Business leaders to get with the times

Most workplaces suck and leaders don’t know what to do, said author Chris Edmonds.

He knows that’s a bold statement.

“For the most part, they are doing the best that they can,” Edmonds said. “But, when leaders fall into what’s always been done — systems, incentives, rewards, competition with each other — we wind up with very individualistic, competitive, I-win-you-lose work environments. We’ve got to get leaders to stop, take a breath, and imagine what it would be like if every interaction was treated with trust and respect.”

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Edmonds, CEO of The Purposeful Culture Group and author of “The Culture Engine” is heading up a one-day “Life. Leadership. Elevated” conference in Denver this June to provide local leaders in the workforce with information and inspiration on creating better work environments.

“Can leaders continue doing what has always been done and create a welcoming work environment for new generations? Absolutely not,” Edmonds said. “And, I want you to be a little worried about that.”

At 66 years old now, Edmonds recalled where his head was at as a young adult.

“I was a surfer in California,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking about going to work for my dad after college. I wasn’t really thinking about a career plan at all. These days, the power of mass communication online is very effective in influencing young people to give their careers and work/life balance some thought.”

The general demands and preferences of not just millennials but also Gen Zs will impact corporate organizations globally.

“I think it’s going to be huge,” Edmonds said. “I believe we are seeing a desire, a real passion for proactive involvement in life and career among the young workers.”

Edmonds said this is a time of great opportunity to link millennials to the workforce.

“They want certain things, and if you can’t provide that, they will look elsewhere,” he said. “How can you incorporate these principles into your company?”

It’s the responsibility of workplace leaders to invite people in as opposed to telling them what to do, Edmonds said. The next generations require different leadership, different work environments and engagement.

What to expect

The conference — via speaker presentations and panels, audience interaction, breakout discussion sessions and networking — will offer participants opportunities to learn techniques and strategies to become better leaders in their workplaces and their communities.

Deeper leadership, as Edmonds said, is helping leaders lead more effectively so that their employees feel more trusted and respected.

“We’re going to present very tactical, implementable ideas that these leaders can try,” Edmonds said.

Attendance is limited to 40 participants, allowing for dialogue and engagement between attendees and speakers.

The conference fee of $249 includes coffee and snacks, a hot buffet lunch, a beer/wine reception and signed books by each of the speakers:

Mark Babbitt, CEO of YouTern, will speak about authenticity: appreciating employees’ lives outside the workplace and building a foundation of how to keep it real, honest and transparent, with integrity.

Chris Edmonds, CEO of The Purposeful Culture Group, will unpack the idea that things aren’t going back to the way they were.

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle, CEO of Retail Minded, will draw from her retail experience to show how corporate workplaces can take cues from shifts in the retail industry.

Ann Phillips, CEO of Phillips Consulting, will speak on self-leadership: Everything you do has an effect on others and your team.