The Next-Generation Leader

The Next Generation Leader

Generation X leaders face multiple challenges that emanate from the work environment, employees, and time changes. Business is increasingly becoming globalized hence a rise in competition. Besides, economic volatility triggers uncertainties that can hurt business operations. On the other hand, business policies are often reviewed to incorporate the needs and rights of the minority, persons with disabilities, subordinates, and female gender. Technology is developing and advancing rapidly (Erickson, 2010). Hence, there is a need for the business to adapt and utilize IT benefits. All these issues should be tackled modern business leaders to ensure the stability of the organization and its survival in a tumultuous environment.

Over the past three decades, many countries have improved economically. Countries such as China, Brazil and India have gained upper middle-income status. It implies that such states have a ripe environment for business operations. Therefore, many corporations have sprung up from the third world to rival firms in the developed countries in Europe and North America. Resultantly, the international business environment is saturated with rivaling firms, hence stiff competition. Generation X leaders face a challenge of incorporating new strategies to combat the mounting pressure and stiff competition to ensure the survival of their organization (Erickson, 2010). Even worse, the rules governing international trade have become sluggish and blunt over time in an effort to encourage trade between different countries.

Application of information technology and the internet has become rampant in the modern times. Businesses strive to cut on operation cost by replacing human workers with automated machines. This poses a challenge to the modern business leaders to ensure smooth adoption while considering the welfare of the laid-off employees. The massive layoffs have not gone unnoticed—activist organizations rise up to fight for the workforce rights. Over time, many organizations are faced with lawsuits for infringement of workforce rights. Eventually, most courts rule in favor of the victimized employees, resulting in hefty fines to the business entities. If this is the case, the managers and business leaders are answerable to the stakeholders and the board.

Deadly diseases such as AIDS, cancer and STDs are more prevalent today. Most employees, especially in the developing world, have fell victims of these fatal ailments. The level of competency decreases, thus hurting the firm’s operations. Business managers and leaders face an issue of replacing the fallen workers with experienced and energized labor force. In fact, sourcing for new recruits costs a fortune to the organization. It is the leader’s responsibility to endorse mitigation strategies and the payment for the affected families. In light of this, the Generation X business managers bears the blame for the resultant woes that cripple the company.

Another issue that the leaders face is the integration of females and minorities to the top level management. The diversification is aimed at ensuring a fair representation of subordinates and junior workers. Failure to consider such an issue results in mass protests and employee dissatisfaction. As women become empowered, the management is obliged to consider them for promotion and a pay hike.  Moreover, decentralization and delegation of authority are becoming a norm in the established business entities. Therefore, a leader has a delicate task of balancing the roles and responsibilities and distributing them according to employee experience and determination, and abilities (Erickson, 2010).

Providing an able leadership to multiple generations of workers is not an easy task, especially for a Generation X manager. Baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y employees exhibit different traits (Erickson, 2010). They require varied levels of attention from the management. The leader, therefore, is mandated to conduct a careful observation on different generations of labor force to determine individual needs and provide them accordingly.

Global Management and Decision Making

Erickson did not exaggerate or over-dramatize his claim that Generation X-ers are needed to rescue decision making and global management. Of keen to note is that Generation X-ers serve as a link between the baby boomers and the Generation Y-ers. Therefore, the business leaders from this generation are malleable. While the global economy is still rooted in capitalist norms, new ways of decision making are emerging from the developing world. Capitalist ideas are gradually eroding to be replaced by flexible norms. Generation X-ers have a clear understanding of both norms as their leadership traverses a transitional era.

Global management and decision-making are deviating in the hands of baby boomers or Generation Y-ers. Boomers utilize an old leadership style that is irrelevant and ineffective. On the other hand,   Generation Y managers are yet to master the art of leadership that ensures swift and effective decision-making. Failures of the majority of Silicon Valley startups demonstrate the incompetence of the new generation of managers in handling sensitive leadership positions.

In summary, it is clear that the next generation leaders are faced with multiple issues due to changing times and the conditions of a business environment, globalization, economic uncertainties, and civil rights play a critical role in ensuring corporation success and survival.

References

Erickson, T. J. (2010). The Next-Generation Leader: Why You Are What We Need Now and How: Generation X at the Helm. Harvard Business Review,88(5), 1-30.