Leadership Strategies
My strategy session with De Nguyen truly tackled issues that we’ve both observed as leadership trainers and working with some of the best and brightest leaders we’ve seen. Productive generational relationships have to start with putting the “actions” in “interactions.” He practices what he preaches, and, he shares his experiences and thoughts with us in the following action steps.

1. Training in Action
Good leaders know that they can always improve. Better leaders know that they can always learn from others—including those that they lead. De Nguyen advised that one should always seek training programs, workshops and conferences in order to improve. Formal training provides a boost in skill sets and motivation for leaders. There are many programs that do this. As leadership trainers, De Nguyen and I really found chemistry and learned from each other—we’ve seen people in our sessions changed, while making our own transformation by learning from them.

2. Mentoring in Action
Beyond formal training, long-term relationships can complement training quite well. Mentoring was the second primary strategic action De Nguyen suggested. My research team and I have combed through many materials about mentoring and it does prove effective. The BSA not only trains leaders; the organization matches youth with mentors. Studies have shown that those who reach the highest positions in society all have mentors. They didn’t do it alone. Find a mentor—heck, find several mentors. Learn from their failures and success. They can teach you ideas and strategies for success that you wouldn’t often learn in books or school. Trust their guidance and value the time that they spend with you. These successful people are busy, but they’re willing to give time to you. When you meet folks at conferences, receptions, mixers and classes, do you follow up to seek their mentorship and advice? Hopefully, the answer is yes.

3. Assessments in Action
Do you know your dominant personality and leadership styles? Can you identify which traits and behaviors that you use most often? De Nguyen stated it most poignantly, “if we can have a smaller group for leadership profiles, we could assess and survey their interests and then match them up with key mentors who would be useful to these youth. Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a conference and match these youth up with role models. Whoever wrote this plan didn’t complete the cycle of having a role model. After a conference, what do these youth attendees do after they go home? You would see a larger percentage of leaders emerge from these conferences if you complete the cycle and were matched with 1 or 2 leaders who could guide them.” Understand yourself and you can improve your mentoring relationship.

A Lifetime of Leadership
Strong leaders can simultaneously function as strong followers. Generational gaps can easily be bridged with innovative leadership across the age groups. Ultimately, De Nguyen couldn’t chat long. He had to go back to finish up a leadership training session. He was going back to put the “action” into “interaction” with the younger generations.

---

Vu H. Pham, Ph.D. is the Founding Partner of Spectrum Knowledge, Inc., a research, consulting and training organization. He also currently serves as a Researcher in the Paul Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine, as well as the Asian American Studies Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. Previously, he held a Research Fellow position through the University of California Office of the President and is Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Vietnamese American Heritage Project.

end