Published in Thrive Global – October 1st, 2019

Leaders in the twenty-first century are being buffeted by strong forces beyond their control. Whether a seasoned executive or a new team leader, whether running an international corporation or a local nonprofit organization, leaders are living in upheaval and uncertainty. Major currents of change have converged to make managing an enterprise more and more difficult as traditional leadership approaches have become obsolete. One of the big currents that impact how leaders lead today is the millennial workforce.

Millennials will soon dominate the workforce; many already fill leadership positions. Yet many managers today are still baffled by their puzzling behavior, needs, ideas, and expectations. Millennials were born into a fluid world of transformation. Globalization, 24/7 connectivity, blurred boundaries, disruptive innovation, revolutionary social networks, internet-enabled entrepreneurship—trends like these have given millennials a worldview that is vastly different from that of previous generations.