Choose your leadership wisely

In the year 44 BC, the senators of ancient Rome decided they wanted a leadership change and took a stab at making it themselves … literally. On that fateful day in mid-March they got a new boss after putting 23 holes in Julius Caesar.

History lesson aside, leadership matters. Especially now.

As the baby boomers retire to go golfing, or fishing, or whatever it is retired people do, corporate leaders need to replace these important, knowledgeable, high-level workers.

A recently published study, “Global Leadership Forecast 2018: 25 Research Insights to Fuel Your People Strategy,” revealed that C-level executives -- those with the word chief in their job titles -- rank developing the next generation of leaders as their top priority.

Produced as a collaboration between DDI, The Conference Board, and EY, this forecast includes data from more than 25,000 leaders and 2,500 human resources professionals across 26 industries worldwide.

“If you’re deeply concerned about your organization’s lack of leadership capability, you are in the clear majority,” said Evan Sinar, chief scientist and vice president of DDI and lead author of the forecast.

The majority is right. The No. 1 concern of the CEOs surveyed was developing their next generation of leaders, with a staggering 64 per cent of responders saying it was their top worry. To put that in context, the worry of a possible global recession ranked as the top concern for only 24 per cent of those same CEOs.

The researchers advise you start by identifying critical leadership roles with the understanding that some, if not all, of your current team may not be right for the roles you wish to fill. Knowing this early will allow you to nurture those staff members who have the correct combination of technical knowledge, temperament, and imagination.

With this need for leadership in mind, Canadian Metalworking will profile some of the young people making a difference in Canada’s metalworking sector who will become the next generation of C-level manufacturing executives.

The Next Gen Leadership Awards, which will be announced in December, are meant to honour the skilled young people who are driving the Canadian manufacturing industry forward. We welcome nominations from all areas of the metalworking, fabricating, and welding industries, including machinists, designers, programmers, fabricators, welders, and metrology experts.

To nominate someone for a Next Gen Leadership recognition, visit www.canadianmetalworking.com/mfgleaders to fill out a nomination form.