Press release

Generation X leaders not interested only in power and trappings (Jan 2006)

Association for Coaching, London, January 26, 2006: The aspiration gap between company bosses and their younger, Generation X, workforce is the single biggest concern for those looking to develop tomorrow’s British leaders. Coaching is seen as the best tool to bridge the gap.

A survey of business leaders across the public and private sectors shows older management fails to acknowledge employees insist on a life outside the workplace and a ‘meaning’ in their jobs, not just a monthly pay check.

20 business leaders took part in a focus group as part of the Coaching Leaders for Tomorrow seminar organised by the Association for Coaching and sponsored by one of the country’s top leadership development firms, White Water Strategies.

White Water Strategies director François Moscovici who conducted the debate said: “The majority of today’s senior managers were raised on 1980s privatisation, cigars, shoulder pads and ‘lunch is for wimps’ thinking. They simply don’t understand it when junior interviewees ask about work-life balance programmes.”

“Models of leadership are changing too” reported many participants: “Leading from the back rather than the front is now acceptable”. To quote from Oxford leadership research presented at the seminar: “leaders open up spaces for people to create change rather than forcing agendas upon them”.

Mr Moscovici said the generation gap was causing more of tomorrow’s young leaders to join entrepreneurial businesses, which do not subscribe to the traditional (heroic) model, and warned that today’s business leaders, and those in the future, must adopt a more flexible management approach.

“It seems that Generation X leaders are better than their elders at dealing with ambiguity and complexity, starting with managing their own careers. It’s not that they don’t want the Ferrari, it’s that they want it on their own terms and are prepared to wait or to go and get it themselves”.

“Business heads must learn a range of leadership styles and be much more flexible when dealing with the demands of employees of different generations. Coaching is the best way to acquire this flexibility as it provides a safe and confidential environment where managers can take risks” concluded Moscovici.

For more information on the AC Breakfast seminar:
www.wwstrategies.com/WWS_pages/news_research_AC_bfast.htm