When Genzers met Amazon leaders – #ADayAtAmazon

My day with bright, confident, and woke ‘Genzers’.

I'm a firm believer in the power of coaching and mentorship. Talent development is not about giving someone a job or a title, but about teaching them how to lead, how to make decisions and how to work together collaboratively with others. And therefore, for our youth to grow into pragmatic leaders who can make a difference in their communities and beyond, we need more than just a title on someone's resume; we need real-world experience that will help them become better at what they do every day and become ready for whatever challenges and opportunities they may face as professionals.

According to a survey done by Ernst & Young (EY), the power to shape the next decade lies in the hands of -- Generation Z. They don’t restrict themselves to entertainment and pop culture alone, they actively voice their opinions on politics, government policies, sustainable future, and economic development. In my personal endeavor to spend more time with budding leaders, we invited Riya Mehta (IIM-Bangalore) and Gokul V Sunil VS (SP Jain – Mumbai) to spend a day with me and my leaders, in Amazon. My day with Riya and Gokul reaffirmed the potential this generation carries. They walked in to the office brimming with curiosity, confidence and palpable energy. I wanted to be truly invested to ensure that Riya and Gokul had a great time and maximized their learning from the experiences that day. And then, it was a fantastic opportunity for me and my team to also learn from them!

The day was full of so many interesting learnings and insights for me (and hopefully for them).

My thoughts from a day with Riya and Gokul:

Lead with empathy: Have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. You have to be able to step into the shoes of others, but you can’t do so, unless and until you take off your own shoes first! It's a skill that can be developed, but it takes time and practice to master it. There are no shortcuts here—you have to be patient with yourself.

Leadership requires empathy because leaders need to know how their teams feel so they can relate on an emotional level with them (or at least try). When we lead with empathy, we show our teams that they matter by recognizing their unique needs as people rather than just numbers or statistics and this helps build trust and psychological safety net.

Give or take up a seat at the table: In any organization, it’s important to give freshers an opportunity to be heard and make contributions. One way of doing this is by giving them a seat at the table—a place where they can voice their ideas and concerns without fear of being ignored or dismissed as insignificant. This doesn't mean you have to give everyone an equal vote or say on every decision; just ensure that everyone feels like they're part of something bigger than themselves (and therefore invested in) by giving them the opportunity to influence the decisions being made within your company.

Teach them to speak up: Speaking up is a skill that can be taught. When you feel like you have something to say, don't be afraid to speak up! It is important for youngsters to know how much they are valued and respected. You can model this behavior by encouraging them to share their thoughts with others and offering feedback on what they said. This will help create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and opinions, which will allow everyone an opportunity for growth as leaders in the future.

Encourage them to lead and watch them from the back of the room: This is a great way to foster leadership because it allows you to watch them as they work through their ideas and challenges. They must know that their efforts will be applauded irrespective of success or failure. When they know that you have their back and can jump in when they need support, you will see how much fun they're having!

Get out of their way: It's important to let youth reach their full potential. As a leader, you must be willing to let go of control and trust them with the job. You may think that being a leader means taking charge, but it doesn't have to be that way, in today’s scenario. You can lead by example or by getting out of their way, as long as they are allowed to fail along the way and learn from their mistakes—it's part of building confidence in yourself and them.

Our youth have the potential to be great leaders of the future. It is our responsibility to nurture this potential and help them become the leaders they are capable of becoming. They need opportunities to lead themselves, their peers, and their communities. We must provide those opportunities by helping them build the skills they need to take ownership of their own development as well as that of others in their lives.

Conclusion: The world is changing, and we need strong leaders to guide us through these times of uncertainty. And while we know that young people have the potential to be great leaders, we must not forget that they also need our help and support to enable them to lead the way.