TLDR;

• Many employers believe millennials are unprepared for leadership — fair or not, this perception exists.
• Generational branding affects you even if you think you’re the exception.
• Leadership requires discomfort, self-sacrifice, and the ability to follow before leading.
• Millennials often struggle with accountability, feedback, risk, and face-to-face communication.
• The upside: employers are desperate to find “millennial unicorns” — those willing to rise above the stereotype.
• Accept reality, embrace discomfort, and seek mentorship if you want to stand out and advance.

Millennials are being promoted

Millennials, to overcome this, accept reality, adapt your mindset, know the issues, and find a mentor. But first…

An increasing number of millennials are being placed in managerial positions. If millennials are uniquely set up for leadership failure, millennials and their employers must understand what’s causing the disconnect. Success is possible… but not automatic.

Generational differences have been a thorn within the side of the marketplace for millennia; a pesky pain source we all live with. But never before has there been a chasm between generations as there is now.

Bosses are firing Gen Z and millennials left and right (and honestly, we see why)

The truth is … the attributes of the millennial generation have caused great confusion and frustration within the marketplace. Let’s dive into one aspect of the frustration as more millennials are finding leadership roles.

Why the Marketplace Is Frustrated

“Millennial leader” Is an oxymoron. True or false?

The older you are, the more likely this is true for you. This “true” perceptions is the reality for many people. And many of these people employ millennials.

Not all millennials fall within the “millennial bad leader” brand we’ll describe in a minute. In fact, many don’t.

Let me spend the majority of our time helping millennials succeed despite some unfavorable marketplace perceptions. Millennial, you may be the exception; perhaps you have successfully evaded the pesky, negative millennial attributes that drive employers crazy yet proliferate most millennial lifestyles. Generational branding is a “thing” for a reason; there is some validity to it at some level. I am a Gen Xer. I’d like to think I’ve evaded the negative connotations of my generation, but I must come to terms with perhaps I have not. My process should START with acknowledging I may NOT be the exception. It may not end there, but it should start there.

Millennials, understand the broader populus of your kind have contributed to a millennial workplace brand that affects you. If you feel the attributes do not describe you, they are still your problem.

Let’s bring this back to, “Millennials are uniquely set up for leadership failure.” The workplace characteristics of your generation are making employers ask, “millennials can’t lead themselves, how can they lead others?” Enough employers are asking so that it’s become a marketplace factor for you to deal with – fair or unfair. You need truth so you can make a plan. And we’ll discuss a huge silver lining behind all of this in a moment but for now, understand this: some employers question millennial leadership competence. The following article describes competence is possible and lists some competencies employes are looking for in their leaders.

Shaping Millennials to be the leaders of tomorrow

To move this conversation forward, let’s do something.

Google “negative attributes of the millennial generation.” Or just click here:

Top 10 Worst Traits of Millennials

The ‘Exception’ Myth

Millennials, as you read the discouraging list, you may think you’re the exception much in the same way I think I’m a generation X exception. You view yourself as balanced, healthy, and completely calibrated. I have news for you: neither of us have escaped the influences of our generations and we are none of those things. So much for our wishful thinking.

In fact, the healthiest default mindset would be for all of us to believe we are NOT the exception. This would reflect an open mind, a desire for honesty, and a humble nature – attributes hard to find within any generation. This skill (owning our imperfections and assuming it’s us that needs to grow) would be parallel to the nature of admirable people who routinely take responsibility in arguments, listen more than they talk, and offer to serve rather than be served. Millennials, want some advice on how to win? Make these traits part of your nature and you will instantly be in the minority not just within millennials but within humans. You’ll be always employed and very promotable. Life does not have to be complicated.

Let me continue speaking to millennials relative concerns employers have about your generation. Understand this millennial perception: the millennial generation gaslights and deflects – two terrible things for employers.

Employer Bias Is a Reality

(10) The Accountability Gap: Why Millennials and Gen Z Struggle with Accountability in the Workplace and Its Impact on the Workforce | LinkedIn

Further, employers likely feel you are unwilling to accept reality, self-reflect, and they believe you will not follow because you are self-focused, not loyal, and don’t respect authority or standardizations. Oofta. Do you feel that is representative of some millennials? The research says millennials care most about themselves, how they’re feeling, and finding environments that help them be their best self; they are not in it for the company. Therefore, employers believe you’re unwilling to sacrifice for anything larger than yourself…including a company. Understand this – when you sacrifice for something bigger, you leave some of your wants behind; that’s the nature of sacrifice and followership. Millennials have created the perception they are unwilling to leave their wants behind and, therefore, are incapable of following. Since good leaders are good followers…you’re bad at leading. Perhaps an unfair conclusion. Or is it? Yet these are the conclusions many employers have formed, and your challenge is to overcome them…not complain about them. But my goodness…this brings awesome opportunity for you. More on that later.

I am trying to shed light on marketplace realities. Also understand there are LOTS of counter arguments to this entire viewpoint. But…THERE ARE ENOUGH EMPLOYERS WHO THINK THIS WAY IT’S BECOME A MAJOR FACTOR FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IN YOUR QUEST TO SUCCEED. I feel I’m letting you in on a secret that will pay big dividends for you. You may be up against an employer bias as you gun for the next promotion.

The Opportunity Hidden in the Bias

Let’s showcase the silver lining. If you truly are the exception, you should feel provoked about now – even upset at your generation for putting obstacles in your path. Yet this would be a good time to remember what I said earlier – own it. And let’s deal with the barriers between you and success. As you do, you should also feel unbelievably pumped! If you are truly the exception, the world is your oyster. If you are the exception, you have hit the biggest stroke of good luck to ever come along; you can be a standout within your generation and ABSOLUTELY CRUSH IT. Employers are dying to find “millennial unicorns.” The world wants and needs you! How do you become the millennial unicorn? Listen closely.

