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.

PAST INFORMATION LEADERSHIP..."IT'S COMPLICATED"

I recently traveled to Israel and had endless people recount their stories and end by saying with a sigh “it’s complicated.”  I listened to various points of view regarding religion, politics, education, punishment, etc.  Each time an alternative point of view or a possible solution was presented, out came the phrase “it’s complicated.”  I could not understand what was so complicated.  However, in retrospect, how things were occurring to me were from a completely neutral frame of mind.  I had no prior knowledge and I didn’t have any predisposed position. Possible solutions seemed simple.

I come to realize that many of the “complications” that we each face are derived from beliefs or stories we tell ourselves based on some piece of knowledge we acquired from the past.  At Landmark Forum we learn to acknowledge that the past is nothing more than a set of facts.  How we choose to interpret those facts in the present and which of those facts we carry forward is our choice.  Those choices are what impact how life occurs for us in the present. 

“First learn the meaning of what you say, and then speak.” Epictetus

Leaders today deal with a complicated world. We live in an era of instant information.  This allows information from the “past” to move more quickly into one’s present. People now form views on much more past information and, ironically, more incomplete information. This leaves the present biased with knowledge first translated through the world of social media which often becomes the basis of our present information… an interpretation of an interpretation of an interpretation.  We have added an additional layer of interpretation and with this knowledge we form beliefs in the present that affect how we live into the future.  We all heard the saying “the best way to predict the future is to look at the past.”  We live in a world of fear based on past experiences.  However, if we predict the future based on past information and continue to follow that path, the folks at Alcohol Anonymous who said the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time were spot on. With instant information, is it possible today to act from nothing?   

If we are looking at the past as the guide for the future, we as leaders need to change how the past occurs in the present.  As leaders we are expected to be emotionally intelligent, nonbiased and fair in guiding others down a positive experiential path they willingly choose to follow.  Great leaders are visionaries that look to the future and see new possibilities.  They don’t live in a present that resembles the past; rather they live in a present that is living into a future that is new and different than what has passed.

What I have learned in all my studies and seen in all my travels to more than 50 countries is that successful leaders are those who are more emotionally intelligent, and their success is derived from being involved with a world that is evolving. They are flexible to new ideas, accept change and fearlessly create new pathways to a changed future. 

I listened to various accounts of the Boston bombing.  All had some level of truth based on various interpretations from multiple sources. Information is coming at us fast…all interpretations based on someone’s past. The incident in Boston was horrific.  Bombings continue to kill innocent people in Iraq. North Korea threatens daily to bomb South Korea and the fighting in Israel continues onward. These are just small samples of people living from past knowledge…the young people participating in these monstrosities have incomplete  information and live a present based on someone else’s interpretation ….and continues to keep the hatred of centuries ago alive.  This hatred becomes part of the present and ultimately continues into the future. 

While we leaders cannot control the world or how others think, we can impact future change through emotionally intelligent leadership within our own organizations and impact the world by creating positive change one team at a time. Yes, it is complicated if you mechanically act from an incomplete set of facts. If you answer any mathematical equation with incorrect information, you simply cannot come up with the correct answer.  If our actions as leaders come from nothing and live into a positive, purposeful future, there is nothing to equate because you are not mechanically living your life….you are living into a purposeful life that can positively change the future.

Leaderless Energy…Who are you?

People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.  Proverbs 10:9

Do you feel like you are walking crooked?  Are you really trying hard to be that someone you are expected to be by someone else?  You give all you can to be that person, always improving you, and striving to meet their expectations, and yet you come up short and feel confused.  No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot be that person.  Perhaps you even lost your passion and feel like you just cannot find the gusto you once had.  The fact is that you are not and will never be that person because that person is not you. What if I told you that you are walking crooked and that trying to be someone you are not is sucking the energy out of your life.  Take a moment, reflect and believe in your goodness.  All you can be is be your best you, not a you someone wants you to be. 

If you find that you are living your life trying to meet someone else’s unnecessary or unrealistic expectations, STOP IT.  Let’s begin being a healthy straight-walking you. After all, you were born to be you, not someone else’s version of you.

Perhaps you are more or less talkative than others in your life, or more or less organized, adventurous, risky, detail oriented, controlling, creative…the list goes on.   For everything we are not, there is someone somewhere who is.  Think back to school days where for some, science and math were so easy yet for others English or Gym class was easier.  We are all different and there are certainly enough assessment tools available that measure a broad spectrum of personality traits, habits, behaviors and preferences.  These tools help you identify the why you react or think a certain way, and they help you understand differences in others.  They don’t change who you are. But, they do help you identify areas that you may want to apply a less innate, more cognitive process.  This takes energy and continuously working at being someone you are not innately can be exhausting. 

I recently had a situation where I realized that who I am and who I am expected to be was causing me a lot of anxiety.  While there are behaviors I can modify easily, there were some that were going to cause me to exert a lot of energy.  Armed with lots of information from my personal development assessments, I tackled my situation.  I aligned myself with people who are opposite me in things like time management, I disengaged the stories in my head that had me shouldn’t all over myself and I flexed myself more in the areas that are beneficial and are within my comfort zone.

There are always going to be situations where you will need to walk crooked. However, accepting who you are and learning to enroll others who have those preferences that drain your energy will compliment you, will keep your energy level increased and will have you perceived as ”that person” who meets their expectations…all while you get to be just “you”.