Susan Inouye (USA)
I am often struck by the number of younger women in leadership roles who call me for executive coaching. Engaging a coach to help them grow is a strength of millennials. I’m not surprised to hear the same common themes that have plagued women of all generations for years: bringing their voice to the table; standing for what they believe in; feeling confident; letting go of controlling everything; asking for help; finding balance; and saying no.
Why is it, after all these years, young women still face some of the same issues of previous generations of women? While some of the largest corporations are leading the way toward numbers that reflect gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, numbers aren’t enough to create change. Until we begin to reimagine cultures that honour the inherent strengths in all gender identities, women (and other under-represented groups) will continue to suffer the same challenges of their predecessors.
So, who will answer the call? Who will step up to make that happen? The next generation of women leaders is uniquely poised to do that. Why? Because in a complex world, many of the inherent gifts in women allow them to more easily embody all innate intelligence. This whole way of being becomes especially important in a VUCA (Volatile – Uncertain – Complex – Ambiguous) and post-COVID world. Today, leaders must use not only their logic, reason, and intellect, but also need to go beyond and imagine novel ways of addressing the unpredictable nature of how rapidly the world is changing. They must ‘sense’ what’s next with few facts to guide them to stay ahead of the curve; develop other intelligence to compete with robots in order to be irreplaceable; and engage a new generation of leaders who want to feel more connected into the organisation, so they retain the best talent and bring others along with them.
Source: iCN Issue 30 (Group & Team Coaching); pages 49-52
About Susan Inouye
As a recognised expert in working with millennials, Susan Inouye has helped leaders in over 600 companies in 40 industries—from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies—to increase productivity levels by engaging and motivating this generation of unique talents. An expert in executive coaching, leadership development, and organisational change, she is the bestselling author of Leadership’s Perfect Storm: What Millennials Are Teaching Us about Possibilities, Passion and Purpose. She is the recipient of The Congressional Award for Contributions to the Community and was named one of the Top 10 Inspiring Women Rocking the Global Business World’ by Global Woman.
LINKS
Website: https://susaninouye.com/
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