The Leadership Gap

As I reflect on my own leadership journey, I can see that my view of what makes a great leader has shifted significantly over time. When I was younger, I thought leadership meant having all the answers, being confident, and guiding others from the front. But through my experiences in life as a young woman in my career, in manufacturing, and from what's been explored in this course (OBLD 633) at Embry Riddle, I’ve come to realize that leadership isn’t about control, it’s about adaptability. It’s the ability to create an environment where people can work together to solve problems, even when the path forward isn’t clear.

When I think about how leadership attitudes have changed across generations, I can see a definite trend. My grandparents’ generation viewed leaders with deep respect and loyalty. Leadership was about authority, and those in charge were rarely questioned. My parents’ generation started to see leadership as something a bit more human, they still valued hierarchy but expected communication and some level of collaboration. My generation has continued to push that shift, valuing authenticity, transparency, and empathy. We don’t expect our leaders to be perfect...we expect them to listen and adapt. And the younger generation seems to carry that even further, they want to connect with their leaders and work alongside them, not beneath them.

I think this change has happened because the world itself has changed. The pace of technology, globalization, and access to information has made everything less predictable. Obolensky (2014) talks about how complexity means we can’t always lead through old systems of order and control, we have to evolve with the environment. The younger generations are growing up in that complexity, and they expect leadership that moves with it.

The Gap Moons (Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)

Even with thousands of leadership books, degrees, and videos available today, there’s still a noticeable gap in leadership quality. I think that’s because learning about leadership isn’t the same as practicing it. Too often, people are promoted for technical expertise rather than their ability to lead people. And in some cases, leadership development still focuses more on process than on emotional intelligence or adaptability. To close that gap, we need to redefine leadership training to focus on real-world complexity, teaching leaders how to sense, respond, and adapt rather than just control and direct.

This course has already challenged me to think differently about what leadership looks like in dynamic environments. It’s not about knowing everything or being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about creating trust, learning from feedback, and having the humility to let solutions emerge instead of forcing them. To me, closing the leadership gap starts with that mindset shift, from commanding to connecting.

Until next orbit,
~ Sam ☺