To maintain success, it is not only essential for leaders to focus on the present but also to invest in the future by empowering the next generation. By sharing knowledge, providing guidance and offering opportunities, experienced professionals can play a vital role in helping young talent thrive.
Below, 17 Newsweek Expert Forum members explore various ways in which successful business owners and leaders can reach out and give the next generation a leg up. By actively engaging with and supporting the next generation, business leaders can foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity and continuous growth while leaving a lasting positive impact on future generations of professionals.
1. Create a Supportive Culture
Create and maintain a company culture that truly supports the wellness of its employees. Inquiring from the start about learning styles, the ability to effectively transition from work to home and setting appropriate boundaries to manage self-care are critical to fuel a culture of collaboration and prevent generations of collective burnout and professional disengagement. – Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant
2. Meet With as Many People as Possible
Often, the challenge is not potential or strength but access. While any one person can only take on so many mentors, those who have deep and expansive networks can take the time for brief introductory meetings with next-generation colleagues. The introductions that are made from those conversations can open doors and provide pathways to success for the next generation. – Lowell Aplebaum, Vista Cova
3. Work With University Programs
Working with university entrepreneurship or leadership programs as a mentor is a great way to give back and show the next generation that they are not alone in their journey. Doing this work also gives the next generation an idea of what real-life challenges they’ll face once they branch out on their own to start their own businesses and networks. – Ryan Carroll, Wealth Assistants
4. Give Interns Real Experiences
One way to help the next generation that I find very effective is to accept those applying to be interns and actually put them to work. Also, invest in new ideas. Those studying business don’t really learn actual business until they do business. The best way to give them that opportunity is to actually let them participate in running a business. – Collin Plume, Noble Gold Investments
5. Publish Instructional Blog Posts
By sharing a weekly instructional blog post on a personal website, you can easily reach the younger generations of readers who are currently trying to learn how to get a leg up on their peers. Starting an email list and sharing each one of your new posts on your social media accounts is also important when building an audience for your blog. – Christian Anderson, Lost Boy Entertainment LLC
6. Take on Different Supporting Roles
Be a mentor, cheerleader and champion for talent. These are three different roles. A mentor is an advisor, someone that can guide their career. A cheerleader has faith in their abilities and encourages others to believe in themselves and try. A champion has a seat at the table and is willing to back people for opportunities and promotions. Leaders identify the talent they can authentically fulfill these roles with. – Michelle Tillis Lederman, Author, The Connector’s Advantage
7. Create Sustainable Leadership Pipelines
Successful business owners and leaders need to look out to find the next and best talent and develop them by developing a sustainable leadership pipeline in their organization and/or industry. When I work with organizations, I focus on generating natural tracts in the organization, identifying leaders in each tract and developing personalized growth plans for each. – Donna Marie Cozine, Consult DMC
8. Offer Hands-On Experience
Empowering our next generation of leaders and investing in skills for the future can be accomplished through internship programs with meaningful projects. Early talent has cutting-edge training, and offering them hands-on practical experience will bring value to the rising star and the company. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
9. Be a Sponsor and a Mentor
Ensure that you are taking on the role of both sponsor and mentor. As a sponsor, you’re in the room where decision making is happening about one’s career. You can materially impact their professional path. As a mentor, you share common values with your mentee, but may not necessarily be able to directly influence their intended outcomes. By nurturing and guiding others, you’re enabling their future. – Sabina Pons, Growth Molecules
10. Ask Questions and Engage
Show personal interest and engage at the individual level. Ask questions and listen. Find out what is important and how you can help by providing insights and background context. Often, a new perspective will result in a win-win that both engages the new employee and results in a new thought or enhancement for your business. – Margie Kiesel, Avaneer Health
11. Share Insights and Industry Knowledge
The next generation of business owners and leaders seems to navigate in ways that previous generations of leaders may not understand. However, it is important for successful business owners and leaders to share their experience, knowledge and insights with the next generation. Mentoring and coaching are common methods. Internships and apprenticeships give a leg up by building skills and networks. – Lillian Gregory, The 4D Unicorn
12. Foster Creative Thinking
We are witnessing an incredible era marked by rapid innovations across various industries. An era where many of today’s highly-regarded professions were nonexistent just half a decade ago. Thus, the best way to shape our next generation is by emphasizing creative thinking and embracing the dynamic nature of knowledge. Foster a culture that transforms how we approach education and upskilling. – Gergo Vari, Lensa
13. Provide Support and Be Generous
The meaning of partnership isn’t only “strategic relations.” Collaborate outside company strategy, even just by providing support and getting minimum returns. The next generation of entrepreneurs is more exposed and vulnerable than ever (think social media for Gen Z). One way to reduce those anxieties is by sharing experiences and being generous when recognizing the lower points in our careers. – Jacob Mathison, Mathison Projects Inc.
14. Assist Financially if Possible
Unfortunately, younger generations are facing higher interest rates on mortgages and car loans, unpaid student loans and other financial difficulties. To the extent that well-off business owners can assist their employees to help them move forward, those efforts will be appreciated. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures
15. Help Pay off College Debt
One way leaders and business owners can help the next generation is to have a way to pay off college debt once the employee has worked at the company for a few years and proven themselves. This was done years ago when companies paid for college education and can be implemented as part of a loyalty contract when employees start. – Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
16. Provide Learning and Development Programs
A way to provide the next generation a leg up is to offer mentor and guidance programs. Provide opportunities for learning and development, create a fun and supportive work environment and be a role model leading by example. – Alan Wozniak, Business Health Matters (BHM) Executive Consulting
17. Implement a Mentorship Program
We try to create a mentorship program where the most successful employees shadow the new hires. It offers them a high level of industry-specific knowledge, guidance and support that they might not otherwise have access to. – Tammy Sons, Tn Nursery
