The ancient Greek aphorism, “Know Thyself,” can be attributed most notably to the philosopher Socrates, however, for the more modern generation of folks you are probably familiar with its Latin version that hung above the Oracle’s door in the Matrix film series. Suffice it to say, virtually every kind of organizational performance problem links back to relationship dysfunction that stems from a lack of self-awareness – how our quirky traits and habits that we do not see in ourselves affect the most important people around us.
Generational engagement is not a new concept. The baby boomers of the 1960’s became the “suits” of the 1990’s. Today’s millennial are becoming tomorrow’s leaders in our organizations. How we sustain performance and success in our organizations is how people will identify with and cultivate the core values, ethics and workplace culture that we, as leaders, choose to create.
If you want a dynamic, healthy, performance driven culture, then as leaders you have to create it. As Henry Cloud and others have written about so eloquently, you as a leader are ridiculously in charge. Consequently you get in performance outcomes what you create or what you allow, and culture is fundamentally something that is either deliberately created or it’s something that takes on a life of its own – for better or worse. At the organizational level you, as leaders, need to drive a workplace culture in which all generations can thrive — and not just show up to work in.
Influential leaders are highly practiced with the skill of ‘Positive Presence’ and it places them in a position to model emotionally balanced behaviour. More important, it enables them to be responsive to others’ needs, which is a primary contributor to employee engagement and workplace culture. Influential leaders are aware of their behaviour tendencies and preferences. They know how to manage their emotions, and they are keenly aware of the need to be highly skilled in social management – creating and sustaining highly effective interpersonal relationships. They are empathic, in that they can sense the emotional states of other people, and they are also compassionate in their acknowledgement and response to the emotional messages of others.
You will never lead other people successfully, influentially, if you do not lead your own self well. Benjamin Franklin wrote, “A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.” Ask yourself, Would you follow you as a leader? Are you the kind of leader others desire to follow? The answers to these questions impact on your willingness to be purposeful and intentional about creating a culture of performance.
An analysis of 20 studies with nearly 20,000 people revealed slight and inconsistent differences in job attitudes when comparing generational groups. While many love to point out that younger and older people are more different than alike, research refutes this notion–especially in the workplace. What matters at work is not differences between differently aged employees, but the attachment to the belief that differences exist. This fallacy gets in the way of team collaboration and how employees of different ages are managed and trained. What’s needed is a strategy that not only fosters mutual respect, but utilizes unique opportunities to cater to specific needs, such as audio technology making provision for those harder of hearing and introducing (and allowing) easy access to mother’s rooms. 
Influential leaders know how to create and sustain highly functional teams that are resilient and engaged. Team building is not about technical skill. Team building is the product of understanding human behaviour and putting the focus on behaviour skill competencies that will allow technical skills to blend into a high level of workplace performance. This workplace performance translates into safety, quality, and service outcomes. 
It has been said many times in a variety of ways and deserves repeating here: people never connect to the organization’s mission and vision until they first connect with their leader. Influential leaders are leaders (with or without a formal title or role) who possess the mind and behaviour habits that create positive and energized emotions within themselves and around them. Influential leaders demonstrate four vital strengths that ensure their success:
Here is the simple truth: Employees can tell the difference between authentic leaders and those who are simply trying to fake it to make it. This distinction is apparent in the way people behave and interact with others, and no amount of regular surveys can convince employees that their leaders care enough about them to pay attention to their problems. 
Sigmund Freud, so the story goes, went to his grave perplexed by the question “What do women want?” I wonder if it ever occurred to Freud to simply ask a woman. In business, puzzled leaders do ask their employees what they want in forms of employee satisfaction and engagement surveys, unfortunately most organizational leaders do little with the answers they get from these employee surveys. 
All great relationships require constructive conflict and confrontation to grow and thrive. Influential leaders orchestrate the culture in which people can be energized, engaged, and fully aware of their meaningful contributions to the enterprise. Much of the personal and organizational benefits of such a culture can be negated if we avoid constructive conflict and confrontation. 
If you are listening to research coming from the Neurosciences (Brain Science) and how it relates to the complexity of today’s work environment, you will understand that it is your electro-magnetic neuro-chemical energy that creates your mindset. For a positive mindset you must create a positive energy flow within you and around you; and it is this positive mindset that is necessary to create a productive and healthy team that meets high levels of performance. 
Change – whether personal or organizational – is not easy. It is a journey that takes many years and involves many people, but as the Chinese proverb states, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”