Millennials Want to Make a Difference: Millennial Leadership Development
Dave Donaldson invited me to be a contributor to CityServe, Your Guide to Church-Based Compassion by Dave Donaldson & Wendell Vinson.
Even though my focus in on attracting, engaging and retaining top tier Millennial talent for the for-profit, business, it only took me a minute to say, “Yes, of course, I’d be honored!” to contribute to this resource of non-profit leaders.
Why?
The majority of Millennials say that businesses (and non-profits) need to not only be about profit, but also about purpose – to be actively engaged with addressing the problems in our communities. In fact, this is such an important strategy for us to embrace, that I dedicate a section of Millennials Matter to the topic – The Investment Effect.
In Chapter 33 of this book, Millennials Making a Difference, I answer this question:
Why should a church or compassion ministry consider hiring Millennials? And if they do, how can they develop these emerging leaders for compassion work?
Here are some points to consider, regardless of the enterprise we are leading:
Build Their Collaboration Quotient. Millennials want to be with honest, authentic leaders. They favor a trusting, transparent relationship with their superiors; and they work best with clear guidelines and frequent feedback. 62% say that they crave regular feed-forward on how they are doing on a regular basis. Note: there’s a difference between feedback and feed-forward.
Beware of the Confidence Crushers. Experienced business leaders can teach next-gen leaders that how they do their “ordinary” work becomes “extraordinary” when they see it as a way to honor God and serve their clients and colleagues. This whole-life way of approaching work strengthens their focus and confidence, providing a firm footing when they encounter obstacles. d
Break the Character Stereotypes. Self-absorbed, disloyal, and entitled? Consider it your privilege and, in fact, your calling, to mentor and coach your emerging leaders on strengthening both their competencies as well as their character. 79% of Millennials want a mentor or a coach. They are crying out for you to stretch out a hand to them,.
This resource is valuable in stimulating ideas on how you can meet this heart – desire….and attract, engage and retain top tier Millennial talent. Learn from the following leaders:
- Jonas and Anne Beiler, Auntie Anne Pretzels (Ch 26)
- Jonathon Reckford, Habitat for Humanity (Ch 33)
- Paul Thompson, Center for Creative Leadership (Ch 24)
- Steve Haas, World Vision International (Ch 30)
- Barry Meguiar, Meguiar’s Inc (Ch 35)
I invite you to read CityServe, Your Guide to Church-Based Compassion for more insights on how you might be using your experience and wisdom to build up our emerging leaders so that they are energized and equipped to lead well and to serve the world.
This article features in my May Newsletter.
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