THE GEN Y LEADERS – WHO ARE THESE NEW LEADERS?

Generation Y represents a cohort born between 1980 and 1994 with a reputation for strong positive parental attention coupled with high educational aspirations and expectations. They have experienced repeated affirmation that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to, and as a result, many are more confident and ready to test new ideas than any previous generation (Twenge, 2006; Howe & Strass, 2000).

This generation was also exposed to ethical breaches in business and politics that occurred so regularly that these breeches seemed a predictable part of our societal landscape. As a consequence, Gen Y’ers have become cynical about the way things have been done before them. In addition, this generation is the first generation to grow up accepting technology as a natural daily part of their lives (Tapscott, 1999). When we combine these factors we further understand why these young leaders are uniquely positioned to thrive in technology startups.

Common themes I’ve observed while working with these young and successful leaders include:

• They are extremely optimistic, expecting both to become wealthy and to change the world.
• They want to be respected – acknowledged for their gifts and not discounted based on their age or lack of experience. They don’t relate to their elders’ concept of paying your dues.
• They don’t value experience, traditional approaches, rules, or structure that they didn’t create.
• They want to work with people in their own image and choose where they work, based on recommendations from their peers.
• They seamlessly integrate work and social life – colleagues are their friends and the workplace is also a primary social gathering spot.
• They experience a kinship with people of their generation embracing diversity – global, racial, sexual orientation – without even thinking about it.
• They fluidly dance between competitive (better than you) and collaborative (help you whenever you ask).
• They tend to distrust authority, particularly of older generations. This is understandable because we, their elders, often think we know better.

When we view these young leaders relative to a developmental model, we see evidence that early success of significant magnitude creates a very different profile with a complex set of challenges and opportunities. While the linear stage theories are largely outdated, we can still imagine new skills and knowledge building on prior development – a progressive process.

So, what happens when the young, bright twenty-something leaps from college (or college drop-out) to CEO, skipping the progression of supervisor to manager and up the leadership ladder? How does he build emotional intelligence with so little time for reflection and interactions colored by the fact that he is the boss? How does he develop his capacity for intimacy when so much time is focused on work? Where and how does learning take place? What is the role of the coach in this fast-paced, youth oriented culture? Finally, how will engagements with these new leaders be different from coaching with more traditional clients and companies?