In this episode of the Kind Leader Podcast, Gino Degregori interviews Susan Inouye, a transformational executive coach, about the evolving nature of leadership in today’s workplaces. They discuss the importance of kindness, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence in leadership, particularly in engaging younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z. Susan shares her journey from aspiring filmmaker to executive coach, emphasizing the significance of seeing and accepting individuals for who they are. The conversation highlights the Sawubona leadership style, which fosters connection and accountability, and the need for leaders to adapt to the changing expectations of their teams. In this conversation, Susan Inouye discusses the importance of kind leadership and how recognizing the gifts of employees can lead to better retention and productivity. She emphasizes the need to shift from expectations to intentions, fostering authenticity, and creating a sense of belonging in the workplace. The discussion also touches on the evolving nature of leadership, particularly in relation to younger generations who seek compassionate and authentic leaders. Inouye concludes with a call for organizations to prioritize growth and development as core values to enhance overall performance and employee satisfaction.
5 Key Takeaways
- The Sawubona leadership approach involves seeing and accepting the whole person, including their gifts, strengths, and weaknesses. This creates an environment where people feel valued and contribute their best work.
- Effective leadership requires both a “soft front” and a “hard back” – compassion and openness combined with core inner strength and conviction.
- The five essential leadership shifts for today’s multi-generational workforce are: from control to connect and receive; from conformity to see and accept; from expectations to intentions; from authority to authenticity; and from bottom line myopia to belonging.
- Millennials and Gen Z have three core needs in the workplace: to feel heard, to use their gifts, and to have meaning and purpose in their work lives.
- Traditional metrics may miss hidden value – as demonstrated in the story of “Jack,” whose low new customer numbers masked his superior customer retention and profitability. Leaders must look beyond conventional measurements to see employees’ true contributions.
Sound Bites
- “A manager holds people accountable, but a leader creates the culture and environment where the people hold themselves accountable. That’s the difference between a manager and a leader.” – Susan Inouye
- “When we disconnect from our emotions, we disconnect from ourselves and who we are, and then we disconnect from our people and who they are.” – Susan Inouye
- “When we see bad behavior, there are two questions that a leader should ask: What are the gifts that are trying to come out in this bad behavior? And how do I redirect the gift so it better serves this person and the organization?” – Susan Inouye
- “Millennials are the first generation that did not have to go through authority to get information. Information used to be used by leaders as leverage over their people. But today, the younger generation can get information like this.” – Susan Inouye
- “Business owners and executives forget that the people are the ones that create the profit. The more that you focus on the growth and development of your people, the byproduct will be increased productivity, revenues, and profitability.” – Susan Inouye
Links and Resources
- Susan Inouye’s website: SusanInouye.com/kindleader
- Book: “Leadership’s Perfect Storm” by Susan Inouye (Amazon)
- The three offers mentioned:
- Free chapter download
- Purchase the book (proceeds go to Youth Mentoring Connection)
- Book a discovery call with Susan
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Kind Leadership
07:50 The Journey of Susan Inouye
14:53 Defining Kind Leadership
19:22 Engaging Millennials and Gen Z
25:40 Shifting Leadership Paradigms
26:19 Identifying Gifts in Leadership
31:15 From Expectations to Intentions
34:08 Shifting from Authority to Authenticity
35:53 Fostering a Sense of Belonging
41:11 The Future of Leadership
46:16 Final Thoughts on Growth and Development