Finding Your Leadership Style - As a Gen Xer

As one enters mid-life, some may reflect and question what they are passionate about, how does this passion relate and support their purpose, and when does it become apparent that a change needs to happen if there is unhappiness with oneself? As these questions arise, one may begin to doubt their identity in what it represents to include, how does this relate to their legacy, in what they would like to be known for (Mach, 2019).

In identifying one’s passion, purpose, identity, and legacy; it is also imperative that one’s leadership quotient be included in this discovery journey. If leadership is about influencing and, influencing is about having a direct impact on the development and support of others, then it resonates with one’s legacy in how they made them feel. In this reflection, it will engage in the above listed questions with the understanding of how it evolved to someone realizing, identifying, and determining their leadership style.

 Midlife or middle age in the United States can be defined as those who are between the ages of 40 and 60 years old. For many, it is a transitional time as changes occur physically, socially, spiritually and in some cases, impacts a person’s identity both positively and negatively. From seeing wrinkles in the mirror, feeling pains as one rises from bed, the exodus of children leaving the nest, and the realization that one’s life expectancy is about 20 years away; it all plays a role in fomenting the thoughts that life is halfway over (Infurna et al., 2020).

It is during this time where many who face midlife will lean into or face it profoundly and, come to the realization of who they are, what they are known for, how they get things accomplished, and the legacy they want to leave behind. What is important to note is that there are many who are content with who they are, what they are known for, and satisfied in the legacy they want to leave behind. Then, there are those who start out with good intentions such as the wise King Solomon whose leadership quotient progressively deteriorated over time due to a lack of awareness, naivety, and self-absorption (Merida, 2015). However, there is a large group of predominantly Generation Xer’s who want to approach, engage, and leverage midlife in a more positive and productive way (Chuang, 2019).

Demographers William Strauss and Neil Howe define Generation Xer’s or Gen X as those born between the years of 1961 and 1981, where other organizations narrow the scope to 1965 and 1979. This group has been defined as the “in-between” generation as the other significant groups of the Baby Boomers and the Millennials have been known for their own unique experiences. Because of this identity, Gen Xer’s have had a difficult time achieving financial security, experienced extreme events such as the Great Recession, and may carry monetary burdens from parents and children (Kagan, 2022). It is in part to these challenges that have caused many Gen Xer to re-evaluate their passions, purpose, identity, and legacy with the focus of finding their contentment. This is in-turn has allowed many Gen Xer’s to evaluate their perspective, self-awareness, influencing prowess but overall, leadership style.

When Gen Xer’s arrived at the workforce, most workers they encountered were made up of Baby Boomers and Traditionalists where perspectives and definitions of leadership were different from today. The differences include the burden placed on the worker of learning the work quickly through informal training, asking minimal questions, and accepting what was said from management with little push back. In essence, intrinsic motivation was truly intrinsic from the worker and not necessarily influenced by the leader or manager. However, by the 1980’s the formal and hierarchal organizational structure began to change, allowing for better alignment and agility of the company to meet the changes of the times. In addition to these changes’ differences in the approach to leadership began to change with the focus of engaging more to motivate teams positively, productively, and professionally (Ulmer, 1997).

As the 1980’s progressed, there has been significant changes in the workplace from the introduction to new technologies, the implementation of various management systems and many other enhancements that have heightened workplace performance. However, what is significant is the transition of who is burden with intrinsically motivating team members. Team members are still responsible for their own motivation but, the introduction of the Millennials in the workforce has altered that mindset. Because of this change and the demands Millennials have placed on their leaders, Generation Xer’s have had to become more insightful, engaged, and intentional in their leadership quotient to include their personal style and approach (Jones, 2018).  

As 2023 is almost upon us, some Generations Xer’s can see retirement within the next 10 years. 10 years is not tomorrow however, it will arrive very soon which makes it more exciting and frightening in determining passion, purpose, identify and legacy. Most importantly, the prowess of one’s leadership quotient in influencing others. For some of Generational Xer’s, they have been observant, attentive, and engaged to ensure they connect passion with legacy. In doing so, one particular leadership style has emerged (Valenti, 2019).

Servant leadership is a genuine feeling of choosing to be of service where the leader places the team and each team member first, above all. The characteristics of servant leadership includes building self-awareness, active listening, engaging empathetically, and caring for the followers. In a 1964 essay, the Essentials of Servant Leadership, Robert K. Greenleaf introduced the concept with the goals of replacing the authoritarian management style of the day (Northouse, 2018). It is the elements and characteristics of servant leadership that have been proven beneficial in driving intrinsic motivation, mentoring, and coaching team members, and connecting them to their overall goals (Valenti, 2019).

In conclusion, Generation Xer’s or those that are in midlife have been able to identify their passion, connect it with their purpose, solidify their identity and launch their legacy for the future. It is through being observant, attentive, and engaged with their surroundings that have allowed them to identify the best approach either at home or in the workplace (Shashok, 2019). Based on those surroundings and the intentional results one would like to achieve; servant leadership has been beneficial not to say that other styles could be just as affective. However, what a gift when a person brings up one’s name in how they positively influenced them to be and do better through the support of a servant leader.