Someone old, someone new: Build generational interaction

Generations are growing farther apart, with large percentages of Generation Z and those over 50 actively avoiding each other and 17% admitting they don't know how to interact -- a problem that causes tension, decreases productivity, dims effectiveness and widens skills gaps. To realize the benefits of generational diversity, leaders can bridge the divide with solutions such as reverse mentoring or virtual coffee breaks that allow for a two-way knowledge exchange, experts say.

Put it into practice: Leaders need to build a culture that helps everyone, of every age, thrive, LinkedIn career expert Charlotte Davies says. Create opportunities for multiage teams to strive for a shared goal, ensuring that the different generations have "equal status" and are encouraged to cooperate, says Daniel Jolles of the London School of Economics Inclusion Initiative.

Effectiveness as a leader requires three kinds of power: position, expert and personal, which allow, respectively, command of those below you, expertise in a topic and charisma, leadership expert Paul Thornton writes. "[I]neffective leaders squander their power, hoarding it for personal gain," but effective leaders avoid that power trip by helping others succeed, Thornton explains.

Put it into practice: Thornton outlines several actions to take to build each of the three powers, such as improving your emotional intelligence and executive presence. Leaders also can exceed expectations, build relationships, be eager to learn more and help their boss succeed.

Words are similar to Legos: Those put together well help you shine, and those assembled poorly can derail a project or relationship, author and speaker Art Petty writes. "[Y]ou can assemble them in a nearly infinite number of ways" and ideally construct the kind of communication that can "help people grow, create clarity and alignment, or redouble your display of respect for others," Petty says.

Put it into practice: Words that empower and inspire are the secret building blocks to success. "Constructed properly, words solve more problems than they make," Petty writes.

It's Ashok Krish's job as a leader in the AI.Cloud unit at Tata Consultancy Services to know what's next in business, and in this Q&A he shares his keen grasp on technology, the definition of "work" and reimagining companies for an AI world. Krish believes AI soon will be a core competency for every C-suite role and will have its own seat on the board. "I think human skill is fundamentally going to be about framing, asking the right questions, curation, assessing and thinking," Krish forecasts, pointing to the importance of a symbiotic blend between humanities and technology.

Even though a French library recently removed four 19th-century books from its shelves due to suspected arsenic embedded in the covers, experts say humans have often cozied up to toxic substances and lived to write a book about it. That era's books, wallpapers, art and other products featured potentially poisonous heavy metals like arsenic, lead and chromium for pigments, like the green color in old books' covers. While infrequent contact isn't likely to harm you, Melissa Tedone, a conservationist and co-leader of the Poison Book Project, recommends wearing nitrile gloves when handling your collection of green-covered 19th-century books and washing your hands before touching your mouth, eyes or small children.

As tax guidance related to the Inflation Reduction Act continues to be released from US government agencies, trends in how companies are leveraging certain incentives are beginning to emerge, according to Lauren Collins from Vinson & Elkins LLP. During this podcast, Collins discusses trends in tax credits linked to domestic content, energy community and hydrogen production credits. Collins also outlines the popularity of transferable tax credits and the uncertainty of direct pay incentives.

The Candace Countdown is getting closer to confetti time, when she will return to write far shorter summaries than I. I'm sincerely sorry for the length of the Daily Diversion -- but, seriously, how could I (a writer/editor) not go long on a story like that? I do promise that the blue-pixeled masthead at the top of your SmartBrief on Leadership isn't laced with anything untoward. 

Apologies once again for not bringing you an awww-inspiring animal article. That will be my Friday goal. (I did take a pass today on this article about an emotional support alligator, despite the fun photo of an old man hugging it.)

Have a great rest of the day!