This post by Brad Lomeneck about the ’14 Things Older Leaders Should Know About Younger Leaders’ made me realise that I’m not a young leader. (No need for any comment about that observation.)
When I first read the post, given the ‘qualities and characteristics as a generation’ which young leaders generally exhibit, I thought I should just get out of the way now.
But having reread the post I think I can find some encouragements to hang around.
2. Willing to work together. Twenty- and thirty-somethings are more willing to collaborate than any other generation before. They trust each other. Really. And see collaboration as the starting point, not some grandiose vision of teamwork that is far off in the distance. Collaboration is now the norm. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true- young leaders don’t care who gets the credit. For the next generation- it’s way less about WHO and way more about WHAT.
7. See social justice as the norm. Leaders who care about the poor and lean into causes and see the social gospel as a key ingredient to following Christ are no longer seen as the exception. Young leaders see taking care of the poor and sharing the Gospel as BOTH crucial to the advancement of the Church and of God’s Kingdom. Twenty-somethings, I believe, are and will continue to become more balanced in their pursuit of both. They don’t have to be one or the other.
11. We need to understand each other. Pursue us- we’re not in it for the long haul anymore. Forty and under leaders in general are more about projects than they are about careers. More about movements instead of organizations. So if you want to keep us around in your organization, you’re going to have to pursue us. Show us you are approachable and connected to where we are in life. Understand us- make an effort to be in touch with our generation. Listen to us. It doesn’t mean you have to dress like us (not all the time anyway!!), but when you make a concerted effort to be in touch with what we are in touch with, it makes a huge difference. We’re motivated by making a difference and being part of something bigger than ourselves.
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