| | OCTOBER 2024MANAGEHRMAGAZINE.COM8In MyOpinionCOMMAND TO COMPASSION: THE SHIFT TO HUMAN-CENTERED LEADERSHIPBy Rico Maranto, Sr. Manager, Leadership Development, WMThe Demand for Human-Centered LeadershipWM and other progressive companies are shifting to a human-centered leadership culture to attract the best talent, engage employees, and get better results. The necessity for this shift is apparent from an analysis of the past, present, and future. The Past The world was recently shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic, employees returned to work traumatized by that experience and sought employers who would demonstrate sensitivity, flexibility, and care for them and their families--a human-centered mindset. The Present Businesses are currently experiencing the great resignation. Many people who lost their employment during the pandemic chose not to return to work, and retirement of the Baby Boomer generation is imminent. For these reasons and others, there is a labor shortage, and competition for talent is fierce. When employees are scarce, job seekers can hold out for better work-life balance, improved benefits, better pay, and more opportunities for advancement. Companies must shift to a human-centered culture to create an attractive workplace and win the battle for the best talent. The Future In the future, companies will, of necessity, shift to human-centered leadership because Millennials (Generation Y) and Zoomers (Generation Z) will not tolerate traditional command-and-control styles of leadership. They expect inclusive, collaborative work environments built upon partnerships between employees and leaders. They expect a human-centered culture. What is Human-Centered Leadership?Human-centered leadership is built upon the principles of servant leadership. Robert K. Greenleaf, an executive at AT&T, is widely regarded as the pioneer of the Rico Maranto
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