Millennials in leadership – Part 2

"That takes too long for me."
"It's not worth the effort."
"It's not important to me."
"I can't do it anyway, so I might as well not even try."

Do you know people who constantly say things like this? Do you sometimes say things like this yourself? If you want to know how you can develop more perseverance so that you can stick with the things that are really important to you, I invite you to read part 2 of "Millennials in Leadership."If you are not yet familiar with the millennial generation, I recommend reading part 1 first.

What is this contribution for?

In this article, I would like to talk to you about ideas for your"why," your motivation or your drive. You decide what you want to implement from all of this. I believe that personal responsibility and self-management are the most important factors for leadership and communication. However, very few of us learn this at school.

These principles are particularly evident in the millennial generation, which is why most examples relate to them. However, the principles are just as fundamental for every other generation, as the experiences from our management training courses and the latest results of the Responsibility Index clearly show.

Why millennials?

If you grew up in Germany after 1980 and were prepared for your career by the general education system, you usually have three problems:

1. You have a high level of professional expertise.
2. They remain convinced that this alone is sufficient.
3. They sometimes have completely unrealistic expectations.

Why is it problematic to have a high level of professional competence?

To be more precise, it is not professional expertise itself that is problematic. It is, of course, the foundation of any professional career. Rather, it is the imbalance that exists between professional expertise and leadership skills. It gives us the illusion that professional expertise alone is enough to get us far. However, as soon as there are other people around us, this becomes difficult...

If there's one thing that can be said about millennials, it's that no one really knows what they stand for. If you ask them themselves, they often don't know either. There is a lack of clarity. They are easily distracted and don't really stick to the task at hand. It's understandable that many leader difficult to deal with these characters, right? Why do they seem so hesitant when it comes responsibility and committing themselves? Why do they find it so difficult to stick with issues?

It's about drive and motivation – in other words, needs.

As a rule, we acquire a great deal of technical expertise. This means a lot of theoretical knowledge, but little self-management skills. The answers to the following questions are missing:

• How do I get the horsepower onto the road?
• How do I find the right path for me?

When are people motivated?

People are usually motivated when they want to fulfill their needs or avoid something that runs counter to their needs. In general, people act to satisfy or protect a need. The decisive factor is therefore what you want to do something for.

Some people study to advance their careers. Some do it because it is common nowadays and "considered good form." The child of doctors becomes a doctor because it is in keeping with family tradition. Another wants security. The next is driven by a desire to be independent and stand on their own two feet. Still others long for the recognition of their superiors. It doesn't always have to be an astronomical motivation à la Steve Jobs' "I want to make a dent in the universe."These are all possible reasons, and I deliberately do not want to judge them here. I believe that any reason is okay as long as it serves a purpose and creates motivation.

How exactly do you find your purpose?

Can you answer the following two questions for me right now?

• What are your five most important values at the moment?
• What is absolutely non-negotiable for you at the moment?

A millennial who behaves ina "disoriented"or unclear manner, as described above, cannot answer these questions immediately. This is the root cause of what bothers so many people about this generation. They know exactly what they don't want, but stammer when asked to say what they do want. What they want to stand for. As a result, we criticize them for their lack of clarity.

Those affected complain about unprecedented possibilities that make it difficult to make decisions. I think it's important to make a distinction here: it's not so much the many options that make it difficult (the reason lies outside ourselves – harder to influence). It's more our lack of an inner compass, i.e., clarity about our values and our purpose, that makes it difficult for us to commit (the reason lies within ourselves – easier to influence).

So it's about important values or life principles. Your purpose is based on the values that are currently relevant to you.

According to Dr. Hans-Georg Häusel (see picture), there are three basic needs that are important for every human being:

• Dominance (influencing one's environment – if not fulfilled: frustration, anger)
• Balance (security – if not fulfilled: fear)
• Stimulant (growth, new impulses – if not fulfilled: boredom)

These three needs span a field in which all our values are located and explained. Every person has individual characteristics here. A certain balance is the basis for long-term success and fulfillment.

Take a look at the chart and find your personal top five values that are currently the highest priority for you. If the list is incomplete, simply add to Häusel's list.

Your "why" targets your most important values and is ultimately an end in itself. Determining your top five values ensures that you can actually implement your "why." Together with a sense of achievement, this gives us a subjective sense of meaning and plays a key role in ensuring that we stay on track in the long term, experience fulfillment and satisfaction, and at the same time do not burn out. It is therefore of central importance in any activity (studies, job, career, project, etc.) to gain clarity about the respective "why" at the outset. When obstacles and setbacks arise, as they inevitably do sooner or later, it is extremely helpful to remind yourself why you started in the first place. If you have already made a decision in a particular area, how do you now view your initial "why"?

Example: My purpose is to support other people in taking their next step in their development while at the same time becoming the best I can be. My top five values are development, respect, freedom, family, and health. By living according to these values and taking them into account in all important decisions, I experience my purpose.

Of course, your purpose will continue to evolve. It therefore makes sense to revisit this topic regularly. After all, only a coherent purpose will help you stay on track when you encounter setbacks. If your purpose and your core values change, it would be helpful for you to notice this too.

An ideal way to figure out your purpose is to keep the end in mind from the very beginning. You have already taken the first step by determining your five most important values above. Here is another concrete exercise: Take 15 minutes, a pen, and something to write on.

Answer the following questions:

Imagine you have achieved your goal (successful doctorate, degree, career, project, etc.). A celebration is being held in your honor. Your supervisor (partner, best friend, etc.) gives a speech in your honor. What would you like them to say? How would you like to be described by those close to you? Take your time and write down the speech.

After the exercise: How did you find it? What important values can you identify from the speech? What is emerging? If you like, add to your top five from above.

Image source: © Pexels.com – Picjumbo