You don't have to look hard to notice that our Country is experiencing a crisis of leadership. Pick up any newspaper and you'll find dozens of articles recounting the latest leadership shenanigans marked by self-interest masquerading as capitalism. Blagojevich, Madoff, Thain... And then there are the companies that continue to blunder their way through, only to make matters worse. Microsoft posts a $14.7 billion profit, lays off 5000 workers, and then wants props for maintaining its employee giving program this year--oblivious to the hypocrisy of this.  Citibank receives billions of dollars of government bailout money and yet somehow it slips someone's mind that they should probably cancel the purchase order for the new corporate jet. The headlines are littered with examples that prove some of the formerly elite Fortune 100 leaders still just don't get it, and in some cases are actually making things worse.

The good news is that shakedowns of this magnitude ultimately will lead to a more evolved generation of leaders - leaders who more accurately reflect the values and goals of their stakeholders. Because as appalled as we are at the apparent disconnect this current batch of leaders has with reality, they are still a notch up from the martini swilling, ass-slapping philanderers of the 1960's. (Think Mad Men.)   So there is hope.

The real question then becomes,"Are you prepared to usher in this new, more evolved, generation?"

Meet Generation Jones
If you were born between 1954 and 1965, as apparently 53 million of us were, you have to check out "Stuck in the Middle" by Jonathan Pontell published this week in USA Today. Reading the description of Generation Jones provides as much nostalgia as listening to a Lionel Ritchie CD on an original Sony Walkman. But most importantly, I feel like my values finally have a voice. Here are a few of my favorite highlights from the article.

We fill the space between Woodstock and Lollapalooza, between "Turn on, tune in, drop out" and "Just Say No," and between Dylan going electric and Nirvana going unplugged.

So who are we? We are practical idealists, forged in the fires of social upheaval while too young to play a part.

While the Boomers were out changing the world, Jonesers were still in elementary school - wide-eyed, not tie-dyed. That intense
love-peace-change-the-world zeitgeist stirred our impressionable hearts. We yearned to express our own voice.

Our practical idealism was created by witnessing the often-unrealistic idealism of the 1960s..Our non-ideological pragmatism allows us to resolve intra-Boomer skirmishes and to bridge that volatile Boomer-GenXer divide. We can lead.

Generation Jones is clearing its throat. Its voice will be heard.. A generation aching to act has awoken. We are finally scratching the itch of The Jones.

 This, America, is your next generation of leaders.

While Pontell's focus has been on the impact of the Jonesers on politics, the impact is beginning to be felt in the corporate arena as well.

A new leadership model

In her blog post Understanding the New Leadership Model, Linda Stewart describes the results of the "Epoch Financial Services Leadership Study" that indicates a significant trend towards social motivation in leadership. So while the traditional characteristics of successful leaders still come into play - their drive for personal success and focus on improving the bottom line - they are also able to balance these with traits with a strong dose of humanitarian sensitivity.

The REALeadership Alliance research supports these findings. Their model teaches business leaders how to generate sustainable profit and growth by focusing first on strategies that create good. It's the first blueprint of its kind, and provides a critical skill set for this next generation of responsible leadership and innovation.

So what does this mean for you?

Not one of us is untouched by this current failure of leadership, even if you are one of the lucky ones working for a company run by an enlightened leadership team. It is up to you to determine where you want to be when the chaos dies down and the dust settles. Here are my suggestions if you want to participate in ushering in the new era of leadership.

Add values (not just value) every day
We should continue to add value with our expertise, but should no longer ignore our values in the process. And by values I don't mean the divisive and judgmental, partisan, political agenda-driven opinions about "shoulds" and "should nots."  I mean the core values we are all born with: compassion, integrity, courage, and the desire to make a difference. 

A study of corporate integrity showed that 76 percent of employees reported being aware of a violation of the law or of company standards by a colleague or manager in the past 12 months. This is tragic.  We will never breed change if we continue to stand idly by while the tainted few ruin it for the rest of us.

If I think back to the leader who inspired me the most, it has to be Charles W (Chuck) McCoy, who led the bank I launched my career at in Louisiana. He was innovative and inspirational, kind and generous, and deeply involved in creating a better community. At his very core he cared about shared progress and it showed in every decision he made. He demonstrated exactly the kind of authentic leadership we need today. That's not something you need to read a book to learn how to do; these are inherent traits we are all born with.  You just need to make it a priority to start doing it. Figure out what you stand for, and then stand for it. It's that simple.

Update your leadership skills
There are definitely some new skill sets required to lead in this next generation. For example, using both/and thinking versus critical thinking skills, and applying the new models for sustainable innovation to name two.

If your organization's leadership training still includes scenarios played out on VHS tapes, it's probably time to push for an update.

Revise your succession planning criteria
Look at the criteria you are using to define your high-potential leaders.  It's no longer just about tenure on the job and task-specific knowledge and skills. You want people who can get things done through authentic relationships and by cultivating a culture that fosters creativity and innovation, a meaningful sense of purpose and vision, and that does this ethically and collaboratively.

Keep the faith
It takes a lot of courage to change the status quo. But if you are like me, and Jonesin' for a change, there is no time like the present. Our voices are 53 million strong and growing. All I can say is "Come on my fellow Jonesers, let's do this thing!"