“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes.”
― Peter Drucker

If the job can be done from anywhere, but you mandate it be done in this specific location, you care more about the location than the result.

Some business executives actually brag about the number or percentage of their employees who work in the office vs. remote. They are, in fact, bragging about how many butts-in-seats they get to micromanage!

What happened to executives who focused on meaningful KPIs over “back in my day” behaviors? What happened to CEOs who measured business outcomes instead of attendance? What happened to leaders who put their team and mission first instead of selfishly trying to force everyone to exactly match their style?

Don’t worry. Those good leaders are out there. A few of them are in their 70s or 80s proving that experience combined with adaptability is unstoppable. Some are in their 50s or 60s watching as their peers cling desperately to the ways of the past. A surprising number are in their 30s or 40s refusing to let their own ego get in the way.

But watch out for the next generation of leaders. The people just figuring it out in their 20s, or even younger, are watching and learning. They’re learning what works and what doesn’t. They don’t have any ego to bruise or position to lose because they’re at the beginning of the journey. But society didn’t make them entitled, AI didn’t make them dumb, and college didn’t make them soft. They’re hungry and getting after it, and they’re coming for the weak leaders who stopped learning, refuse to adapt, or think their way is the only way.