[PODCAST] Evolution of Leadership, Lead with Purpose

An Interview with John Dame

The way in which we look and approach leadership in the world of work is changing rapidly. Between dramatic shifts in HR technology and the driving force behind leadership becoming more about leading with purpose, companies aren’t just evolving, but transforming before our eyes.

In this episode of Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization we welcome friend of the show, John Dame, host of the Evolution Leadership Conference, and purposeful leadership consultant. Listen while we dig deep into how and why leadership is changing as well as what makes John’s approach so special.

John believes that the idea of leadership and leaders has gone through a significant metamorphosis in the last 40 to 50 years. The changes came in 3 waves: 

Leadership 1.0:

Many years ago we had mostly command and control environments where the culture and attitude of the company was dictated by your boss.

Leadership 2.0:

Then we had a shift towards the business model focused on the charismatic leader with a big vision, leading the company. This type of leadership style attracts people through improved culture and excitement but still relies heavily on economic consequences and rewards.

Leadership 3.0:

Today, John is seeing a major shift towards leadership styles that involve “Collaborators and Chiefs.” These business leaders focus on the well-being and social good of the company as well as making money. They intentionally create an environment where you can come to work and make a difference. 

“in this day and age, people can make a choice where they work. It makes a huge difference how you treat and interact with employees.”

John believes that 3.0 leaders look at individuals differently. “We went someone we can trust, shows compassion, and provides stability. People want to come to work and feel there is hope for a better tomorrow. This is Purposeful Leadership, working for them and with them. You need to help people meet those needs.”

The bottom line is in this day and age, people can make a choice as to where they work. It makes a huge difference how you treat and interact with employees. Purposeful leadership encourages a higher employee retention rate and a happier environment overall. 

So where exactly are these new types of leaders starting out?

John believes purposeful leadership may not be for everybody. CEOs and owners often reach a certain point where they see more than just dollar signs. They begin to feel they are missing their true purpose. These new leaders come to the realization that there is “more that I could be doing…”

“Just saying we’re going to have a great culture isn’t enough. Employees want to feel connected and feel part of a larger community. These feelings start with the CEO or owner and trickles down.”

John also believes that true, purposeful leaders need to pay attention to psychological integrity, and need to think of people as living and breathing human beings. This shift in perspective starts with a purposeful mindset. It will take time for this new model to cement itself in the working world but once it does we will see major changes in how the C-suite deals with moments of disruption and panic.

Another change that John feels will rapidly changing work culture is automation. Automation is already impacting the way we work and live. To utilize automation effectively and positively, our decisions need to become more data-driven. We need to capture, analyze and study the data we collect to run our businesses and manage smarter. 

The best CEO’s should look ahead a bit to get ahead of these major changes. Re-skilling of America’s workforce is imperative, but it will be expensive and difficult but necessary. Disruption and consequently reskilling will alter work, strategy, and organizational structure. Purposeful leadership will be a driver behind this transformation.

John exudes passion when he talks about leadership.  It fuels his amazing process and pipeline of coaching clients, who are ready for change. With each client he:

  • Meets with the executive to understand what his or her purpose is
  • Then helps them see the world through a purposeful lens, shifting mindsets about leadership and business.

Listen now to hear the rest of my interview with John Dame

Related Resources:

Why Emotional Intelligence is a Must-Have Skill

Leadership Testing

DISC Profile

 

 

Connect with John Dame

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdame/

Website: https://www,johndame.com

Conference Website: https://www.evolutionconference.org/