The Leader's Habit for Growth
We know what we should not do.
Earlier this year, "Great Resignation" and "Quiet Quitting" emerged as representative keywords reflecting the relationship between companies (organizations) and individuals. In particular, the job-hopping of the MZ generation was significantly more frequent than that of the older generations, especially in the United States, where the demand for employment is strong. Quiet quitting, a mindset of not doing more than what is asked, received enthusiastic support primarily through social media.
Just a year or two ago, companies were desperate to cater to the preferences of the MZ generation, which was emerging as a new mainstream. To secure top talent in a competitive market, companies offered tremendous wage increases, and remote work, introduced due to COVID-19, seemed to become the new normal.
However, the situation changed drastically. Governments around the world rapidly raised interest rates to control inflation caused by COVID-19 stimulus measures, and concerns about an economic downturn grew. Companies had to make every effort to come up with their own solutions.
Many organizations pondered, "What do employees really want?" during this turnaround. To retain capable young talent while preparing for a recession, they had to provide what they truly desired in a meaningful way.
The most frequently and significantly mentioned keyword by top talents in the market was "growth."
Top talents prioritizing personal growth said they would sacrifice salary and remote work. As the concept of a lifelong job disappeared and the younger generations faced fears of jobs being replaced by AI and robots, they chose a relentless journey of growth to build their value by acquiring skills and experiences.
The concerns of leaders within organizations deepened. In the fierce war for talent, attracting exceptional talent became more challenging. They had to navigate the era of the Great Resignation, where employees who could not find adequate compensation and growth opportunities would leave the organization without delay.
When discussing the keyword "growth," Microsoft always comes to mind. When Satya Nadella became the new CEO, he advocated for a "Growth Mindset" with his humble attitude and transformed the massive IT organization one step at a time. This story has been widely documented in books and articles. In the last week of March '23, Microsoft made a groundbreaking move.
Microsoft introduced Copilot, an incredible technology that combines OpenAI's ChatGPT, one of the hottest AI services on the planet, and Microsoft's Office package, which almost everyone on Earth uses. Some IT experts praised this announcement as the most significant advancement since the iPhone, which completely changed human life. Personally, I believe Microsoft will indeed revolutionize the way every office worker on Earth works and thinks.
The sentence Nadella introduced to all Microsoft employees worldwide upon his appointment exemplified the growth mindset:
"Don't be a know-it-all, Be a learn-it-all."
Even he, the captain of the world's largest IT company, acknowledged that there were areas he did not know and that no one could possess all knowledge. He conveyed a humble message that people with different expertise should meet and create innovation by sharing knowledge and ideas.
How about leaders who begin with phrases like, "I've tried it all...", "I know that..." and "I heard it somewhere before..."?
In such moments, those striving to make a difference become discouraged. Innovators who work to create significant results and performance through a 20% difference, despite the 80% similarity, wish for attention to that 20%.
When encountering a leader who habitually claims "I know it" and "I've done it," One might worry about how much room for growth remains for them. It is possible to think that this is meant to prevent their juniors from repeating the path of failure, as they have faced problems until the end. However, as Elon Musk once said, those who have faced problems to the very end are likely to be aware of every detail of the process and know how to resolve them. They would never dismiss a problem as having no solution.
If we consider growth as a process of filling in gaps, it necessarily requires room for it. It is essential to have a vessel that is open to embracing the thoughts, experiences, and ideas of others. The next step is to accept, digest, and transform these elements into one's own and apply them accordingly.
Are we leaders who support and actively assist someone's growth?
No one may be entirely free from this question. However, it is essential to take the opportunity for heightened self-awareness to ensure that even a small habit in speech does not obstruct not only one's own mindset but also the collective intelligence of the organization, team, or group.
