Disruptive Leadership

Confidential and Proprietary
DISRUPTIVE LEADERSHIP:
A PARADIGM ON THE EDGE
A guide to tomorrow for today’s leadership.
Presented by:
Robert Radtke, Communications Manager, College Station (TX) Police.

2 Confidential and Proprietary
LEADERSHIP AT A CROSSROADS – A PARADIGM ON THE EDGE
Leadership in the age of Participation Trophies appears ever more challenging for those entering
or existing in the leadership space, especially in the public sector. Observations from the field
present a challenging picture of applying yesterday’s solutions to today’s problems.
The fact is that the oldest of the "millennials" are now almost 40 and have had the same things in
life happen to them that every generation before them had (bankruptcy, divorce, disease etc.)
What's followed in the form of Gen Z however are a new crop of hard working, fair minded,
worldly young people who aren't seeking what the generations before them once did.
Preparing to lead the next generation of young professionals, especially in the public sector, will
take less of the hard‐line “command and control” methods of the past and more authenticity,
personal strength and servant‐centered leadership along with the "soft" skills like empathy,
self‐awareness, kindness, and self‐esteem.

Historical Timeline: Building a Generational Cohort
Famous Launches:
2004: Facebook
2005: YouTube
2006: Twitter
2007: iPhone
2004-2007
Commercial
Internet is
established and is
utilized globally
1998
Global
Financial
Meltdown
2008
First African
American
President
Sworn In
2009
Launch of the
“gig” economy
with the roll-out
of Uber
2016

Phase One: What Modern Employees Want
-Purpose
-Engagement
-Impact
Strauss Howe Generational Theory

Purpose
For the next generation of workers, a job with a purpose other than simply making money is appealing.
When interviewed, younger workers are often looking for a “raison d’etre” or reason for being at your
agency or company.
The Monster Multi-Generational Survey surveyed more than two thousand working and non-working people across all
generations from Boomer to Gen Z to find out what makes them tick when it comes to jobs. A quarter of them were age
15 to 20. This provides a core sampling of Gen Z workers that are starting to think about work.
Compared to their predecessors, Gen Z workers are remarkably practical and financially minded, however
they resoundingly place purpose over paycheck. Building an inherent mission focus is key to
retention…keeping engaged with that mission is key to keeping THEM engaged in their work.
https://hiring.monster.com/litereg/genzreport.aspx

Impact
There are primary commonalities among the Gen Z worker, in chief there exists a desire to find meaning and
motivation to contribute to the world. It is also important to Gen Z to be highly educated and culturally diverse.
What’s more, they possess a desire for their own personalized experience. This will mean that Gen Z will require less
validation, be more independent and entrepreneurial, be more communicative, competitive and driven by security.
All of these things align to drive current and future employees in the Gen Z cohort to seek employment in a place
that does impactful work for the betterment of their communities or the world at large.
The impact must also be married by default to both diversity and inclusion above and beyond what we might
consider as a baseline today.

Engagement
In a recent survey, the Gen Z employee listed three “must haves” for their first and following jobs.
Seventy percent said health insurance, sixty-three said a competitive salary and sixty-one said
leadership they respect. These are the things that get our future in the door.
To keep them engaged is the next challenge. Leaders should expect to shell out a few more dollars
for tech; almost 40% of those surveyed expected that their smartphone will be “essential” to their
jobs. The survey also revealed that the majority of Gen Z workers would rather have their own workspace
than share it with someone else. Only eight percent wanted to share a workspace or have an open office concept.
Also, because Generation Z is the “information generation” raised on having their knowledge
“pushed” toward them, leaders should expect to check in with their Gen Z workers frequently and
face-to-face. Failure to do so and you run the risk of demotivating and disengaging.

Strauss-Howe Generational Theory – Turnings and Archetypeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss-Howe_generational_theory
• The First Turning is a High, which occurs after a Crisis. During The High,
institutions are strong and individualism not. Society is generally confident
about where it wants to go, though those outside the majority feel trapped by
the need for conformity
• The second is The Awakening. This era features attacks on institutions in the
name of personal autonomy. At a time when society is reaching greater public
progress, people suddenly tire of social discipline and want to recapture a
sense of “spirituality”.
• The Unraveling is the third. The mood of this era is in many ways the opposite
of a High: Institutions are distrusted, while individualism flourishes
• The Fourth turning is The Crisis This is an era of destruction, often involving
war or revolution in which institutional life is destroyed and rebuilt. After the
crisis, civic authority revives, cultural expression redirects towards common
purpose and people begin to identify themselves as members of a larger
group
• Prophet generations enter childhood during a High, a time of rejuvenated
community life and consensus around new social order. Prophets grow up as the
increasingly indulged children of this post-Crisis era, come of age as self-
absorbed young crusaders of an Awakening. (Baby Boomers)
• Nomad generations enter childhood during an Awakening, a time of social ideals
and spiritual agendas when young adults attack the established institutional
order. Nomads grow up as under-protected children during this Awakening (Gen
X)
• Hero generations enter childhood after an Awakening, during an Unraveling, a
time of individual pragmatism, self-reliance, and laissez-faire. Heroes grow up as
increasingly protected post-Awakening children. (Millenials)
• Artist generations enter childhood after an Unraveling, during a Crisis, a time
when great dangers reduce social and political complexity in favor of public
consensus, aggressive institutions, and an ethic of personal sacrifice. Artists grow
up overprotected by adults preoccupied with the Crisis. (Gen Z)
THE TURNINGS THE ARCHETYPES
The theory posits that there is a pattern of social generations called “turnings” that
have shown to repeat in American history. The four eras are called The High, The
Awakening, The Unraveling and The Crisis
The theory also identifies four recurring archetypes, Prophet, Nomad,
Hero, and Artist. The generations in each archetype not only share a similar age-
location in history but also share some basic attitudes towards family, risk, culture,
values and civic engagement.

