"Millennial Problem" = "Baby Boomer Leadership Problem"

The first thing to clarify is that there IS a millennial problem. But It is NOT caused by fresh-working millennials, but by poor leadership of baby boomers and millennials that inherited the same management style.

The best way to explain this is to tell you a story. My story is not unique. I believe many people might relate.

I started to work full-time at 19. I left school with the mindset that failure and error are unacceptable. I should not challenge the status quo, try to innovate or understand how things work in complexity. Just learn this, here is a test and forget. No teamwork, no problem-solving - just competition.

As Digital Marketing was fresh new in 2013/2014, it was relatively easy to jump on the train. Everything worked and generated instant profit. The competition was limited and the complexity was low. As I gained experience and my first achievements, my ego started to grow. The problem is that this is usually not something that teachers or parents teach you or explain to you. YOU need to figure it out.

While figuring it out, you will hurt yourself and others.

Nobody taught me how to listen and the sense of my importance became more intense. But it was tolerated.?

Why would anyone tolerate such behavior? Because you deliver. We only measure our performance and success based on our position in the company, hard KPIs we can track, how much money we make and how big a house or fancy car we have. Ask yourself if you can measure kindness, teamwork, openness, or other unique qualities people bring to the workplace.?

Can we measure it? We can't MEASURE it, but it makes the difference between winning and losing teams.?

If there is a common cause and psychological safety, where people can come back and try again if they fail - you know this is a winning team.?

Unfortunately, it is getting worse. Social media have started celebrating this SELFISH PERFECTION-driven behavior and the norm is to value only the NUMBERS - read money, followers, titles, or fame. But at what cost? We became distant and lonely.?

Let's get back to my story.

I was achieving the targets. I knew how things worked technically. I could sell products I didn't believe in or push ideas against my or my company's interests - because our KPIs and leadership required it. Yes, I was making a lot of MONEY. But hell, I was empty. I tried different companies, but not a surprise - with the same outcome.

In the last 3 or 4 years, I shifted the focus from my success and hard KPIs only to helping others succeed. And TODAY I can tell you... it is WORTH it. You will not always be on the spot or raise the awards - but your work will be FULFILLING and you will enjoy it again.??

It's challenging and you might slip many times. But if you create space in your team safe enough, people around you can help you get back on track. Throw your EGO under the bus, you don't need it.

It's not about the heroes on the front pages of the magazines but about hard-working teams with amazing diverse people making those stories possible.