Leaders today face the significant challenge of connecting with their employees and effectively recognizing and leveraging their unique talents. This often results in disengagement and underperformance. As the millennial generation, which highly values authenticity and compassion, becomes the dominant force in the global workforce, this issue becomes even more pressing. Traditional leadership styles frequently fall short, leaving employees feeling unrecognized and disengaged. The solution lies in adopting a more compassionate, gift-centered approach to leadership. By embracing and acknowledging the unique strengths of each individual, leaders can foster a more connected, motivated, and effective team.

Susan Inouye’s proven track record as an executive coach in transformational change has positively impacted over 600 businesses in 40 industries. A recognized expert with millennials, she was instrumental in taking a revolutionary method called Sawubona Leadership (Zulu for “I see you”) and is being used globally because of its capacity to unite all generations through their gifts, passions and purpose. She is the bestselling author of Leadership's Perfect Storm: What Millennials Are Teaching Us about Possibilities, Passion and Purpose. 

In this episode, Susan shares the importance of recognizing and leveraging individual gifts within an organization to foster a more engaged and productive workforce. She emphasizes the need for leaders to practice self-awareness and vulnerability, particularly in the context of working with millennials and Gen Z, who value authentic and compassionate leadership. She talks about the concept of "gift-centered praise," which focuses on acknowledging the underlying strengths behind employees' actions to encourage broader application of their talents. 

What you will learn from this episode:

• Discover the necessary core shifts in leadership that will be a game changer in the workplace
• Find out how these three simple yet profound principles of Sawubona Leadership drive significant positive outcomes
• Listen to Susan's spot coaching and discover practices that develop heart intelligence and intuitive knowing to help you make decisions more effectively and avoid staying too long in unsuitable roles

"The shifts that we have to make as leaders are, and we say this in Sawubona leadership, is number one, we have to go from control to connect and receive."

- Susan Inouye

Valuable Resources:

• Free 15-Minute Executive Coaching Session. Your Questions Answered No Strings Attached. Click here: https://ask.susaninouye.com

Topics Covered:

03:19 - Susan shares her journey in focusing on millennials in the workplace and how she adapted this approach called Sawubona Leadership

06:52 - Sawubona leadership and how it drives necessary shifts in workplace culture from transactional to human-centric

13:34 - Millennial mantras and how they are driving significant changes in leadership 

14:58 - How these three profound approaches not only enhance leadership but also leads to significant business growth

17:46 - Listen to Susan demonstrate with Sarah the power of Sawubona through her laser coaching

43:32 - How effective change start

46:10 - Fostering leadership through vulnerability and recognition of individual gifts 

47:50 - Q: Why do women have the edge in being the kind of leaders we need to take companies to the next level and to thrive in the 21st century? A: Millennials want compassionate leaders who see and accept them for who they are. And while men can employ it, women are more attuned to compassion.

Key Takeaways:

"It's not about the practices in their life, it's the practices integrated in their life that actually gets them to do it and transform in the way they do." - Susan Inouye

"My execs have found, when you see and accept someone for who they are, they see and accept you for who you are. And a different conversation unfolds. It's not one of us lecturing to each other, but one of us listening and learning from each other." - Susan Inouye

"In its simplicity, the three things of Sawubona, if you connect and receive, if you see people's gifts, if you create a culture where people feel a part of something greater than themselves, so many things can happen." - Susan Inouye

Ways to Connect with Susan Inouye:

• Website: http://susaninouye.com/
• Book: Leadership's Perfect Storm: What Millennials Are Teaching Us about Possibilities, Passion and Purpose

Ways to Connect with Sarah E. Brown:

• Website: https://www.sarahebrown.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/knowguides
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahebrownphd
• To speak with her: bookachatwithsarahebrown.com