Millennials Matter: Why I Wrote this Book as a Leadership Resource

Millennials Matter: Why I Wrote this Book as a Leadership Resource

Seemingly unrelated, disconnected events happen over the course of our lives. Then one day you wake up and realize, All those events were leading up to now. It’s the moment where God merges your years of talents, skills, experiences, and wisdom for a greater purpose.

A few years ago, my son attended the Willow Creek Global Leadership Conference. He called and relayed events in his upbeat, enthusiastic, but somewhat disconnected way. Since my expertise was with business leaders—collaborating with them to build high-performance sales teams—my son and I share a high regard for leadership that builds up every individual.

Suddenly, in mid-sentence, he stopped. “Mom, I have a message for you.” His voice shifted gears. It had gravitas, intent, and total focus.

“Mom. You must prioritize passing on your leadership wisdom and insights to the next generation.”

The words, coming from my twenty-three-year-old, happy-go-lucky son, struck right to my core.

I recognized this was an important sign and said to myself, “I need you to pay attention to this.”

In the days that followed, my son’s words kept running around in my mind. My three children fell within the definition of millennial, but I wasn’t sure I was in touch with their worlds. And I certainly didn’t have experience mentoring young adults to be world-changers. Yet I was being challenged to undertake this additional calling: the development of young, character-based business and sales leaders, so that they could become world-changers.

That moment marked a two-wheeled turn in my life’s direction.

I dove back into my 101-page spiritual and leadership development case study that I’d compiled for Ministry Leadership 501 at Bethel University in 2006. As you might imagine, several ah-ha moments struck as I paired and fine-tuned the concepts.

This ignited the need to blog. Over time, that blog series evolved to become the book Millennials Matter.

During the many hours I have talked with trusted mentors, colleagues, family, and friends, one realization has stood out: Millennials need us. The world is undergoing a rapid shift, and millions of young adults struggle to find their footing. Amid this cultural chaos, next-gen leaders need the benefit of what we know.

Therefore, we need fresh insight into how God wants us to mentor them, so they can tap their vast potential. Millennials Matter is the comprehensive guide that enables leaders of proven moral character to positively influence and build up young leaders.

In Luke 12:48, Jesus says to whom much is given, much will be required. I believe that my son’s message is a prophetic call, not only for me, but for all of us who have the ability to give back.

What have been the seemingly unrelated, disconnected events over the course of your life that have been preparing you to be a mentor to this next generation of leaders?

The book provides the knowledge you need, and there is great reward in accepting the challenge.

© Copyright 2017 Danita Bye