Are millennials the problem?

Simon Sinek is someone I listen to on YouTube as much as I can. He’s one of those experts who is ushering in a new era of practical and effective ways to inspire staff. For my money, you have a firm grasp of correct leadership principles. However, he makes a clear distinction between leadership and management and, for a couple of very good reasons, I support his point of view one hundred percent.

Simon says Millennials struggle the most with job satisfaction and the strength of relationships. They lack self-esteem and healthy levels of assertiveness. The symptoms that this generation feels are not only the result of modern technology, but they also break down the walls that belong to the old paradigms to recognize people, so baby boomers have a lot to answer for. The “I’ll show you how to do it” doesn’t work very well with Millennials.

Just this week I heard how a company director visits some of their sales shops, like a mystery shopper, during his days off to see what the staff are up to. Go inside and watch, expecting to see the workers doing something “wrong.” What if this corporate crocodile tried to catch staff doing something right? It is true that everything you focus on the most will grow. I think you understand my drift. Millennials need proper training and coaching, not criticism.

Experts like Simon Sinek have shown me that there is a great divide between leading and leading. A manager must check the boxes to get things done. On the other hand, a leader allows staff members to manage themselves and be more creative at work. Since workers are the foundation of any organization, they are the ones we should listen to the most. Pay attention when you speak and reflect on the key and relevant points you are making.

Leaders inspire workers to be happy at work and connect with their colleagues to create cohesion and harmony. Basic human traits still apply, and even more so with Millennials:

• Greet your staff every day

• Listen carefully

• Be fair but firm

• Always remain equanimous

• Give recognition for a job well done

We need to teach them to fish, and not just give them the fish.

This is where the rubber of true leadership meets the road surface of your staff’s effort to grow and produce the traction your company truly deserves.