How and Whether to Make a 22 Year Old Your Leader
Ryan Healy at Employee Evolution just posted a very thought provoking blog article for Gen Y employees about how they can become leaders in their organizations. Healy offers four tips:
- Demonstrate that you're able and willing to make the decisions because leaders need to decide even when they don't have all of the information available.
- Try new things. "Being comfortable and competent in unfamiliar situations is a sign of true leadership ability. So whenever you have the opportunity to do something new, try it!"
- Surround yourself with people smarter than you. You don't need to lead them at every opportunity or even occasionally. But interact with smart people and learn "to hold your own in complex or thoughtful conversations."
- Learn to work well alone. Leaders often have to make decisions by themselves and work through issues without the assistance from others.
That all said, what should organizations be doing to help 22 year old, recent college graduates and other Gen Y'ers learn how to become leaders within their organizations. College recruiting is strategic because it is used by organizations to recruit their next generation of leaders. But if those organizations don't teach their future leaders how to lead, then their college recruiting programs are doomed to failure.
So folks, how do you teach your Gen Y employees how to lead?
As usual, Ryan is right on with his comments. By doing what he recommends you will be noticed. I don't believe the workplace today has the same "age rules" as they had years ago. The cream of the crop truly rises to the top. The best advice is to find a mentor in the company - one who is doing what you want to do - or even the next level up. Become very coachable and you will be noticed.
At Valpak we just don't have the age rules. Competency is rewarded. Everyone has the same training opportunities. Good example, one of our Gen Why financial consultants is involved with a Young Professionals group in Tampa. (Thus he is making sure he is getting training that we don't even provide) He let the President of the company know that he is interested in attending Franchise Appreciation Day in Washington D.C. in September. Cory is now going to that - all he had to do is be noticed . . . first my his work, then by making his goals known.
Our Leadership Training is for all. One of our franchisee's in New Jersey.wants his 23 year old daughter to take over his dealership in 3 years. We will open any/all training to her the same as anyone else in the system. The key, I believe, is for young professionals to be aware of what training is available - then taking advantage of it.
Valpak Mark