Employers want you to have ambitions beyond feeling affirmed (sorry gang…that’s your brand). Change begins in your mind. You must decide you want something more out of life. ASPIRE. To achieve aspirations, you WILL leave part of yourself behind. This is not unique to your generation – it’s just harder for you. When pursuing something greater, you will be pruned. Let it happen. Make it happen. It will feel like pain. Pain is good. Embrace it. You want to be the exception? You must understand it takes pain and leaving parts of yourself behind…an unfathomable concept for many millennials. But you will decide today to make pain normal. From now on, the pain of self-sacrifice will become part of who you are.

Pain, Sacrifice, and Growth

What Millennials Want From Work and Life

A truth about feelings (a millennial value).

You cannot become new without shedding the old. Further, no one has ever achieved anything great by avoiding pain, following their preferences, and yielding to their feelings. Feelings will betray you, but sadly, feelings are what most millennials follow. To succeed, 90% of the time you will be doing what you do NOT feel like. MOST of the time you will be uncomfortable – that’s where the growth happens.

What does it look like to get uncomfortable? Where does growth happen? Here are some tangible things you can do right now. These are ways to work around the “millennial brand” to become the millennial unicorn in the marketplace. Use the brand to your advantage:

How to Become the Millennial Unicorn

Work/Life Balance

Millennials have given employers the perception they are obsessed with work/life balance…more life than work. Here’s an interesting take:

Work/Life “Balance” Is Dead | AMA

How to overcome

Stop asking for accommodation. Take the deal. Though you might think you’re getting somewhere by negotiating terms, you’re actually crippling your career.

Instead of negotiating on the front end, ask yourself, “what environment should I put myself in to ensure my success 5 years down the road?”

Worry less about today’s deal. Simply take the deal and follow well. If you truly don’t like the deal, interview for one you like.

Your empowerment is in CHOOSING employers, not CHANGING the employer. Then show up on time and follow through. Gang…this is not hard.

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Face-to-Face Communication

Employers perceive millennials as incapable of having productive face-to-face interactions.

Millennials Are Struggling With Face To Face Communication: Here’s Why

How to overcome

To overcome, do everything you possibly can in person and face-to-face. Look for opportunities to connect. Do as little as you can through technology.
As an example, since my daughters were five years old, we have practiced handshakes, looking people in the eye, and introducing themselves.
I am convinced those simple skills have been responsible for my daughters being selected for 100 percent of the opportunities they have fought for.
Get good at face-to-face. And seek it out! Drop the phone. Don’t schedule a virtual meeting. Get up, drive up, or do whatever you have to do to see people face-to-face.

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Risk, Uncertainty, and Leadership

Millennials tend to like guarantees and hesitate moving into uncertainty. They become paralyzed by risk. Millennials generally hate being uncomfortable and they are risk averse especially when it comes to human interactions.

Why risk-averse Gen Z is watching from the sidelines

How to overcome

To overcome this, become very comfortable with uncertainty. Lead. Act. Don’t just sit there… do something. Become comfortable feeling the burden of leadership that moving people into the unknown brings.
Leaders who insist on guarantees are not really leaders at all. In fact, the role of a leader is to lead among uncertainty – that’s literally leadership.
Become comfortable with it and become good at it. You will fail. Get used to it. When you fail, get up, and go again. And again. And again. Refuse to die.

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Affirmation, Feelings, and Critique

For our last one, we’re going to hit what I think is perhaps the most significant. You have come to crave affirmation and under the guise of seeking input.
But you know you’ve created a world for yourself that feeds your comfort; you’ve surrounded yourself with people who are not coaching you toward growth.
All advice comes down to, “be you.” What does that even mean? No one has become great by “being themselves” and listening exclusively to their own brain.
Employers get frustrated by all I’ve just described and have concluded millennials are the most offendable generation; they can’t handle critique; they’re only conditioned to receive affirmation.
Is this true? False? Fair or unfair, it’s the truth for many employers.

Millennials are getting fired fast, and bosses say this is why

How to overcome

To overcome this, your feelings must take a back seat to much more meaningful things. Feelings are not things that should guide us, they are things to be controlled and managed.
In fact, leaders who emphasize feelings have no respect within the marketplace. One of the worst leaders I’ve ever knows was a “feelings leader.”
The irony is, as millennials obsess over the feelings within the teams, they actually erode their credibility; it’s not what people want.
But you have been raised and conditioned to believe feelings are the central factor. They are not. You will fail in leadership if you attempt to lead through managing feelings.
You must put your need for feelings and affirmation in their proper place – this is a discipline. Something learned. You must master your own feelings battle before leading others.
Do feelings matter? Should we consider them as a leadership factor when moving individuals and teams forward? Absolutely. Great leaders are not calloused toward feelings.
Feeling assessment is a critical aspect in finding followership. But it should not be the center of your strategic motivation.

Leaders, Take On The Problem Without The Feelings

Final Advice: Find a Mentor

There is much more to this, but we’ve increased your odds of success within this short dissertation. But to wrap this up…my advice: take this article seriously – there is no downside to the counsel within it. Imagine that…advice that has virtually no downside. The reason? All we’ve talked about is working on us…not changing our environment.

And finally,

Find an old person who is successful in your eyes and ask them what it took. They will talk about things few within your generation are talking about. Ask them good questions, shut up, and listen. Take notes. And do exactly what they say. And they will say things you have never heard. Their words will be simple. And you’ll be struck by how well they land in your soul.