Two thought leaders from the reaching our full potential space have thrown the gauntlet down when it comes to the impact the largest generation, Millennials will have on the workplace. Judith Glaser and Debra Pearce-McCall are predicting Millennials with their technological literacy and their unique understanding of inclusion will give us the formula to maximum human achievement with their Millennial Possibility Mindset.

Here are the reasons for their optimism about Millennials and their impact on the volatile, uncertain, constantly changing and ambiguous (VUCA) world we live and work in.

Their Brains Are Different
Unlike generations who have preceded them whose brains thrive on a fight of flight survival mode, Millennials according to Glaser and Pearce-McCall have more of a social brain. Their formative experiences have taken advantage of positive neuroplasticity which give them a leg up over previous generations when it comes to negotiating a VUCA planet. They have never experienced a Great Depression like the Traditionalists. They never lived in a Jim Crow society like their Baby Boomer parents. They were told they could be anything they wanted to be and to go out and change the world through not a fixed capacity mindset but an anything is possible mindset.

They Are More Social
The “everybody gets a trophy” generation learned early on in their lives that everyone has a place in the created order. Glaser and Pearce-McCall claim that Millennials institutionalized the notion of a “shared economy” that puts them in a better position to respond to the disruptions of a VUCA world with a brand that says, “we are in this together.” They think of themselves as part of a greater whole as opposed to opportunistic individuals. The part of their brain that motivates them to divvy up resources is easily triggered as they avoid winning and losing propositions and position themselves for collective outcomes.

Flat is Better
The standing joke in my agency is you know someone is a Millennial when they say, “I want to be commissioner in 6 months.” Older generational cohorts claim such attitudes create an entitlement approach among Millennials which cries out “I don’t have to pay my dues.” Glaser and Pearce-McCall suggest Millennials have another motive. They want to flatten their organizations. They want to reduce thick chain and command bureaucracies so employees can find their passion and purpose. Instead of sending entitlement messages, Glaser and Pearce-McCall point out Millennials are saying let’s shrink the organization so advancement happens more quickly and often.

All Boats Rise
Millennials thrive in horizontal rather than vertical organizations according to Glaser and Pearce-McCall. Their hyper connectivity through social media maximizes their desire for wide ranging impact and instantaneous communication. This positions them as architects of workplaces who see their role as helping everyone reach their full potential and where leadership and power are shared and not hoarded. They seek work experiences where trust and transparency triumph over protectionism and turf battles.

Embrace Uncertainty
As the USA’s most mono-racial diverse generation, Glaser and Pearce-McCall claim Millennials have a leg up on other generations when it comes to negotiating the differences a more diverse world and workplace bring to the table. They expect conflict. They tend to gravitate to it. They welcome it in a way that encourages flexibility and curiosity as opposed to dogma and prescription. As a result, they create an atmosphere where better solutions are possible since they are not afraid of being challenged or wrong. They have figured out it is OK to not have the answer to everything since the ultimate remedies are right around the corner.

Millennials seem to be on to something. Isn’t it time we give them the keys to the kingdom. They appear to have figured out this possibility thing-something that all of us can benefit from, regardless of what generation we belong to.