Have you ever wondered how interested your Millennial and Gen Z colleagues are in stepping in to a leadership position? Do you know the most important supports you can provide to help them feel empowered in their current and future roles?
These two powerful questions sparked a collaboration to understand next generation leaders’ experiences, beliefs, and recommendations for becoming empowered leaders. Over the course of 2020, CCL embarked on a partnership to learn more about next-generation employees’ (ages 18-30) experiences, challenges, and needs in leadership positions. We heard from more than 10,500 Gen Z and Millennials in 20 countries through surveys, one-on-one interviews, and working groups. Although this work is still ongoing, responses so far have provided insights into why next-generation workers do (or do not) choose to pursue leadership roles, and whether current leaders feel empowered in their positions.
This article summarizes some of the most important findings on whether, why, and how next-generation leaders pursue leadership positions. We share information about why empowerment is important, debunk common myths related to young leaders, share three of the most important factors predicting leadership empowerment, and outline concrete actions you can take to support emerging leaders. To learn more about this work, check out our white paper.
