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DefiningtheGenYLeader|20140430|ePublishing

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talPerformanceCoachingFearBusting,CLOStyle4NeurologyMythsDebunkedALevelUponGamin
April1,2015
HomeDefiningtheGenYLeader

April1,2015

April6,2015

DefiningtheGenYLeader
GenYisrisingsteadilythroughthemanagementranks,andthepaceoftheirascensionislikelyto
increase.Whatkindofleaderswilltheybecome,andhowshouldCLOsdevelopthem?
FrankKalman
April28,2014
1Comment
RelatedTopics:LeadershipDevelopment,CareerDevelopment,TheLatest,Mentoring
KEYWORDSdevelopment/leadership/millennials
4
ReprintsShare: Like 26 Tweet 106 Share 163

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TanyaShields,a35yearoldemployeeatprofessionalservicesfirmEYformerlyknownasErnst&Young
isashiningexampleoftheclichdGenYworker.
Likeothersinhergenerationdefinedroughlyasthosebornbetweenthelate1970sandtheearly2000s
Shieldsexpressesaninnateconnectionwithtechnology,exudesanaturalpredilectionfordiversityand
inclusion,andviewscollaborationandtransparencyascorepillarsoforganizationalefficiency.
TechnologyissomethingIdontthinktwiceabout,Shieldssaid,wherethegenerationsbeforemedidnt
havethatbenefit.Ialsohavethebenefitofworkinginaglobalworldsothingslikediversity,cultural
trainingandunderstandingarealsobenefitsthatIhave.
ThenthereistheaspectofShieldsjobthatmoreandmoreGenYsarebeginningtoattain:hermanagement
title.AsaseniormanageratEY,sheispartofagrowingcohortofGenYwhoarebeginningtotakeon
authoritativeroles.
Thepaceofthedevelopmentisinexorable.AccordingtoaSeptember2013surveybyEY,87percentofGenY
managerssaidtheytookontheirmanagementrolesbetween2008and2013,vs.38percentofGenXand19
percentofbabyboomermanagers.WithGenYexpectedtomakeupasmuchashalfoftheglobalworkforceby
2020,itisinevitablethatthepercentageofGenYinleadershippositionswillkeepgrowing.
BuildingaLeadershipProfile
Theimplicationsforlearningleadersaremanysided.Manylearningpractitionershavejuststartedtogetused
toGenYintermsofonboardingandotherentryleveltrainingprograms.Nowtheyretaskedtoshiftefforts
towardhowthisgenerationsperceivedworkstylewilltranslatetofutureleadershippotentialand,asaresult,
thetypesofleadershipprogramspractitionersneedtodesign.
Justasintheirdevelopmentasemployees,thecharacteristicsmillennialsarelikelytoembraceasleadersor
managersstemfromtheworldtheywerebroughtupinasyoungprofessionals.
Becausethebulkofthemgraduatedfromcollegeamidtheworsteconomiccrisisinagenerationand,asa
result,mayhavestruggledtofindthatfirstjobintheirdesiredcareerGenYislikelytobemoreskepticalof
theestablishedorder.Manymillennialsspenttheirearlycareersunemployedorunderemployedascorporate
layoffsandhaltedhiringplansdelayedtheirambitions.Likewise,astheystruggledtoadvancetheirownearly
careers,manyGenYswatchedtheirparentslosetheirjobsduringtherecession.
ThisbackdropmeansGenYispoisedtobemoreexperimentalasleaders,saidSamanthaHowland,senior
managingpartneratDecisionStrategiesInternationalInc.,aleadershipdevelopmentfirm.Partofthis
experimentationwillcomeviaquickerdecisionmakingbygatheringconsensusacrossfunctionsandnetworks
withintheirorganizations,insteadofthetraditionaltopdownapproach.
Ithinktheyregoingtobemorewillingtoexperiment,Howlandsaid.Ithinktheyregoingtochallenge
whatcamebeforethem.
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MaraSwan,executivevicepresidentofglobalstrategyathumanresourcesconsultancyManpowerGroup,said
GenYsperceivedskepticismtowardtraditionalcorporatestructuresshouldmakethemmoredemocraticin
theirapproachasleaders.Droppingcommandandcontrolleadershipmodelsinfavorofmorecollaborative,
collectiveorganizationalreportingordersislikelytobeadefininghallmark.
Itsgoingtobemuchmorehorizontal,Swansaid.Theydontthinkofpowerasbeingsomethingtowarrant
theythinkaboutsharingit.
Further,becauseGenYgrewupinamorediverseenvironment,thegenerationispoisedtobenaturally
acceptingofdiversityaspartofitsmanagementphilosophy.
JoanMassola,anHRmanageratAT&TUniversity,saidGenYsacceptanceofdiversitydoesntendthere.
Becauseoftheircollaborativenature,shesaidGenYhasalreadyshownadesirefordiversityofopinionand
information,tappingavarietyofdifferentsourceswhenmakingmanagementdecisions.
Treatingeveryoneequallyisabigpartofthewaytheymanage,Massolasaid.