Phase Two: What Modern Employees Need
-Recognition
-Stability
-Belonging
Game Theory: Finite and Infinite Games

Stability
Gen Z was the generation most affected in their youth by the global economic meltdown. They bore
witness as children to the losses of jobs, homes and retirement accounts, many of those surveyed
said that because of those things, they are seeking those things which are safer, more secure, which
means salaries, benefits and stable cultural environments.
Even though the economy has bounced back, the psychological damage is done and the sense of
instability continues. This shows itself in concern for the fragile environment and the changing state
of our government.
Despite the common stereotype of young people being addicted to their smartphones, the deep-
down desire for personal connection remains.

Recognition
A national study of adults ages 18 to 38 finds that Gen Z and Millennial employees are much more likely to feel dissatisfied
at work and seek other employment.
To combat this forthcoming exodus and to prevent them in the future, recognition is critical. While that means different
things for different agencies, providing a rewarding and validating work experience is the key to retention in the future.
Some recommended recognition programs are ones that focus on:
Shared identity by connecting the employee experience to the company's purpose and values, instilling a sense of
belonging and inspiring commitment and support.
Social rewards that deliver on the desire for connections with others, activating positive emotions in the brain in the same
way a cash gift would.
Progress feedback that communicates progress on meaningful work, contributing to satisfaction and maintaining
momentum and motivation.

Belonging
The U.S. Census Bureau forecasted that more than half of American children will belong to a so-
called “minority group” this year. For the Gen Z worker, diversity is considered the norm as opposed
to a goal or trend. This would indicate that the desire to “belong” is critical to their success and
ultimately, to yours.
While Gen Z are a largely social cohort from a digital perspective, they want to connect in person as
well. Several surveys have indicated that social events, planning sessions, project meetings and
project status updates are important to help foster the environment that will allow the greatest
success.

Game Theory: Finite vs. Infinite
• Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interaction among rational decision-makers. It has applications in all fields of social
science, as well as in logic, systems and computer science. Originally, it addressed zero-sum games, in which gains or losses are exactly balanced by
those of all participants. Today, game theory applies to a wide range of behavioral relations, and is now an umbrella term for the science of logical
decision making in humans, animals, and computers.
Finite Games Infinite Games
•Known Players
•Fixed Rules
•Defined Start
•Defined Ending
•“Winners/Losers”
•“What’s best for Me?”
•Known and Unknown Players
•Varied Rules
•No Defined Start
•No Defined Ending
•No “Winners/Losers”
•What’s best for US?
•Focus on Legacy

Boomers -- Generation X – Millennials – Generation Z
By The Numbers
Generation Y is the largest cohort of the group with 95 Million
people all of working age Purpose Ahead Of Paycheck
Boomers: 1944-1964 Generation X: 1965-1979
Generation Y: 1980-1994 Generation Z: 1995-2015
The percentage of Gen Z employees who, when surveyed, said they would put purpose
over paycheck is higher than any other cohort
76
82
95
74
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
BOOMERS GEN X GEN Y GEN Z
Pop. In Millions
67%
68%
70%
74%
62%
64%
66%
68%
70%
72%
74%
76%
Boomers Gen X Gen Y Gen Z
Purpose over Pay

Retention: What to Expect
42% 74% 70% 76%
Percentage of Gen Z
workers who are seeking
their own business
Percentage of Gen Z
workers who want their
work to have a greater
purpose
Percentage of Gen Z
workers who are motivated
by direct compensation
Percentage of Gen Z
workers who believe they
are responsible for their
career success

Strong Branding Matters: Success in Branding = Success in Hiring
Younger employees will rely on the
digital presence of potential employers
(highlighted by social recommendations)
to chose an employer.
In a high context culture such as one
finds on the internet, how other people
perceive your brand is important to the
Gen Z employee because they will get
their clues from that perception.
Agencies must create buzz and invest in
their outward strengths.
34%Reduction in Time to hire
43%
Increase Candidate
Attraction
44%
Increase Candidate
Quality
30%Increase in Referrals

Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan: Purpose
Authenticity: Your agency, city, department or business should plainly identify what it
is that it stands for and what makes you, as an employer, unique. Remember that
transparency in the digital universe is growing. There’s no room for faking it.
Shared values, shared mission: A study by American Express shows that 75% of
Millennial leaders prefer to work with people and organizations that share their
values. This impacts the workforce directly, as go the leaders, so goes the organization.

Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan: Impact
Changing the World: A recent study outlined the percentage of Gen Z
workers who want to work in a field or for a company that makes a positive
difference. These same people also donate heavily to causes they care
about. It becomes incumbent on the leaders of an organization to keep
sending a constant message of positivity and service, highlighting the
organization’s impact on the community.
Branding your cause: Find a philanthropic niche and make it part of your brand with all
your stakeholders. Meaningful partnerships with charities can create an added sense
of purpose for both the customers you serve—and the people you hire to serve them.

Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan: Engagement
Presence: Social media is more important now than ever…and it will be more important still as time
goes on. There’s no reason not to be on all the relevant platforms…in fact, agencies or employers should
be platform agnostic. Further, the message cannot be created or managed by someone not directly
affiliated with the agency or employer.
Gamification of statistical data: Recognition competitions such as leaderboards at scale
can create positive competition and inspire your personnel to do their best and recognize
colleagues.
Blogs and Interest Groups: Leadership can increase connections and spark interactions
between your personnel by allowing them to select and engage in activities and hobbies
that are of interest to them and then see who else in the organization shares their
interests.

Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan: Stability
Cash: To provide the stability that your Gen Z personnel seek, direct compensation will be a prime
motivator. Because of the way they were raised and the challenges that they witnessed in childhood,
the Gen Z professional will be a bit of a mercenary when it comes to compensation. The reality is
that the old “location” market comparison computations won’t be sufficient to attract career-minded
personnel. Leading in pay as opposed to lagging is critical.
Clarity: The clarity required to project stability to the Gen Z workers will be uncomfortable for older
managers or supervisors who, under the “chain of command” model may not be used to being
questioned about the reasons some things are done.
Those managers will need to suck it up. With this generation making up almost a quarter of the
global workforce later this year, they will eventually replace managers resistant to providing
answers.

Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan: Belonging
- Storytelling: Encourage current personnel to share stories of purpose and of times they felt part of
the organization to increase belonging.
- Transparency: Even before they come on board, Generation Z workers know how to use technology
to find just about anything they want to know about a company. As employees, they will be further
engaged by a company culture that encourages and embraces transparency. You can build
transparency by allowing employees to see function and to interact by encouraging direct, honest
communication from leadership; and by providing employees with various ways to get to know one
another.
- Brand: It cannot be said often enough, younger workers are brand loyal and will remain brand loyal
as long as they can identify with your brand.

Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan: Recognition
Autonomy/flexibility: While many of the younger generation will choose to “freelance”
those generally aren’t always the ones attracted to public service. With that in mind, the
ability to be autonomous in the execution of their duties after training and some flexibility
with their scheduling to create an environment with autonomy “baked” in to the process
will likely satisfy that need and can be seen as a method of trust and recognition
Pay It Forward: In another survey, 79% of Gen Z workers stated they would remain in their
current job if they received 3 $50 paid rewards over a 1 year period. Seventy percent of
them would use fewer sick days for a single $75 reward and a full 90% would participate in
a wellness program for $25.

Death of the Performance Review (a post mortem)
The Annual Performance Review is a point of dread for the vast majority of both
managers and employees. A Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)
study, 95% of employees are dissatisfied with their company’s appraisal process
and 90% don’t believe the process provides accurate information. If you think
about YOUR process, you know it’s true.
“Because we’ve always done it that way”. The most dangerous words in the
English Language. Unfortunately, we’ve been influenced and conditioned by
corporate culture to accept them as normal and most of us are simply shamed into
doing them, knowing full well how ineffective they are.
https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/Pages/0415-qualitative-performance-reviews.aspx

Using feedback on performance to course correct once a year, is like trying to navigate a
minefield by counting the mines you didn’t step on.
The antidote to the annual review was, for many, the “360 review”. Finally a solution showed
up that allowed for a full review of everyone that allowed a complete look at the employee
performance from attendance to attitude.
This, primarily is because of how cumbersome it is but also because the 360 involves people
who don’t actually WORK with the person being reviewed and, in point of fact, may not be
qualified to judge the work they produce.

To the Rescue: Kaizen...Continuous Improvement
For those in the public safety field especially, when lives are quite literally on the line, adoption
of a custom version of the Japanese process of Kaizen will be critical in the hiring and retention
of the next generations of workers.
Continuous improvement means to make small, immediate corrections to practice, activity and
even policy with the input of the entire team from the CEO to the persons involved with the
activity.
While it will mean different things for different agencies and communities, for most it will
transform agencies into highly functional teams and allow for just the kind of environment in
which younger workers can and will thrive.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in
every opportunity; an optimist sees
the opportunity in every difficulty.
-Winston Churchill

Disruptive Leadership

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