I was at a leadership conference for the design and construction industry where Rex Miller spoke recently. He made a stunning statement: "For the first time in history the young generation knows more about the way things work than those in charge."
And after I got over my initial shock, I realized he was right.
Millenials are growing up fluent in a new structure. This isn't about knowing how to use an iPhone. It is about understanding how the new structure works. Though most of us tend to work digitally, it is a learned skill. We didn't grow up with the technology.
If you don't believe the world has changed for you, here's an example: coordination has replaced planning.
Remember when you went to the theme park when you were a kid and your group split into those who loved roller coasters and those who were terrified of them? There was always a plan to reconnect. Meet by the (entrance, roller coaster, food court, etc.) at 3:00. But what happens now? Now, we don't make a plan because we have cell phones. We can find each other anytime simply by calling. Places and times to meet can be determined on-the-fly based on changing circumstances. For example, if you plan to have dinner with friends, then arrive at the restaurant to find there is a two hour wait, you can check Yelp! to find a desirable alternative nearby then call your friends while still in their car and avoid the wait.
The reason Millenials understand more about the way the world works is that they are growing up in this condition. They are coming of age in a world where coordination replaces planning.
Here's another major change: size/cash aren't needed to be successful.
Have you considered what it means that small, one-person shops like on Etsy, Amazon or E-Bay can function in the same way that the mass-retailers do? With virtually no start up cash, you can launch a business with simply an idea. You don't have to wait for someone to approve it and finance it. Writers once had to wait for a publisher to get their message into the public. Now a blogger can pull as many readers as a New York Times columnist. This empowerment to be able to access audiences, resources and knowlege without the benefit of size and cash changes the game for what it requires to be successful. What does it mean for people growing up in a world where they can think up an invention, have it rapid-prototyped in China, and sell via a digital storefront carrying virtually no inventory? What types of skills are needed to be successful in this model? (Hint: it isn't size or cash.)
If Millenials are growing up under the new structure, then Rex Miller's statement makes sense. However what happens when old leadership models encounter a huge percentage of people who have grown up under the new rules?
Thomas Friedman in his book, The World is Flat, talks about "command and control" models being replaced by "connect and collaborate" models. What does it mean for an organization to not have to lay out a hierarchy and assign tasks? If Millenials are growing up in a world where groups can self-organize based on interest and roles are picked up based on interest and ability rather than assigning them, wouldn't leadership for that model look different than it does today?
Predicting the future is always dangerous, but my theory is that there is a perfect storm coming in 2018 when the demographics in our congregations and work forces shift. Leadership models are going to have to begin morphing now or they will simply crumble and be replaced because they will no longer work. For church leaders to remain effective, there are a number of skills to begin developing now.
1. Learn to articulate "compelling dreams". I once heard Michael Lagocki say, "Compelling dreams beat burning platforms." The idea is that you can tell people that the dock they are standing on is burning and that that they need to jump, or you can paint a picture of something they would leave their dock for whether it was burning or not. Learning to articulate that "compelling dream" is one of the most valuable skills a leader could develop in a world of "connect and collaborate." Those who can paint the picture of what could be will draw others to them who want to bring about that shared vision. While most charismatic leaders are able to cast vision, it takes skill and discipline to not focus on telling people how to get there but to continue to articulate on where they want to be. Antoine de Saint-Exupery said it well, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
2. Become a good facilitator. The commander-in-chief role will be replaced by people who can resource and connect others. The better you are at making it easy for people to reach their own objectives and dreams and connect with others who share those dreams, the closer you move to the center of the hub. Organization charts have traditionally been drawn from the top down. In the new models, they will be drawn from the center of the action outward in all directions.
3. Be able to give up control. In a command and control model, control is a neccessary factor to get things done with quality. The hierarchy is a tiered set of roles needed to complete a mission. Connect and collaborate models have different metrics. They aren't built by defined roles with people plugged in to fill each spot. Instead they are built by interested people who bring their talents and gifts to a mission. Roles aren't as clearly labeled or defined because they are people-driven rather than task-driven. In a connect and collaborate model, trust is a much more important factor than control. (For more on this, Stephen Covey's book, Speed of Trust is worth reading.)
4. Learn to mentor. By definition, leaders influence the people they lead. However, mentoring is a long-term and deep process that is relationally-focused. More importantly, it empowers the people who are being mentored to mentor others, making the leaders influence exponential in scope. If you want to lead in the new models, train yourself to mentor. (Note, the best way to do this is to find someone to mentor you.)
