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Leadership For The Millennial Generation: An Interview With Lindsey Pollak

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Lindsey Pollak is the author of the recent New York Times Best Seller, Becoming the Boss: New Rules for the Next Generation of Leaders. She is one of the country's leading experts on the Millennial generation and consults with top corporations on attracting, engaging and managing their future leaders. I very much enjoyed Pollak’s previous book for Millennials starting out in their careers, so was excited to catch up with her about her latest:

Caroline Ceniza-Levine: What prompted you to write a book specifically on leadership for Gen Y?

Lindsey Pollak: I wrote my previous book, Getting from College to Career, to help young professionals succeed in landing their first jobs out of college. I had struggled with that experience, so I wrote the book I wish I had had when I graduated. I wrote Becoming the Boss because all of those young professionals are now stepping up into leadership and management positions and they have begun asking for advice on that next step in their career journey.

I also wrote this book because I am frustrated by the common portrayal of Millennials as "entitled," narcissistic and overall a "lost" generation. I believe very strongly that today's young people have tremendous potential, but they do need some guidance on "soft skills," such as face-to-face communication, work ethic and professional patience. This book is my attempt to provide that guidance and support this huge generation of out world's future leaders.

Ceniza-Levine: On the subtitle of ‘New Rules’: Are there rules that apply to Gen Y specifically as opposed to X and Boomer leaders? How is Gen Y leadership different?

Pollak: I do believe we need new leadership rules today, but they are not replacing the classic rules; they are additive. We are living in a time of massive generational change, with the enormous (76 million strong) baby boomer generation finally giving way to the enormous Millennial generation (80 million strong). (I'm a member of Gen X, the tiny 46-million member generation sandwiched between these two.). While there are tons of great leadership books written by and for the older generations -- and I have an entire chapter of the book dedicated to reviewing the classic books and concepts any new leader should know -- I believe Millennials are leading in different times and also see the world in a different way. The goal of this book is to be the first-ever leadership book designed specifically for these new Millennial leaders' unique needs.

Ceniza-Levine: What can X and Boomer leaders learn from these New Rules? What should X and Boomer leaders know to best develop Gen Y high potential leaders?

Pollak: There are many tips in the book that are relevant to any leader of any generation today. For example, leading people virtually (through Skype, instant message and other technologies) is a new leadership competency.

To best develop Gen Y leaders, organizations need to understand their deep desire for personal and professional development. In The Hartford's 2014 Millennial Leadership Survey, on which I collaborated, Millennials said employers can most demonstrate their investment in them as a future leader by offering training and development (50%), a clear career path (35%), and ongoing coaching and feedback (34%). Leadership is a learnable skill and if we want the next generation to be great leaders, we have to teach them how to do it.

Ceniza-Levine: In your research for the book, what’s a surprising fact you learned that may not have been in your initial hypothesis?

Pollak: Great question! I was most surprised by the percentage of Millennials who already view themselves as leaders today, whether or not they hold a traditional leadership or management role. According to the same survey mentioned above, 83% of Millennials consider themselves to be a leader in some aspect of their lives -- work, community, family, sports, etc. I knew Millennials were a confident group, which is terrific, but this number is much higher than I anticipated.

If, as Pollak highlighted, leaders today need to navigate multiple generations, know how to lead via new technologies and prioritize professional and personal development for themselves and their teams, what are you doing towards these ends? Are you regularly networking with people outside your generation, including adopting a reverse (younger) mentor if needed? Are you staying updated with the latest technology (holding your next meeting on Google Hangout, perhaps)? Are you blocking time out on your schedule (and your team’s schedules) for professional and personal development? What are you doing to ensure your leadership capacity is in sync with today’s marketplace?

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart career coaching. She has worked with executives from American Express , Citigroup, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. She’s also a stand-up comic, so she’s not your typical coach. Connect with Caroline on Google+.