The vision should be inspiring, the leadership charismatic, the strategy/plan exciting, the implementation bursting with energy and creativity or so we are led to believe. And yet it turns out that boring and competent gets results. This is good for the rest of us, the steady Eddy’s, it means being cautious and good at your job can lead to success , it means it’s not necessary to be brilliantly innovative , to show remarkable insight or to be extravagantly gifted.
It’s enough to be competent. And compassionate. It’s not necessary to be aggressively passionate, calm and reassuring gets the job done. Forget inspiration success is down to perspiration. Attention to detail is the key to success. It may not be the leadership we are used to. It may not be the leadership referred to in the job adverts.
It may not be how we are used to thinking of leadership but this is the leadership that Generation Z responds to. It’s unfair to call this boring and competent when what we are describing is a safe, measured, well thought out approach delivered by someone who is good at their job.
Plus we should also recognise this is compassionate leadership/ management. That is management that recognises employees as individuals, is concerned for their mental health and well-being and demonstrates insight into the effect their own demeanour has on others. The type of leadership they appeals to Generation Z.
