Just Stop
I encourage you, if you have not already seen it, to take a few minutes and watch this short Simon Sinek interview as he talks about millennials in the workplace.
As a father of two millennials, and the CEO of a leadership training organization, I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to motivate and lead this new generation of global thinking young adults. While Sinek does an excellent job of unpacking the millennial workforce mystery, the interview taught me something about myself. He states that the young generation entering our workforce struggles with an addiction to connectivity. They can't function without a phone in their hand or screen in their face. They live in a world of instant gratification. The result is a disconnect with anything that takes long term investment. Consequently, this can create a void in their ability to have deep meaningful relationships as well as obtaining job satisfaction. Both of these things can only be achieved with time and investment.
But what about us who are not millennials? How often do we just stop? I mean really slow down with no smart phone, no screen and no instant connectivity? When is the last time you had a meeting with no phones in the room? Or gone on a date with the one you love and left your phones behind? What would happen if we passed a 'no instant connectivity day' and everyone had to talk face to face?
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate and use the technology that allows us to access communication at speeds never before experienced. But as a leader, I should be about developing strong healthy relationships that are authentic and meaningful. That means that I must slow down to actually be present and listen to those I lead and influence. Likewise, if I am going to make wise decisions, and find creativity and innovation in my leadership, maybe I need to simply stop, unplug, and allow myself to actually think without the presence of a screen.
When we choose to stop and allow ourselves to disconnect from our instant gratification world we will make a difference!
Dr. Larry Little, CEO
