The Utility Leadership Challenge

I recently read an article that discussed the utility leadership challenges that exist today.  According to the article, the biggest leadership challenge is leading multiple generations of employees, and it presents a 3-tenant framework for how to mitigate this issue.

The 3 Tenants of Solid Utility Leadership

According to the article, the first tenant involves achieving self-awareness in terms of not only your own leadership style, but also the health of the company culture.  This can help open your eyes to what truly needs to change.  But there is one caveat to this; many leaders will struggle giving an honest assessment of the current situation.  Leaders by their very nature are confident in what they do, so a critical self-assessment is often easier said than done.  But if you can do this objectively, it can open the door to improving your own emotional intelligence.

The second tenant cited in the article is “executive brain function” and to be honest I’m not a fan of this recommendation.  The article pontificates that good brain function requires the use of both hemispheres of the brain.  Unfortunately, leaders are not going to relearn how to use their brains.  I’m not sure why this is a recommendation since it is not actionable, so this one should get thrown in the proverbial trash can.

The third and final tenant – response agility – is more legit in my mind.  This simply refers to being calm, cool and collected during times of stress, and conveying this sense of calmness to underlings.  It is accomplished by allowing yourself to think before reacting.

Well, two out of three ain’t bad!  The first and third tenants recommended in the article make a lot of sense, and can definitely help improve employee performance during an emergency.  To read the article in its entirety, click here.