are typically a few main
things that are the cause: a lack of flexible work options, long hours, a lack
of benefits, and a lack of boundaries.
This is where self-care can come into play. To
help employees prioritize their physical and mental well-being, you likely need
to make some changes, which can include:
●
Encouraging breaks and taking time
off when needed
●
Making sure employees are clocking
out on time and not working overtime
●
Offering better pay and benefits
packages
Focus on Engagement
Employee engagement is one of the best ways to
provide more value to employees and the work they are doing. When employees are
more engaged, they tend to be more productive and have higher job satisfaction.
Employee engagement myths might have you
thinking otherwise, but numerous studies have shown that employee engagement
matters.
Provide them with more opportunities to learn
and grow. Do things that remind your employees that you appreciate them and
recognize their hard work. Create a more positive work environment that values
open communication, diversity, and inclusion, and aligns with the mission of
the company.
Final Thoughts
The Great Resignation isn’t a phase or a passing
trend. If employers don’t do more to create a more positive and healthy work
environment, millennials and Gen Z will continue to leave workplaces at higher
rates. So if you want to avoid losing your top talent to those jobs, you must
start making more substantial changes that hold more meaning to today’s
generation of workers.
About the Author: Luke Smith is a writer and researcher turned blogger. Since
finishing college he is trying his hand at being a freelance writer. He enjoys
writing on a variety of topics but technology and business topics are his
favorite. When he isn't writing you can find him traveling, hiking, or gaming.
