The Role of Tomorrow’s Leaders

So today Wes Roberts, a man who acts as a mentor-type in my life, gave all of his legions of mentees some homework:

Watch and listen to these six [Harvard Business Review Future of Leadership] videos (none more than 15 minutes long…so take a breath…).  Two of them have multiple voices (like the first one…), so I will want your thoughts about each person speaking concerning what they are saying/suggesting…whether alone on the video as the one interviewed or in a short series.  Send to me via an email the 2-3 most important statements you heard that will help to inform your own developing leadership.  What struck you about their topic as a whole?  And what challenged you in your current and/or future roles as a leader?

I hate to waste perfectly good homework, so I’m going to blog these. : )  In this first one, The Role of Tomorrow’s Leaders, many things were said – some contradictory. Watch it for yourself:

 

 

Here are some one-liners that stuck out to me:

Leaders of the future…

  • Need to give things away
  • Have much less control in the present than in the past
  • Manage across borders
  • Are networking, connecting leaders – distributed leadership at all levels (Starfish)
  • Are more hierarchical? Structure of management still there; Ambidextrous leadership
  • Can’t be stuck in counterproductive, anachronistic mindsets
  • Build connections – bridge-builders, crossing different assumed boundaries
  • Are utilizing new resources in a rapidly-changing world; navigating uncertainty
  • Are finding common purpose amid social, cultural, & identity difference

I have nothing profound to add to this on a lazy, hazy, returning-to-Raleigh Saturday (except that KedgeForward can help your company make the above deep-culture transitions and more!)…what are your thoughts?

One Response to The Role of Tomorrow’s Leaders

  1. Wes November 15, 2010 at 5:46 pm #

    …is that a dog or lion in that great pic?

    …thank you for spreading the news

    …thankful for you, Michael!

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