Leadership and Generational Change: Leadership from Within

By Helen S. Kim

Generational change and leadership requires both a compassionate and clear-eyed look at change and to be open to new experiences even if they may at first seem very challenging. Leadership and generational change is both personal and organizational. For older and younger leaders managing through this change, how can we be both compassionate with ourselves and also hold our feet to the fire? How can we show up as leaders who navigate through change from a place of clarity and power, and help build the leadership of others around us?

Slow Down for Better Results: Individual Reflection
Leadership is not only in doing but also in being. Our overall well being, from physical to emotional to spiritual, is an important foundation of being a good leader, particularly when we are dealing with major changes in our lives and in our organizations. Our ability to pay full attention to what is going on now and respond wisely to changing situations can benefit immensely from having a regular reflection or contemplative practices such as meditation and being in nature. Contemplative practice helps us connect with our purpose – why I do what I do and what is really important to me and to my organization? More and more leadership programs and trainings, such as Rockwood Leadership Institute and Social Justice Leadership, have incorporated some contemplative practices and silent meditation as part of their programs. Additionally, taking a sabbatical or applying to retreats programs for activists, such as Windcall or Vallecitos can be helpful.

Coaching for Executive Directors
Many groups and funders have observed that executive coaching for EDs, both for new and for those who are considering transitioning out, has proven to be an effective leadership investment in not only supporting the individual leadership of the ED, but also in supporting the secondary organizational leaders to navigate through leadership change in the organization. Many young leaders have told us how helpful it was to have a coach during their first year as EDs and help them fully step into their leadership role. We have also learned how having a coach to help older leaders explore their voice of hope, voice of fear, and voice of wisdom can be a transformative experience for them and can prepare older leaders to look to their leadership transition with a sense of renewal and proactiveness.

Making it organizationally possible (in terms of budget, time, and encouragement) to have coaching available for both transitioning and new EDs is an important step in building a culture of sustainable leadership. However, when resources are tight, current EDs may want to look for another ED who may be interested in peer coaching.

Peer Groups
In Working Across Generations (Jossey-Bass), we talk about the roles that different generations can play in regards to other generations. There are also roles that they can play for their own generation. Many older EDs worry about what will happen to them and their organizations when they retire or leave their organization, but they feel if they openly speak about these concerns, this may affect their organization negatively, especially from allies and funders. Peer groups can break down the silos that many older leaders feel trapped in and bring new insight and creativity in addressing this issue.

This is equally true for young EDs who are on a very steep learning curve during the first years of their role as EDs, especially coming at the heel of long-time EDs whose leadership style has shaped the organization’s culture that may no longer fit. Leaders need a safe place to vent their frustrations and air out their fears before they can explore new strategies for themselves and their organizations.

One key to navigating generational change when it comes to leadership is to maintain a stance of curiosity and spaciousness rather than jumping to conclusions and giving into fear of the unknown. Leadership is about inspiring and motivating others to act toward a common goal. How older and younger leaders ‘show up’ to lead others is critical. Working to understand both the personal and organizational aspects of change can help us lead with confidence, thoughtfulness and courage.

About the Author
Helen S. Kim is an organizational development consultant, leadership trainer and coach with eighteen years experience working with social change organizations and leaders in the US and Korea. She is a trainer for Rockwood Leadership Institute, consultant member with French American Charitable Trust, member of the Building Movement Project Team and international advisory group member for Association for Women’s Rights in Development. She is co-author of Working Across Generations: Defining the Future of Nonprofit Leadership (Jossey-Bass).

About the Book
The authors provide a range of ideas on how to approach generational shifts in leadership so that the contributions of long-time leaders are valued, new and younger leaders’ talent is recognized, and groups are better prepared to work across generational divides. Giving context to these differences, they explore the current assumptions about the upcoming transition between generations in the social sector; introduce new ideas or frames for thinking about generational leadership change; and examine how this change poses individual, organizational, and systemic challenges for those in the social sector. In addition, they provide numerous examples and practical exercises to show how to address these issues. The book concludes with critical advice on how to communicate across generations and key recommendations for future research and action.


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