5 Ways Millennials Can Prepare to be Leaders

Bottom Line Up Front: If you’re a Millennial who desires to serve in a leadership role, there’s a high probability that you’re going to be provided with the opportunity to do so. The obvious question is…”Will you be ready to lead?”

Companies and organizations of every type are facing a leadership shortage as the baby boomer generation continues to retire en masse. Thousands of boomers retire every day, with many of these individuals vacating leadership roles at every level, including executive and other senior-level positions.

But 85 percent of companies don’t have a leadership pipeline or the ability to fill this gap. And there aren't enough Gen X employees to take the place of retiring baby boomers.

As a result, American companies are increasingly looking to Millennials to step into these leadership roles.

How Millennials Can Prepare to Lead

73 percent of Millennials aspire to be leaders in the next five years. Yet many acknowledge they still have a lot to learn about what it takes to be an effective leader. Here are five ways Millennials can prepare to be leaders in their organization:

1. Develop effective communication skills

There is little doubt that Millennials are a tech-savvy generation. While there are advantages to this, there are also downfalls. In particular, I've noticed that many Millennials tend avoid face-to-face communication.

To be an effective leader, you need to be able to communicate with your team. This often looks like building trust and relationships through face-to-face meetings and interactions.

2.  Identify your strengths and weaknesses

What are the things that are standing in the way of you becoming a better leader? Do you struggle with public speaking or asking for feedback? Effective leaders can evaluate their shortcomings and also build on their strengths.

One way to learn more about the gaps in your leadership abilities is to ask for feedback from others. Constructive criticism can help you begin to grow in a new way professionally.

3.  Look for opportunities to step up

You may be eager to take on more responsibility but not getting a lot of requests from your manager. If you aren't offered any opportunities to lead, go find some on your own.

One of the best ways to get ahead in your career is by offering to take on the projects that no one else wants. Regardless of what the task is, people will start to notice your willingness to help. And you’ll begin to learn more as a result.

4.  Invest in continuous self-development

The speed of innovation isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In fact, it will only continue to increase throughout our lifetime.

Technology is changing at a rapid pace and effective leaders must be able to grow and adapt to this change. And it’s not enough to know how to do something -- don’t be afraid to jump in and try it yourself.

5.   Find a mentor

Nobody becomes a great leader on their own. Even high-level executives seek out advice from mentors. Mentors help you gain perspective and learn to take control of your career. They can also open up valuable networking opportunities.

But you shouldn’t expect a workplace mentor to come to you. Finding the right person to mentor you to get to that next level may take some planning. It will likely require you to step outside of your comfort zone.

An Extraordinary Opportunity for Millennials

A huge shift is happening in the workplace as baby boomers continue to exit the workforce. Millennials who aspire to become leaders will be presented with opportunities to serve in increasingly significant leadership roles much earlier in their careers than did preceding generations.

Clearly, Millennials represent the future of leadership for most companies. They can prepare for these opportunities by learning everything possible about leadership. If they find that their employers do not or will not create leadership development opportunities for them, they should be prepared to assume control of and invest in their professional development and growth as leaders.

Taking Action

America is in the midst of a serious and ever-increasing shortage of qualified leaders in all types of professions, industries and organizations. In response to this growing need, Fidelis Leadership Group is hosting its first Leadership Accelerator in St. Petersburg, Florida. This three-day seminar will convey proven, practical and immediately-actionable concepts, strategies, tactics and techniques that will rapidly accelerate your development and success as a leader.

Detailed event information will be posted on our website soon! For more information contact [email protected]. We hope to see you there!

Our website: fidelisleadership.com 

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #Millennials #FidelisLeadership #LeadershipAccelerator #MikeEttore

Wendy Garrity  Katherine Spicer  Aisha Bakkar  Ed Daniel  Dennis Greene  Nancy Broding  Stacy DeMarse, CMM  Gina Arquette  Leslie Arsenault, CMP  Alissa Bridges Massie Wendy Arnold