• Leaders today require some different skills and approaches.

• Ensuring transparency, embracing changes, and building community are some of the approaches.

• We can assist the younger generation to become the type of leader that will be effective in the changing world.

To be a leader today requires some different skills and approaches.

When reviewing the performance of many leaders today we ask,

“Where are our leaders who have a positive effect on the world?”

Often their priorities are not for the good of all, but for the benefit of a few.

People have lost confidence and trust in many of the current leaders.

Some younger leaders are emerging in areas such as the environment and economic inequality.

NEW LEADERSHIP APPROACHES:

New leaders are:

• Open and honest about their intentions which creates trust and respect.
• Transparent which is a key element today.
• Cooperative and not competitive with others inside and outside of their own community.
• Embracing change and recognizing opportunities to innovate and pursue excellence.

Today leaders are being judged on team well-being and building community.

COMMUNITY-MINDED LEADERSHIP:

We are seeing more grassroots endeavours.

EXAMPLE 1: Education in Finland.

Education in Finland is known as one of the most effective in the world.

One of the key elements is local community involvement with their education system.

EXAMPLE 2: Microcredit and Microfinance.

In 2006 the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Mohammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank.

This was for their efforts through microcredit to create economic and social development from below.

Mohammad Yunus and Grameen Bank have shown that even the poorest of the poor can work to bring about their own development.

EXAMPLE 3: Climate Change Activitism.

Greta Thunberg is a young Swedish student.

She is a climate change activist who has initiated the school strike for climate change.

Recently, over a million students in 124 countries were following her lead.

She is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

These are some examples of when involving community can bring powerful results.

OUR FUTURE LEADERS:

“Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation.” -Simon Sinek, author and motivational speaker.

If youth learn leadership at a young age it will have a major impact on the world.

Service or servant leadership is an ancient philosophy. There are references to it in ancient Chinese philosophy. The modern version has been promoted by Robert K. Greenleaf in his 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.”

When you focus on the needs of others before you consider your own, you are a servant leader. It’s a longer-term approach to leadership.

We can help develop these traits and improve their chances of becoming great leaders.

You can find out more about servant leadership in the previous post found at http://www.ourfutureleaders.ca/blog/our-leaders-where-are-they/

“WHAT MAKES A LEADER?” EXERCISE:

This can be a group or individual exercise.

• Ask them to write down five qualities that a good leader should possess.

• If required, you can offer a few suggestions such as honesty or integrity.

• Give them 3 – 5 minutes depending upon their involvement.

• Circulate amongst the participants or groups and ask them to name one quality at a time.

• As each quality is mentioned, ask how many others had the same one.

• Then make a note how many others had listed the same quality.

• Rank the qualities starting with the most popular.

• Have them discuss each quality starting with the most popular.

TIP: Encourage comments by starting with the newest members so that discussions are not dominated by a few.

REPEAT this exercise regularly!

Repeating this exercise helps them gain a better understanding of good leadership.

You can find more thoughts on how we can assist the younger generation to develop their leadership skills in the post found at http://www.ourfutureleaders.ca/blog/leadership-a-complex-topic/

This is not a quick fix. It takes time.

Please share your ideas on how we can assist our youth to learn and practice leadership skills.

We can encourage and assist the younger generation to become the leaders our world needs.

WHAT CAN WE DO?