Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Tactical Leadership Needed for the Millennial Age


When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
- Victor Frankl


I am writing this based on the numerous horrific incidents that have occurred this year across our great country. In my research on understanding millennials, respondents believed that millennials learn differently than people of previous generations and that emotional intelligence and a less managerial approach can enhance leadership of millennial lawyers. Nevertheless, a high percentage reported that their companies had not made specific plans to accommodate the learning differences of the millennial team members. 

Increasingly, people are influenced by modern technology, which provides instant access to information. Prensky (2001) has stated that members of the millennial generation “think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors” (p. 1). According to Pink (2006), the information age of the 20th century stressed knowledge, whereas the 21st century is an increasingly conceptual age that stresses creativity, innovation, and compassionate action. Therefore, practices today need to take into effect the differences of the millennial generation both in training and it dealing with the outcomes of this generation’s ability to use modern technology and access to skills adversely. 

Heavy in visuals, modern technology also has led to greater right-brain stimulation (Nurco & Lerner, 1999). Users of modern technology tend to multitask, quickly shift their attention, and engage in shorthand communication (Prensky, 2001) and have available any resource at the tip of their fingers. The Internet has also resulted in an explosion of social networking by electronic means—which can include secular terrorist sects. All of these trends can culminate in such events such as those that occurred at the Boston Marathon, Santa Monica College and most recently in St. Louis with availability to vast amounts of information coupled with an impaired millennial mind’s capabilities. 

Leadership mindset must change from management to leadership. As expressed by Kotter (1999) “The fundamental purpose of management is to keep the current system functioning, and the fundamental purpose of leadership is to produce change” (p. 11). In an attempt to bridge the gap between leadership and management, Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs, and Fleishman (2000), whose research has been used by the U.S. Army have offered a millennial leadership model that includes technical skills (proficiency in a specific activity or type of work), human skills (knowledge of, and ability to work with, people), and conceptual skills (ability to work with ideas and concepts). Leadership of first responders are now realizing that the criminal landscape has changed. Current research indicates the millennial generation, is considered the most diverse generation to attend college (Lindsay, 2005) so they also have an intellectual level greater than past generations. The millennial generation is accustomed to multitasking and accelerated learning (Prensky, 2001). “A growing body of research” indicates that millennials tend to have IQs that are significantly higher than their counterparts from previous generations (Abram, 2007, p. 57). They also tend to be more creative in their problem-solving (Greenberg & Weber, 2008).

In general, millennials are highly practiced in the use of technology (Friedman, 2007; Goldgehn, 2004). A survey of 27,317 students from 98 U.S. colleges indicated that most were technology-savvy (Salaway, Caruso, & Nelson, 2008). The use of technology stimulates particular parts of the brain and affects how the user thinks (Small, Moody, Siddarth, & Bookheimer, 2009). Partly as a result of their Internet access, millennials tend to have a global perspective (Friedman, 2007). Politically, they tend to be independent, having more awareness of party dogma and propaganda (Greenberg & Weber, 2008).

Unlike past generations, the millennial generation continuously uses technology such as smartphones to communicate with parents, peers, and others—for example, through social networks (Prensky, 2001; Salaway et al. 2008). Compared to previous generations, millennials are generally more tolerant of diversity, and for good or bad they are more open-minded with respect to social issues (Greenberg & Weber, 2008). Millennials seek out cultures that mirror their values (Martin & Tulgan, 2006). They want responsibility, are results-oriented (Lockyer, 2005; Martin & Tulgan, 2006; Deloitte, as cited in McElroy, 2010), and want immediate response and or recognition for their performance (Martin & Tulgan, 2006). They do not measure work achievement in terms of time spent but rather in the outcome desired (Murphy, 2007 and Tyler, 2007). 

In general, millennials are more entrepreneurial and self-reliant than previous generations (Jayson, 2006), more self-accommodating (Orrell, 2008; Tyler, 2007). They want to figure things out on their own (Goldgehn, 2004). Research indicates that millennials have “little patience for lectures, step-by-step logic and tell-test instruction” (Prensky, 2001, p. 3). “Millennial professionals do not try to conform, but instead prefer to express themselves in fashion, opinion and community involvement” (Orrell, 2008, p. 30). 

Not only is understanding the millennial mindset helpful in understanding today’s criminals, but leaders must use training techniques and motivating factors suited to this generation (Lockyer, 2005). Given that we are moving further into the conceptual age and that advanced technology is going to continue to lead to easier access to information, the situation of millennial deadly rampages are not likely to decrease in the United States.  With an increasingly complicated global environment blending cyber information, advanced weaponry, and public policies, there will be a greater need for a different type of training for and a paradigm shift in the basic understanding of how these new age young adults think and learn.