Leadership, it used to equate to seniority and years of experience. We used to consider leaders those who were most commonly older in age, with an unparalleled level of skills and accomplishments. However, amidst the infiltration of the millennial age into the workplace, the definition of a leader has taken a new form.
In an article for businessinsider.com, author James Rosebush reflects on the “the economic cost of not recognizing young people as leaders”. Inevitability, keeping older generations in leadership roles can lead to a lack of innovation and energy. Leaving your pool of potential leaders to a certain generation, limits your company’s potential. Ultimately, leadership knows no age. But, how can we motivate millennial age and prepare them to take on these leadership roles?
Entrepreneur.com shared an article, back in February of this year, reflecting on motivation amongst millennials. How to Motivate Millennials, By Millennials, shares insight on what companies like Facebook, Netflix, and Google are using to motivate their staff. With more than 1.5 million players, team and culture-building business, The Go Game, has been at the forefront of these cultural evolutions amongst companies. Director of games at The Go Game, Jenny Gottstein, suggests that as a millennial herself, working with millennials, she has come to discover, “a number of key strategies that companies are using to successfully build millennial-friendly cultures and retain top talent”.
The first of Gottstein’s suggestions for motivating millennials, is for leaders to “be liberal with trust, autonomy and creative freedom”. A fundamental part of what empowers millennials, is creative freedom and flexibility. This generation doesn’t take well to micromanagement and constant instruction. Stifling their innovation, will diminish their sense of empowerment and ultimately lead millennials to look for new opportunities. Instead, try providing millennials with frequent feedback, be it positive or negative, that is constructive and guided. Avoid coming off as inauthentic, as the millennial age appreciates leaders who are relatable.
The millennial age will inevitably be the dominant face of leadership. What matters now is motivating them to get there. It’s important that we embrace this shift in leadership and remain mindful of how we can motivate them!
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