What moves the corporate world has changed. People are looking for purpose in what they do. We don’t want to spend our days repeating something or following someone’s orders without understanding what and why we are spending our time at it, or learning in the process. Work needs to make sense. There is no more such thing as work/life balance, as there is no way to separate the two. Work IS life. We want a better life and, unlike the workers who came prior to us, we don’t want to wait for it. We want a better life NOW. Making sense of work is what will allow us (myself included) to invest in what we do. By investing, I use the word in its broader meaning, which includes our time, energy, and mostly, PASSION.

My last couple of years as a people leader has taught me that engaging a team is a leader’s biggest challenge. Strategy and execution have become minor challenges. Leadership needs to be able to extract what the team has to give in order to obtain the results we need to deliver. Honestly, I think a lot of us, leaders, are lost and trying to understand how to adapt to this new scenario and to get our people to put their hearts in what they do. Machines will take over a lot of activities and processes. For us to make progress, we need to create an environment where our teams are encouraged to cooperate, work creatively, innovate, be proactive and empathetic. Social skills will pair up with cognitive skills. This is what is going to make a difference in an automated world and it cannot be forced upon anyone.

How can leadership make sure people are doing their best? How can we truly inspire others?

People have the need to feel recognized, and to feel that they matter. This is how, in times when technology is everywhere, the oldest values of loyalty, being available, active listening, empathy and consistency become a must. People need direction, but mostly they need someone they can talk to. Someone who will understand them as individuals and be there for them. Someone who genuinely cares about their development and their wellbeing. In times of multitasking, being able to focus is key. Talking to someone without looking at the phone, being available, returning a phone call. Neither of these costs anything or take practice, but all have a huge power of showing people both respect and that you care. And then, just like that, a miracle happens. If you listen to people, they will listen to you. If you respect them, they will respect you. Reciprocity is one of the world’s oldest laws. There’s no more need to use authority, just some basic old school practices.

In times of intense leadership discussions and investment in training, it seems like we are focusing on the wrong things, and losing sight of the most basic and most important part of the equation: the other person. That is where it all starts. What will allow us to get there is another good old value: generosity. First, we give. Only then we ask for something in return.