3 things every Millennial leader should remember.

If you are a millennial stuck in the grind of corporate America, you have undoubtedly asked yourself more times than once, "What should I do?" While this question can be more rhetorical than anything else, it's important to keep your energy, drive, and focus on what really matters to you in life. There are some people that look for greener pastures elsewhere, and there is nothing wrong with that. But for some individuals, the answer to "What should I do?" leads to becoming a leader within your their organization.

First, I suggest you read the book titled Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, which was written by William Strauss and Neil Howe. These two individuals are considered to be the founders of the "millennial generation" name. This is not meant to blow your head up, but it is essentially a book about what traits our generation possesses that make us great leaders. They specifically hit on the fact that our knack for teamwork and optimism make us formidable candidates for positions with more responsibility than normal. If your workplace is not offering some type of mentorship, guidance, or sponsorship for you to start working towards this goal, you probably are dealing with an out of touch individual in charge. Unfortunately for them, they won't be around forever and someone will have to take over.

A second point is to try and remember that our generation is a group of innovators. We have this trait in an almost backhanded type of way. Our lust for instant gratification and intolerance for stagnant situations has led us to crave dynamic change. This change innovates the world we now live. Just think how cell phones used to be just that......phones. Now they are small mini-computers that you can call, text, pay bills, have video chats, email, get directions, and surf the web. The innovation of our generation led to this. Be an innovator at work and push the limits. If there is a better, more efficient way to do something, try it out. I've found that in a majority of situations, efficiency will win out when a change is put on the table.

My third point is somewhat vague, but I'm sure it will resonate with millennials. Find your passion and pursue it either as your primary means of income or a very serious hobby. Having passion and a meaning will help you navigate the sometimes treacherous waters we call life. There won't always be good days at work, but believing in the your cause can make the bad days sting a little less. Making sure that corporate and social responsibility. Specifically, positions of leadership within politics need millennials more than ever right now. We need a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, and gender-diverse group of leaders to show the citizens how progress can be made.

I hope this post struck a chord with you, or at least tossed out a few thinking points. If you are looking for some more information on millennials and leadership check out a few of these links!

http://www.growingmillennialleadership.com/
http://millennialleadershipsummit.com/

Cheers,

Brandon