KyleJohnson,founderandCEOofBixy,anonlineadvertisingcompany,saidbecausemillennialsneedtofind
intensemeaningandpassionintheirwork,theyaremorelikelytoinheritentrepreneurialqualitiesasleaders
insomeinstances,startingtheirowncompaniesaltogether.
Johnson,31,lefthisconsultingjobatAccentureinSeptember2010tostarthisowncompany.Ithinkwhat
GenYrealizesis,Icandothis,soscrewit,Johnsonsaid.ImgoingtogiveupmygoodjobandImgoing
togochaseadream.
Butnotallmillennialsfindthemselvessittingprettyintheirdayjobs.Thisheightenstheirsenseofrisktaking
asentrepreneursbecausetheyfeeltheyhavenothingtolose,saidSteveDalton,seniorassociatedirectorinthe
CareerManagementCenteratDukeUniversity.
Theupsideisntasgreatasitwasformygeneration[GenX]andespeciallyformyparentsgeneration,he
said,referringtoGenYswillingnesstostickwithabigcorporatecareer.Thisleadsmanymillennialstostart
sideprojectsor,likeJohnson,toquitaltogetherandstarttheirowncompanies.
Still,noteveryonethinksGenYbringsuniqueleadershiptraitstothetable.JenniferDeal,seniorresearch
scientistattheCenterforCreativeLeadership,saidleadershiptraitsaremorelikelytobedefinedbyan
organizationsculture,nottheageorgenerationofindividualleaders.Forinstance,ifamillennialleaderis
workingupthechainofcommandatacompanywithadeepcultureoftopdown,commandandcontrolstyle
leadership,eventhemostcollaborativeofpeoplewilleventuallybeforcedtoadoptthatstyle.
Thepositiontrumpsthegenerationpeopleareapartof,Dealsaid,addingthatshehasntseenanydatathat
wouldsuggestotherwise.
WhenaskedifGenYbringsanythingnewtothetablewhenitcomestotheirabilitytoworkorlead,Dealsaid:
Theymaybemorelikelytousetechnology,maybe,buttheissueisthattheorganizationalnormsgenerally
constrainbehavior,sotomoveupintheorganization,youhavetoadapttowhattheorganizationprefers.
Youmightexpandoutbeyondwhatotherleadersaredoing,butyoustillhavetomeetalloftheexpectationsof
thepeoplethatarealreadyrunningtheplace.
Thatis,untilGenYisrunningtheplace,saidDukeUniversitysDalton.Ithinkeventuallytheylltakeover,
hesaidinresponsetoDealscounterargument.
Hisreasoning:thefinancialincentivepromotionrate,bonuses,yeartoyearsalaryincreasestobeagood
soldierisnotwhatitusedtobeinbigcorporations.Asaresult,millennialswillfeellessinclinedto
fundamentallychangewhotheyaretoadvancetopositionsofhigherpower.
Tobesure,Daltonsaidthatoncemorelucrativefinancialincentivesreturnastheeconomypicksup,thereisa
chanceculturewilloverridemillennialsleadershiptendenciesandpromptthemtosomethingmorecommand
andcontrolorientedthatis,ifthatisthecultureofthecompany.However,healsosaidthatbecause
companieshaveputlessemphasisontrainingtheselastfewyears,GenYismorelikelytoexperimentandfind
newwaysofdoingthings.
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Idontjustthinktheresthetrainingandinfrastructureinplacetomoldtheminmanagementsownimage,
Daltonsaid.
DevelopingNewLeaders
ToalterleadershipdevelopmentprogramsforGenY,learningshouldbemoreonthejobspecificandavailable
atthetimeofneed,insteadofformaleventstyletrainingprogramsinaclassroom.
Wehavetostoponewaylearning,saidManpowerGroupsSwan.Youhavetotalkaboutwhatyouwant
themtodo,andyouhavetoletthemexperienceitandteacheachother.Theinstructorhastomovefroman
instructortoafacilitatoroflearning,andithastobeveryexperiential.Ialsothinklearninghastobetiedtothe
purposeofthecompanyvs.thetaskyouretryingtoteach.
DecisionStrategiesInternationalsHowlandsaidlearningleadersshouldaimtoreachGenYwithleadership
developmentprogramsmoreflexiblyandinregular,bitesizedoses.Ithinktheylearnfasterinregulardoses
becausetheyllseethelearningaspartofthework,shesaid.Thatsahugeopportunityforlearningleaders.
DukesDaltonsaidheforeseesGenYmakingastrongpushtowardmentoringasadevelopmenttooloftheir
ownoncetheybecomeleaders.Therefore,currentlearningleaderswouldbewisetoinstallthemediuminto
GenYleadershipdevelopmentplans.
DaltonalsosaidhethinksGenYleaderswillreigniteafocusontrainingandmentorshipastheyrisethings
theydidntnecessarilyhaveastheyenteredtheworkforce,becausetrainingwasamongthefirstitemscutfrom
corporatebudgetsduringtherecession.
Theywillbetheonesthatreasserttheimportanceoftrainingbecausetheyknowitstherightthingtodo,he
said.Andtheydonthavethesamekindofgoldenhandcuffincentivetokeeptrainingoutthatcurrent
managersdo.

