Written by Jolein Hallegraeff and Niek van Droffelaar
"Good morning, I have an appointment with the CEO.”
The receptionist looks up. "And who are you?”
I swallow. "Jolein Hallegraeff, intern at The Transformation Group.”
She looks at me suspiciously. I don't blame her: what does a millennial girl do with the Big Boss?
So those millennials certainly have something to look for in the boardroom, according to my research. I have engaged with both the leaders of today (Generation X/CEOs, born between 1960 – 1980) and the leaders of the future (millennials, born between 1980 – 2000). It turns out that both generations can learn a lot from each other, but they need to listen: “constantly talk to each other, ask why, and postpone your opinion. In other words: combine both forces” says Erik-Jan Mares, CEO of Zeeman.
'Addicted to exciting, innovative ideas’
Millennials are conquering the workplace. Never before have so many books and articles been published over a generation. These can be hugely positive – such as a Forbes article by Ashley Stahl: “we (millennials) have the numbers, the resources, and a passion for success. We are experts in technology and addicted to exciting, innovative ideas”. But enough critical messages also appear: “Millennials think and talk a lot, but carry out little. It is up to the ego. That's huge. Japie Stoppelenburg, author of " you're a legend and everyone else sucks."
These less positive sounds often come from Generation X. No wonder, according to literature, because these two groups have a completely different vision of (work) life. My goal was to investigate where exactly the needs, differences and similarities lie, and thus to find out how the leadership of the future can bridge this generation gap.
Together from the high diving board
‘The world today is changing faster than ever’ is a phrase I've heard a lot during my research. This statement often came from Generation X and was not always with a cheerful undertone. This rapidly changing world requires an agile and innovative organization. The top of the organization recognizes this, but also often finds it exciting – this means experimenting with new ideas, which entails many risks.
Innovation, speed, experimentation, change... these Terms make millennials ' hearts beat faster. They are eager to tackle these necessary changes with both hands. With their forward-looking outlook, they are ideally suited to eventually take over the leadership of the future.
That is why it is important that there is a dialogue between both generations, and this requires an innovative form of leadership.
Using questionnaires, scientific articles and in-depth interviews with CEOs and millennials, I delved into the topic of’leadership of the future‘, only to resurface with some surprising findings.
Transactions are out, transformation is in
In total, I approached 61 millennials and Generation Xers, and asked about their specific preference for a leadership style. During the literature review, two leadership styles emerged very clearly:
1.Transactional leadership: a leader who rewards or punishes employees depending on his or her performance;
2. Transformational leadership: a leader who knows how to inspire people through his / her vision, is open to feedback and considers personal attention important.
The results of the questionnaire put forward two clear conclusions. First, transactional leadership is passé. Millennials and Generation X no longer find this style appropriate for today's organization. Unlike transformational leadership, which is preferred by both generations. This means that there is a need for Individual Attention, development and an inspiring, accessible leader. The second conclusion is that millennials value personal attention and development more than Generation X.
This last conclusion also came back during the personal interviews. Millennials really appreciate it when executives take the time for them. In the workplace, they want flexibility, lots of new challenges, a positive impact on the world, and a healthy work-life balance (if I got a euro for every time this term was mentioned, I could have paid off my student debt by now). Furthermore, they are constantly engaged in personal development and want to get the space for this. They like to feel heard and want to see what happens with their input. If the above does not happen, there is a chance that they will quickly start looking for something new; 43% of millennials expect a new job within two years (the Deloitte Millennial Survey 2018). As soon as they have the opportunity to develop and renew themselves and the organization, this can lead to very beautiful things (think of sustainability initiatives, innovation projects and network drinks). A number of the interviewed CEOs reported having difficulty with this rapid job hopping. They value loyalty very much. Mattijs ten Brink, CEO of Transavia, is very aware of the attitude of millennials: “I am very honest with new people. At a welcome meeting, I often say: "I know that you will not work here for more than 5 years. But that's okay. How are we going to make sure that you are fully prepared for the next step after those 5 years?'That sometimes comes across harshly, but also creates a very open dialogue.”
Also, the CEOs often emphasized the importance of experience; they are there longer, have more knowledge, and knowledge is power. But older doesn't mean wiser. The knowledge they possess now cannot always be used for the organisation of tomorrow. Sometimes it takes a unique, innovative look-and this often comes from the millennial.
Stronger together
Both generations need each other: millennials need Generation X to provide frameworks, and to see that their chatter about work-life balance, ‘finding yourself’, make an impact and their fickleness can sometimes be a little less.
Generation X needs millennials because of their infectious enthusiasm, their forward-looking outlook, and their love of speed and innovation.
In short: by connecting the leaders of today and the leaders of tomorrow, and combining their strengths and potentials, the two generations can strengthen their own organization and it is easy to create a culture where change is a constant. If this is not done, organizations risk never closing the’ gap'. This can make it harder to attract, retain and make changes to younger employees.
So Millennials are not just coffee-drinking hipsters, and Generation X is not gray and conservative. Together they are extremely strong and can learn a lot from each other. The question that remains is: which of the two starts the dialogue?
Niek van Droffelaar, The Transformation Group
