Connections Article

Career Zone: Leadership today requires new and empowering models, mindsets

July 11, 2024

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AWWA Articles

Career Zone: Leadership today requires new and empowering models, mindsets

Author Jennifer Persike, president/founder of Jennifer Persike & Company, is an innovative strategist and visionary leader with more than 30 years of experience with California water and energy utilities, statewide associations, non-profits and corporations.

Today’s leadership model is undergoing a radical transformation. Trends and studies indicate that a successful leader must go beyond setting a clear vision to also empower teams and embrace technology. This applies across the corporate sector, in government and non-profits, and in water utilities.

Career Zone column author Jennifer PersikeWhat is driving this transformation? Everything from climate extremes, the drive to carbon neutrality, and the introduction of new technology such as Artificial Intelligence. Perhaps the biggest driver is workforce upheaval in a post-pandemic world.

Even the most stable sectors are being rocked by the final wave of Boomer retirements, attrition, changing social dynamics, hybrid workers, competition for qualified workers, and the incoming generations of employees. 

The data proves this out. For example, depending on the role, between 20% and 60% of California water utilities are reporting difficulty in hiring. The state’s electric utilities cite a similar statistic at around 50%.

Attracting, recruiting and retaining the future workforce is directly tied to effective leadership. According to a Harvard Business School study of 60,000 employees, 82% say they quit a job because of a bad boss. Even if they decided to stay, poor leadership resulted in dramatic declines in productivity, quality and commitment to work.

The very attributes required of today’s leaders signal significant change. According to global management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., instead of a top down, command and control style, the workforce is seeking bosses who model a “servant” leadership mindset where the top leadership is driven by values.

This means shifting from a focus on the “executive model” to a “visionary model” that can shape, not react, to the future. Instead of a “planner,” today’s leader should strive to become an “architect” assessing all factors that impact their organization. Rather than “directing” a team, the leader serves as a “catalyst” that brings others together to make things happen. This requires emphasizing the role of “coach” over the impulse to control and micromanage. 

The key responsibilities for today’s leaders, according to the Harvard Business Review, include:

  • Setting the organization’s vision and priorities
  • Curating an inclusive, positive culture
  • Recruiting the right people for the right roles
  • Providing resources and technology
  • Investing in team development and growth
  • Decisiveness and accountability 

Workers want a leader who is forward-looking and proactive rather than just reactive.
 

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