Millennial Leaders

To mark the birthday of Nelson Mandela , Google has created a  Doodle  made of his most famous quotes. What if millennials were to act upon the fact that: "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will define the significance the life we have lived". The word that catches is "significance" as opposed to successful. It speaks to aspiration not ambition. It is perhaps why personal development reviews are such an unsatisfying aspect of working life. It doesn't invite expansive thinking. If the millennial impact  on the workplace were to include personal significance, what would organisational life look and feel like? Use the tools for establishing empathy suggested in  Millennial Leaders Will Change Organisations - Where to Start?  to expand your thinking about organisational life under millennial leadership.

Millennials  are frustrated because they are rarely engaged to help organisations respond to change. It should not stop you from exercising change leadership thinking. For instance,   PWC  reports an acute need for technology-savvy talent: 86% of US CEOs believe advances will transform businesses over the next five years. Microsoft's  Satya Nadella , believes the transformation will be "mobile first, cloud first" in nature. Millennials enjoy an advantage, since this is your playground. So, as millennials,  prepare to shape the conversation; the pressure within organisations to catch on and catch up will grow.  Gather insights drawn from previous posts and p ractise strategic thinking. With fellow millennials , use your familiarity with mobile and cloud technologies to map out:  An appropriate new business model for your subject organisation A strategy for how you will get others in the organisation excited and engaged How people wi...

Research into the impact of millennials  on organisations carry a hint of anxiety. It is up to  millennials  to work through anxieties by finding points of commonality and building alliances across the generations.  An e mpathic approach, by a  derided  'me generation',  will be unexpected.  Millennials  know the financial and psychological effects of boom-and-bust cycles, but what was the impact on boomers and gen Xers?   It has contributed to significant job dissatisfaction that is having a lasting effect on attitudes about the role of work and its value in employees‘ lives. Into this space millennial  credibility for organisational change should be built.  Start by understanding the sources of discontents: a decline in lifetime employment prospects, diminishing advancement opportunities, stagnant or lower buying power, erosion of job benefits and the constant changes. T here is scant evidence of incumbent leade...

The 2008 global recession thrust millennials  into an era defined by anxiety. Left unchecked, your anxiety will soon become a chronic mindset which will extinguish your potential. Look into the life of most organisations and you'll see the implications. They model anxiety. Ingrained thought patterns generate low-grade fear and stall change with ‘what if?’ scenarios.  From this perspective, change management  postings are a cry for help: someone to take away the problem and come back with a neatly packaged solution. Observe your organisation from this perspective and you'll find evidence of: Self-doubt Wanting control of the future  Fear of failure Judgement of millennials  as the " Me Generation " is a futile attempt deflect a painful reality.  It requires you step back and evaluate their e xperience and the perspectives it brings. The answers cannot be faked, use it to your advantage. Conduct  a cost-benefit an...

Millennial disenchantment with the workplace is reflected in the fact that  over half of millennials  envisage starting your own business, despite the high failure rate. If this is your plan, remember that successful entrepreneurs cite a healthy disregard for the impossible and good networks as key to success. Social media gives millennials an array of networking tools but not the ability for build highly bonded partnerships. Understand your core millennial values and seek others who share the same values. It is a better use of your time than blindly networking. As millennials  you will have to disprove what is considered impossible. Invest time in finding your core group of millennial partners and build solid foundations upon which to integrate your life and work. Success built on knowing that goals align will generate an energy that will attract the brightest and the best millennial talent.

Millennials are optimistic despite a challenging start to adulthood in the wake of the Great Recession. It is remarkable. Despite concerns about debt, 72% of  millennials have confidence in their future and believe they can achieve their goals. And one day, millennials will occupy positions of power that will affect generations to come. The shock of your entry into adulthood is a grounding experience upon which to build your leadership.   E xamine the challenges you face as relationships between dominant and subordinate groups and evolve effective strategies in readiness to  debunk the old model of leadership. As millennials you seek a more inclusive leadership. The challenge will be not only be to replace an old with a new tyranny and learn to: " use group power responsibly, democratically and in defence of humane values. In this way, we can act together to resist tyranny – either one imposed by others or one made by ourselves. " – C...