Where is your future talent!!

The Bloody youth of today! If I had a pound for every time etc. etc.

Well I am afraid yet again I don’t agree with the general view of the middle age generation currently running businesses today. (Yes, I know I am in that group)!

Firstly I think we all need to look ourselves in the mirror on a more regular basis. This younger generation we are all very quick to criticise all have one thing in common, they were all brought up by our generation!! We taught them, we educated them, we are actually responsible for what they are today in many ways.

But I am not in the club of moaning about them, I see so many fantastic examples of how exciting this group of individuals are and can be in the future.

In my business, 15ten15, I am by far the oldest team member and (Ignoring me) our average age across almost 20 people is around 24 and the energy and passion they bring to the business is outstanding. They are not tainted by years of bosses telling them what to do, they are not restricted by old fashioned procedures and every day they amaze me on the ideas they come up with. What impresses me most though is that they will act on those ideas, they will take risks and they will get up and get out and find the new ideas on how we can best do what we do.

This year it is a massive privilege to be involved in working with the Leeds Rhino's Academy and U19's. Under the amazing guidance of a leadership team including Rob Burrows and Jonny Wainwright these young men are one of the most inspirational groups of young people I have ever worked with. It is not just the 80 mins game time that impresses, it is everything else that is outstanding. From how they talk to each other, timekeeping, discipline, passion and the way they approach being a young professional sportsman.

It's so easy to moan about the next generation, it's so easy just to be bloody grumpy!! But I am not buying in I’m afraid and I refuse to grow old normally!! I love the energy this next generation give me, I love how they constantly challenge my thinking about how life is changing, I love the way they refuse to just do what people have done in the past.

Millennials or whatever we wish to call them are changing things, they are looking at life very differently and they are not going to change. We should be taking some pride in the fact that we have in some way given this next generation belief and desire to live life to the full and we should embrace this change and get more of them in our businesses/lives and maybe just maybe we may learn something and maybe just maybe we may just start enjoying this new era!!!

Just saying, that’s all!!!!