In one word: Yes!
And ready or not, they are taking on leadership roles in companies and organizations across the country. If you’re worried your Millennial employees aren’t as ready as they should be to take on key leadership roles, what steps are you taking to remedy the situation?
As more Baby Boomers retire and older Millennials want to put their experience to use in more challenging roles, it’s essential employers take steps to prepare them to succeed as leaders and support them in leadership roles. These articles I’ve been reading this week explain steps you can take to prepare your young employees for the responsibility of leading your company into the future.
- The Mantle Of Leadership Is Passing To Millennials — Get Ready. Forbes: “There are now more Millennials than Baby Boomers in the workforce. Further, 50% of those Millennials are already in leadership positions. Unfortunately they’re not ready. They have not received the training and development they need; and especially have not received the experience-based learning they need to develop the leadership skills that are most important in the world they are creating. It’s time for the Baby Boomers to stop fretting about managing Millennials and to focus on developing those Millennials’ leadership skills.”
- How to Help Millennials Prepare to Be Successful Leaders. CIO: “As millennials continue to grow as the largest generation in the workforce, they will move into leadership roles in ways that are much different than generations before them – that is, without the prerequisites of certain job titles or number of years of experience. This disruption to the traditional career track will force companies to change their approach to leadership development in order to prepare millennials for more influential positions.”
- Millennials Want to Lead. Are They Ready? Insead: “In a global study on millenials by the INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute (EMI), the HEAD Foundation and Universum, we surveyed over 16,000 millennials in 43 countries to better understand the many workplace stereotypes. While there were differences across regions, 41 percent of all respondents confirmed that it was very important to them to become a leader or a manager, and younger millennials noted an interest in coaching and mentoring as part of a leadership role. But, as important as becoming a manager is, only 24 percent strongly want a fast-track career with constant promotions. Most millennials’ focus is to grow and learn new things (45 percent), the second most important goal in their lives after work-life balance.”
- Adapting to the New Way of Leadership Through Innovative Learning Programs. The Huffington Post: “However, all hope is not lost for the more traditional jobs and firms on the quest to retain and engage talented young professionals. In fact, there are big opportunities to provide employees with enriching and valuable learning programs. In a study conducted by Virtuali, among the most desired programs by Millennials are coaching and mentoring…By tailoring learning and development programs to fit the needs of the Millennial generation, organizations are likely to see dramatic increases in performance and engagement. That is a very good thing, because I believe Millennials have amazing capabilities and have the power to truly improve the world.”
I wrote my new book to be a resource for Millennials moving into leadership roles. Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders is a great gift for every Millennial employee.
