I love reading the classical foundational leadership literature, and I think much of it is timeless and plies across culture and generations. But every now and then something comes across my desk that I just know is going to shake those long-held ideas and add something new and significant to the “must know” principles of leadership.
One of these is the new book by Vivek Iyyani, The Millennial Leader (2022 Penguin). Is one of those books that grabbed my attention from the outset. Initially I assumed the title meant this book was written for Millennials (born 1980 – 1995) but upon reading it I soon discovered it is for every leader who is now leading in a Millennial context – the new normal of multiple generations and in a more connected yet distributed world than ever before. In other wors, it is for every current or aspiring leader.
Drawing directly from the Covid experiences, Iyyani notes that as a result “the entire concept of leadership is being redefined.” The rest of the book builds on this premise and provides the reader with well explained ideas and tool for this new era of leadership; Specifically, the book proposes five key approaches:
- Clarity
- Connection
- Candor
- Coping Mechanisms
- Culture
The author is deeply invested in wanting leaders to adapt and provide relevant and effective leadership in this new normal in which we find ourselves. The reader is also offered a pool of free resources to help translate the ideas of the book into practice. A nice touch. A highly recommended book.