FrankKalmanisaChiefLearningOfficersenioreditor.Commentbeloworemaileditor@CLOmedia.com.Youcanfollowhim
onGooglePlus.

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Jointhediscussion
CrispinGardenWebster ayearago

Moreovercookedtoshaboutgenerationaldifferences...Mostoftheexamplesdescribedherewould
alsohavebeenobservedin1911or1848.So,goodcoinfortheconsulting,brandingandconference
industries,butitistruelythemillenia'sversionoftheEmperor'snewclothes.Therealperformance
differentiationdoesnotemanatefromgenerationalvariablesbutthesamevariablesthatpeopleofall
agesanderasshareincommon.What'sthebigpicture?HowdoIcontribute?WhowilltellmehowI
amdoingandwhen?Fromtheannoyingbuttruedepartment,thesearequestionssharedby20
somethingsand60somethingsalikeandthereisnowmountingresearchthatiscallingoutthewhole
genthing.Yesofcoursetherearedifferencesaseverygenerationbringsitsperceptionsand
emergingmaturitytobear,butthesearenowherenearaspotentandtangibleasthemediaand
consultingindustrywouldhaveusbelieve.
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JimRembachKate,Iloveyourwork.

maraIagreeifyouareplanningsomething

likethisitwouldbecrucialtohaveaverygood
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AreMillennialsReadytobeCEOs?

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KateSamsotFesslerGreatadvicethankyou.

JoeMarzanoMyexperienceandstudyof

I'minthebeginningstagesofplanningaseries
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generationsisclosetoJoris'reflections.Ialso
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