AN ABILITY TO MAKE VERY HUMAN CONNECTIONS WILL BE MORE AND
MORE IMPORTANT AS, PARADOXICALLY, AI COMES TO THE FORE.
“That democratization of the entrepreneurial spirit has changed
everything,” said Baron.
“It used to be, when people started a new job, they’d give it six
months to a year to see how it goes,” said Baron. “Now, we see millennials
give it less than one day. We see them go home at lunch
and not come back if they don’t like what they see.”
What are they looking for? “When it comes to a leader, I think
the most important thing is passion or purpose,” said Corey
Poirier, speaker, author and leadership expert. “I think a person
knowing their core purpose and living their passion is really everything,
and it has a monumental impact on an organization.” He
adds, “Passionate people are infectious, they’re people that others
want to be around.”
PASSION AND MASTERFUL STORYTELLING
That taps into the idea that today’s workforce is looking for (much)
more than just a paycheque. “A lot of younger workers want to be
doing something with purpose behind it, meaning behind it, life
behind it and for that reason they want a leader to have a purpose
they’re driving towards,” said Poirier. “They want to have a leader
whose purpose is in line with theirs, and to feel connected and
working toward a common goal.”
Having a leader with a purpose is a great start, but it’s only effective
if he or she is able to share those ideals and inspire others
to action. That comes down to being a masterful storyteller, says
Poirier. “When you think of all the top companies able to attract
and retain the best employees, they’re really good at telling their
story,” said Poirier.
“Some companies have created such compelling stories that
people would go to four or five interviews and still be saying, ‘I
cover story
might get the job!’” said Poirier. “Companies like Disney, WestJet,
Starbucks or Apple – employees can get behind leaders who can
tell the story well and those employees become the storytellers,
too.” He adds, “When that happens, it’s so much easier for an HR
leader to attract and keep a workforce.”
AUTHENTICITY, FOR REAL
In storytelling – and in every communication – today’s leaders
need to be authentic. “Authenticity is depth,” said Baron. “You
have authentic friendships with people with whom you have
depth – the others you call acquaintances. If you don’t have selfknowledge
and emotional intelligence, you won’t have depth.
You’re just a person telling stories you think will work and that
becomes a problem.”
Imagine, for example, an organization that claims to have a passion
for eco causes. That organization might say all the right things
on its website and attract a potential candidate with a similar passion
to an interview. But then, because the message hasn’t really
been delivered with passion in a way that connects with every level
of the organization, an assistant offers the candidate water in a
plastic bottle – and the candidate immediately heads for the hills,
seeing that the organization isn’t truly aligned with their values.
VULNERABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
What makes communication effective isn’t the sharing of information.
The assistant with the plastic water bottle had no doubt
read the memo about the company’s green measures, after all.
Information is no longer power – anyone can get the stats and
facts. The difference – the thing that turns data into action – is in
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