How to lead millennials – the generation which does not want to be led?
2018-01-18 Juha Hynynen
How to lead millennials – the generation which does not want to be led?
Whenever we at Pertec ask our clients the most challenging leadership situations that people are facing in their daily managerial activities, leading efficiently teams assembled by members from different generations typically always pops up at the top. How to create and orchestrate super performing teams comprised of people representing different demographics and backgrounds, and having therefore fundamentally varying viewpoints regarding making their living and leading their lives?
What we know for sure is that especially millennials – the Generation Y – do not wish to be managed and just bluntly told what to do. They’d rather be coached and empowered to be able to succeed and make a difference – an impact in the World. In fact, that is what pretty much everybody – all generations still on duty – expects from their leaders nowadays in organizations: As we promote I3 at Pertec - be inspired, inspire and innovate!
According to recent research from Deloitte (The 2017 Deloitte Millennial Survey), perhaps surprisingly, millennials in senior positions in organizations rate information technology and social media skills as being of relatively low importance - especially when compared to attributes such as communication, flexibility, leadership, and the ability to think creatively and to generate new ideas.
Further, Deloitte’s recent research suggests that millennials appreciate working in a collaborative and consensual environment rather than one that directly links accountability and responsibility to seniority (or pay). The clear majority of millennials feel that balance between free time and work is way more important than a hefty pay check. Most millennials would rather have a job where they could choose the time and place for their contributions as opposed to a 9-to-5 commitment at a fixed office. Commitment to work in any particular company is much lower than it used to be: based on research from a couple of years ago, less than half of millennials expect to stay in their current job for more than three years.
As indicated above, communication, collaboration and consensus through intelligent and virtual leadership remains one of the corner stones in successfully running of versatile teams in organisations. One aspect related to that is something which I already discussed in an earlier blog is the importance for an intelligent leader to be able – and willing – to share oneself when leading people: the best leaders in the world whom people wish to follow and are inspired by are partially that – in addition to having enough core leadership competences – because of the way they are and behave as human beings: What kind of car they drive, how they dress up, how they behave in the queuing line in the company cafeteria, the way they appear when happy or upset; the overall look and feel of the boss. The more you humanize yourself as the leader towards your team members the more likely they are to support and follow you through good and bad times.
Do you have what it takes to lead millennials? Give us a call and let us exchange notes!
How to lead millennials – the generation which does not want to be led?
Whenever we at Pertec ask our clients the most challenging leadership situations that people are facing in their daily managerial activities, leading efficiently teams assembled by members from different generations typically always pops up at the top. How to create and orchestrate super performing teams comprised of people representing different demographics and backgrounds, and having therefore fundamentally varying viewpoints regarding making their living and leading their lives?
What we know for sure is that especially millennials – the Generation Y – do not wish to be managed and just bluntly told what to do. They’d rather be coached and empowered to be able to succeed and make a difference – an impact in the World. In fact, that is what pretty much everybody – all generations still on duty – expects from their leaders nowadays in organizations: As we promote I3 at Pertec - be inspired, inspire and innovate!
According to recent research from Deloitte (The 2017 Deloitte Millennial Survey), perhaps surprisingly, millennials in senior positions in organizations rate information technology and social media skills as being of relatively low importance - especially when compared to attributes such as communication, flexibility, leadership, and the ability to think creatively and to generate new ideas.
Further, Deloitte’s recent research suggests that millennials appreciate working in a collaborative and consensual environment rather than one that directly links accountability and responsibility to seniority (or pay). The clear majority of millennials feel that balance between free time and work is way more important than a hefty pay check. Most millennials would rather have a job where they could choose the time and place for their contributions as opposed to a 9-to-5 commitment at a fixed office. Commitment to work in any particular company is much lower than it used to be: based on research from a couple of years ago, less than half of millennials expect to stay in their current job for more than three years.
As indicated above, communication, collaboration and consensus through intelligent and virtual leadership remains one of the corner stones in successfully running of versatile teams in organisations. One aspect related to that is something which I already discussed in an earlier blog is the importance for an intelligent leader to be able – and willing – to share oneself when leading people: the best leaders in the world whom people wish to follow and are inspired by are partially that – in addition to having enough core leadership competences – because of the way they are and behave as human beings: What kind of car they drive, how they dress up, how they behave in the queuing line in the company cafeteria, the way they appear when happy or upset; the overall look and feel of the boss. The more you humanize yourself as the leader towards your team members the more likely they are to support and follow you through good and bad times.
Do you have what it takes to lead millennials? Give us a call and let us exchange notes!
