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To sustain success, it is important for leaders not only 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 an important role in helping young talent succeed.
Below, 17 members of Newsweek’s Expert Panel explore different ways successful entrepreneurs and leaders can reach out to the next generation and give them a head start. By actively engaging and supporting the next generation, business leaders can foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity and continuous growth while making a lasting positive impact on future generations of professionals.
1. Create a supportive culture
Create and maintain a corporate culture that truly promotes the well-being of your employees. Educating yourself about learning styles from the start, the ability to effectively transition from work to personal life, and setting appropriate boundaries for self-care are critical to fostering a culture of collaboration and preventing generations of collective burnout and professional withdrawal. – Leah Marone, Corporate Wellness Consultant
2. Meet with as many people as possible
Often the challenge is not in potential or strength, but in access. While a single person can only hire a limited number of mentors, those with a deep and far-reaching network can take the time for brief introductory interviews with next-generation colleagues. The introductions that result from these conversations can open doors and provide pathways to success for the next generation. – Lowell Apple Tree, Vista Cova
3. Work with university programs
Working as a mentor in university entrepreneurship or leadership programs is a great way to give back and show the next generation that they are not alone in their journey. This work also gives the next generation an idea of the real challenges they will face as they become self-employed and start their own businesses and networks. – Ryan Carroll, Wealth Assistants
4. Offer interns real experiences
One way to help the next generation that I find very effective is to take those who apply to intern and actually employ them. Also, invest in new ideas. Those who study business administration only learn the actual business when they do business. The best way to give them this opportunity is to actually let them participate in running a business. – Collin Plume, Noble Gold Investments
5. Publish educational blog posts
By sharing a weekly how-to blog post on a personal website, you can easily reach the younger generation of readers who are currently interested in learning how to get ahead of those around them. If you want to build an audience for your blog, it’s also important to build an email list and share each of your new posts on your social media accounts. – Christian Anderson, Lost Boy Entertainment LLC
6. Take on various supporting roles
Be a mentor, cheerleader and advocate for talent. These are three different roles. A mentor is an advisor, someone who can guide you in your career. A cheerleader is confident in her abilities and encourages others to believe in themselves and try. A champion sits at the table ready to support people for opportunities and promotions. Leaders identify the talents with which they can authentically fulfill these roles. – Michelle Tillis Lederman, Author, The Connector’s Advantage
7. Build sustainable leadership pipelines
Successful business owners and leaders must seek out and nurture the next and best talent by developing a sustainable leadership pipeline in their organization and/or industry. When I work with organizations, I focus on creating natural areas in the organization, identifying leaders in each area, and developing personalized growth plans for each. – Donna Marie Cozine, Consult DMC
8. Provide 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. Up-and-coming talent will receive state-of-the-art education and providing them with hands-on hands-on experience will be of value to the rising star and the company. – Britton Bloch, Navy Federal
9. Be a sponsor and mentor
Make sure you take on the role of both sponsor and mentor. As a sponsor, you are in the room where decisions about your career are made. They can have a significant impact on their professional development. 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 enable their future. – Sabina Pons, growth molecules
10. Ask questions and get involved
Show personal interest and get involved on an individual level. Ask questions and listen. Find out what’s important and how you can help by providing insight and background context. Often a new perspective results in a win-win situation that both engages the new employee and leads to a new thought or improvement for your company. – Margie Kiesel, Avaneer Health
11. Share insights and industry knowledge
The next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders seem to be navigating in ways that previous generations of leaders may not understand. However, it is important for successful entrepreneurs and leaders to share their experiences, knowledge and insights with the next generation. Mentoring and coaching are common methods. Internships and apprenticeships provide a head start by building skills and networks. – Lillian Gregory, The 4D Unicorn
12. Encourage creative thinking
We are living in an incredible era characterized by rapid innovation in various industries. A time when many of today’s highly regarded professions didn’t even exist half a decade ago. Therefore, the best way to shape our next generation is to emphasize creative thinking and harness the dynamic nature of knowledge. Foster a culture that is changing the way we approach education and upskilling. – Gergo Vari, Lensa
13. Offer support and be generous
Partnership is not only understood as “strategic relationships”. Collaborate with external corporate strategies simply by providing support and generating minimal ROI. The next generation of entrepreneurs is more exposed and vulnerable than ever (think Gen Z social media). One way to ease those fears is to share experiences and be generous when it comes to acknowledging the low points of our careers. – Jacob Mathison, Mathison Projects Inc.
14. Help financially if possible
Unfortunately, younger generations face higher mortgage and car loan rates, unpaid student loans, and other financial difficulties. To the extent that wealthy entrepreneurs can help their employees move forward, those efforts are appreciated. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures
15. Help pay off your student debt
One way for leaders and entrepreneurs to help the next generation is to pay off student 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 agreement when recruiting employees. – Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
16. Provision of learning and development programs
One way to give the next generation a head start is by offering mentoring and counseling programs. Provide opportunities for learning and development, create a fun and supportive work environment, and be a role model who leads by example. – Alan Wozniak, Business Health Matters (BHM) Executive Consulting
17. Implement a mentoring program
We try to create a mentoring program where the most successful employees accompany the new hires. It provides them with a high level of industry-specific knowledge, guidance and support that they might otherwise not have access to. – Tammy Sons, Tn Nursery
