From Worry To Winning

Prioritize millennial leadership development

Are you worried about your millennial leader’s abilities to accomplish their business and sales objectives? 
 
If yes, you’re in sync with the more than 270 business leaders who participated in our Millennial Survey. Around 60% admitted they had numerous concerns in working with millennial leaders, including a lack of determination and resilience, low accountability and, a know-it-all attitude. These leaders are worried in particular about these three areas: Character, confidence, and collaboration.
 

In the midst of this angst, 10,000 baby boomers are retiring each day. Plus, rapid global technological advances are touching every industry. Artificial intelligence, genetic sleuthing, quantum software, agricultural robots – talk about disruptive changes! In the throes of this vortex, we need to be proactive in developing and implementing real-world, rubber-meets-the-road leadership development strategies. We need to tap these up-and-coming leaders to fuel profitable business growth. Here are some recommendations on where to focus your mentoring and coaching efforts.
 
Prioritize Your Mentorship Role to Build Your Millennial Leader’s Character
Every newspaper, news station and social media outlet is filled with fresh stories of leaders with a character failure who are negatively impacting themselves and every stakeholder, personally and professionally. In business, character indeed counts! Leaders who operate with a balance of both high character and high courage have a positive influence and are constructive change agents. They take responsible risks and communicate with honesty and transparency with their teams. We want to build our teams with people of strong character.
 
A positive character trait is the ability to take personal responsibility. In our sales force development work, we find that 60% of sales professionals will often play the blame game, adamantly informing management that the reason they aren’t hitting their numbers is because of the economy, the competition, or the weaknesses of the company they work for. As we know, this externalized perspective is futile, robbing the complainer of their potential. We as leaders must recognize when our up-and-coming leaders are playing this game and challenge them to have more constructive thinking that focuses on leveraging their internal skills, strengths and resources to turn the obstacle into an opportunity.
 
When it comes to mentoring your emerging leader on character-based issues such as taking personal responsibility, developing determination, knowing how to do what is right over what is easy, being trustworthy in all areas of life, and being accountable for one’s choices, your wisdom and experience is vital.
 
Provide clarity and regular feedback to boost your millennial leader’s confidence.

The know-it-all attitude of millennial leaders often stems from their ability to find the answer to just about any question on Google or YouTube. This phenomenon is validated by research. Yale doctoral candidate, Matt Fisher and his colleagues Mariel Goddu and Frank Keil, conducted fascinating research on this topic. They asked people a series of questions that appeared to be general knowledge but were actually difficult to answer. Some of the participants had access to the Internet and others not. Some of their conclusions are published in an article, “The Internet Makes You Think You’re Smarter Than You Are.” They came to the conclusion that head knowledge lacks the deep roots of real-life experience that provides the confidence to stand in any storm and press through any obstacle.
 
The Internet can’t always predict the obstacles and roadblocks. That’s why your mentoring and coaching is indispensable, as you help them turn perceived failures into stepping stones to move forward.
 
Prioritize Core Purpose to Create a Culture of Collaboration
Millennials are motivated, highly dedicated, and incredibly focused when presented with opportunities to pursue an alignment of personal and professional goals, which includes making a positive contribution in their community and the world.
 
In Millennials Matter, I highlighted a process called Life’s Core Purpose. This process is a powerful mentoring tool to help your millennial leader align their core competence and core passion: Is there something I am personally great at all the time at a core level? And, is there something I care deeply about all the time at a core level? When I applied what I did well to what I cared about deeply, my performance in life and work grew exponentially.
 
Your millennial leader understands that profit matters, but he or she wants to empower companies to achieve bigger, better, world-size goals that help other people. Recognize this millennial passion and how powerful it might be for your business. By guiding your emerging leader to figure out which aspects of his job energize him, you’ll enable him to find purpose at work. The result? A more productive, engaged employee.
 
Stop worrying and start winning in your work with the millennial leaders in your sphere of influence and responsibility. Then you can harness their unique skills and talents, so that your business will thrive. LE
 
Copyright, Danita Bye, 2018

Author Bio

Danita Bye, member of Forbes Coaches Council, is a leadership and sales development expert and author of the new book, Millennials Matter: Proven Strategies for Building Your Next-Gen Leader. Visit www.danitabye.com Connect Danita Bye Follow @Danitabye