The essence of the article aligns with the varied styles of leadership that need to be blended to address the needs and motivations of different generations in the workplace today. While a particular style of leadership may be a dominant style, the blend is necessary to be more of an inspirational leader than a leader by designation or chair. The article takes the readers through a contextual conversation between three generations of people at the workplace and their expectations of each other. It also traverses us through the varied styles of leadership that may motivate and inspire a particular generation of people, notwithstanding the fact that any style of leadership in isolation may not be effective unless blended with the other ones! With the intent of introducing leadership approaches to empower people to play the roles of Actor, Enabler, and Responder as and when the situation demands. As you ACT, so you LEAD! The acronyms ACT and LEAD are later expanded to encourage readers and leaders to Accept, Coach, Transform to Learn, Exemplify & Enable, ACT and Drive together for better!

Main Content

The world has shrunk, and so have organizations. Gone are the days when bosses used to direct and managers adhered to the Boss’s plans. The word “Boss” itself appears to have dissolved or rather has become a cliché over the years. What has changed? And what needs to change in this dynamic and diverse environment to emerge as an inspirational leader more than a successful leader for the workforce. Let’s hear it out from the workforce!

Shreya, a 23-year-old engineering graduate, just 4 months old in the organization, was talking to one of his senior colleagues, Prashant, a 34-year-old calm and composed manager of her team and expressed her concerns about how their Team Lead, 45-year-old Shalini treated the new joiners in her team. Here’s how the conversation went:

Shreya (In an impatient tone): “Prashant”, I need you to urgently hear me out and resolve things immediately for me and my friends out here.

Prashant (In a composed demeanour): Hey Shreya, Come Sit Down (Actually meaning Calm Down!). Tell me what is it that needs immediate resolution for you and your friends?

Shreya (In an angry tone): This team lead, Shalini. What does she think of herself? I wrote an email to her yesterday to submit the project summary that she asked for. This was my first independent assignment in the organization, and I was anticipating feedback in the response. This lady wrote back saying, “Besides making you tech-savvy, I wish your parents had invested in teaching you basic manners on how to address your seniors at work. Next time you write to me, start with “Respected Madam” and not “Dear Shalini”! That’s shocking! When I shared it with Riya and Ryan (two of her batchmates who also joined as new along with her), they were furious and asked me to go tell her what her parents should have taught her.

Prashant (again in a very calm tone): Then why didn’t you do that?

Shreya (lowering her tone a bit): Because I am too new to do that, so I came to you because you have been assigned as a mentor to me! I mean, who at all is she to command over what my parents should have taught me or not?

Prashant: So, when you say you are too new, what is in your capacity to resolve this for yourself?

Shreya: You doubting my capabilities to go face to face with her?

Prashant: No, I am just trusting your capability of being able to resolve this by yourself without any of my support.

Shreya: So, do you want me to take her Head On for that stupid email?

Prashant: What? What did I hear? Did you call that email “Stupid”?

Shreya: Of course, I was rather being kind enough to call that just “Stupid” (chuckles)

Prashant: Ok! So, what do you usually do when you encounter “Stupid” things around you?

Shreya: I just call them “Stupid”, and that’s it! I don’t do anything about them. They don’t matter to me, anyway, they are Stupid! (Pauses and Reflects)

Prashant: So now, what do you plan to do with the email that you just called “Stupid”?

Shreya: What do you mean? I can’t just let it be. I need to tell her that My parents have probably made me much more capable than she is, and there is no one to tell me what they should have taught me. Let her go and teach all the Madam things to her children, not us!

Enter Shalini! (Overhearing a bit of the conversation)

“Hello Prashant, Hello … .Umm, I’m sorry, what’s your name?” Shalini asked Shreya.

Prashant intervened politely yet firmly: “Madam, she’s Shreya, and she has brought a very interesting new learning for me today.”

Shalini (chuckles sarcastically): Prashant, we need to make these new people learn a lot before they learn the project features and clients. They need to learn the office decorum, basic etiquette and all. Anyway, I’m still curious to know what learning she has brought for you today. (Shreya is all listening and frowning but keeping mum).

Prashant: She was just discussing that addressing an individual by his/her first name builds a better connection, enhances equity within the team, and of course (sarcastically), is a good tool to remember each other’s names. (Listening to this last point, suddenly Shreya’s brows become flat, and she smiles as if she had just been empowered)

“Hmm…” Said Shalini, “Good One Prashant!”

Prashant: Thank you, Madam!

Shalini: My name is Shalini, by the way, and Shreya, you see me in my office after lunch. We need to discuss the presentation you sent to me last evening. I also need to learn a few new things from you (Smiles and walks away)!

Shreya (Startled and gazing at Prashant) in a whispering tone: What just happened?

Prashant (smiles and shrugs his shoulders): I think you are smart enough to figure that out (Walks across the gallery).

The conversation above involved three generations of people at the same organization in the same team, yet the differences that appeared could be resolved by the three most important people (Perceptions of people): Actor, Enabler and Responder!

So, who’s being the actor, the enabler and the responder? Or does one need to switch between these roles while dealing with different situations and different generations?

Now, here we talk about five generations at the workplace today! The baby boomers, GenX, GenY, GenZ and GenAlpha have been technically named for the purpose of identifying the group of people who together witness a major transition in their lifespan. Nevertheless, no generation is either complete or obsolete. Each generation has an influence over the bottom line of any organization. In fact, the more diverse a workforce is, the stronger its ability is to take risks and be resilient to storms. But the challenge lies in addressing the needs of various generations with optimal and congruent leadership approaches that resonate with the traditional yet modern, embracing the timeless but contemporary, respecting conventional thinking yet open to innovation! My definition of an inspiring leader thus becomes “The one who is able to demonstrate equity in diversity with utmost agility!”