What Millennials REALLY Want (and Why We Should Respect It)

As Board Chair of the National Society of High School Scholars Foundation, an international scholarship foundation that serves 1M+ Millennials across 160 countries it has always been my job to engage the younger generation on issues of civic participation, inclusion and social responsibility.

The question of what they want and what is relevant to them is always top of mind for me. Millennials have taught me a new set of goals, an orientation to the elements of a different kind of self-understanding and social connection that reflects the new world they are creating. I arranged the large categories in my mind as TAPO – Transparency, Authenticity, Persistence, and Optimism. These qualities have become important for me, not only as what I expect from others but also what I expect from myself.

Transparency. Millennials want to see what’s really going on – not just the surface outcome, but the depth of intention, of context, of assumptions, premises, and logical steps. Their whole lives have been in the Information Age, and they have a reflexive suspicion when they believe information is being withheld. They do not accept the superior-knows-best attitude prevalent in the past, they are not willing to do their job without thinking, and they believe their perspective should be respected. They are willing to be transparent to others – they have a refreshing, matter-of-fact frankness about their own foibles and shortcomings as well as their strengths and successes – and they expect the same.

They ask "WHY?" far more than previous generations, and they believe they deserve an answer. When they believe they’ve gotten an honest reply, they are far more willing to understand the policy and follow the direction. Even if their initial reaction is negative, they are willing to change their minds based on evidence. During a recent trip to Marrakesh, Morrocco, while attending the Atlantic Dialogues to share my thoughts on "Gender and Equity in the Atlantic Basin", this point became poetically clear. The GMF Emerging Leaders challenged a room populated with world leaders who were dripping with accolades that would make Heads of State blush, that to transform the transatlantic dialogue into real change the conversation needed to start with the life of people at the local level while the governance framework is being anchored in resilience and not clouded by hidden agendas that compromise forward progress.

Authenticity. Behind the transparent honesty, Millennials expect to see authentic thoughts, actions, and people. If transparency exposes hypocrisy, they will balk. They would rather engage a person who honestly disagrees than one who dishonestly agrees. Authenticity involves consistency, reliability, and sustainability. What you see is what you get – and what you get is going to be as honest, dependable, supportive, dedicated, and available tomorrow as it is today. Transparency makes authenticity far more important than it was when people accepted conclusions at face value and one’s motives, calculations, and rewards were considered no one else’s business.

The January-February 2015 issue of the Harvard Business Review takes on some of this issue in its cover story: "The Problem with Authenticity". In short, if we concede that authenticity is a key ingredient for successful leadership then it is urgent that we make room for it and not waver. The risk of not doing so has implications across the globe in every sector – public and private. For instance, a lack of authentic leadership slows down efforts to create alignment between policies and programs that may mitigate poverty, close the education gap and rebuild dilapidated neighborhoods.

Persistence. Persistence for Millennials has less to do with sticking to a particular job, the “work ethic” focus for earlier generations, and more to do with improving oneself – professional skills, personal interactions, willingness to think out of the box and step out of the comfort zone. Older people, accustomed to focusing only on the task, sometimes perceive their broader view negatively, but it is likely to make them more productive, not less. Their overarching dynamic, evolving view of the world leaves no room for ultimate finish lines or static repetition. Their continuous improvement can apply to job processes, but above all it is personal and extends beyond the workplace. They are willing to do what it takes, in their job as in their relationships – and they understand that it takes more than technical skills or punch-clock hours.

Optimism. The focus on openness, authenticity, and improvement provides Millennials with a fundamental optimism. They view the world in personal terms, not primarily economic as many of their parents and grandparents have. Technology has created connected communities and borderless discussion groups, where solutions are freely exchanged.

Even in the midst of a financial collapse and the heavy debt burden that many carry, they are able to see the world changing for the better. They are a major driver of that change, especially when it comes to recognizing the rights and dignity of others. They live in a world of possibility, determined that there would be no oppressors and no oppressed. They believe they have the tools as well as the spirit to effect change, and they are confident that the arc of history bends toward justice.

My work with Millennials has caused me to grow in my own transparency, authenticity, and persistence, and in how I expect those qualities from others. Above all, it has made me optimistic that the future will be better in their hands.

Answer: Inclusive Leadership anchored in all of the above!

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Todd Corley is Founder & Chief Strategist of The TAPO Institute, a think tank and strategic advisor advocating inclusive leadership. He also chairs the National Society of High School Scholars Foundation (@NSHSSFdn), which serves 1M+ Millennials across 160 countries. He tweets at @CorleyTodd and @TAPOInstitute.

This article is reprinted with the express written permission of The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). Any further use or reproduction of this article requires the copyright permission of GMF. See the original article on GMFUS.org (@GMFUS).