How and why to nurture Millennial Leadership

UK MILLENNIAL LEADERSHIP REPORT

Content

1 Hello 03

2 New Leadership Potential 04

3 Experiences of Work 07

4 Routes to Leadership 09

5 Line Management Support 12

6 Learning Preferences 14

7 Key Recommendations 15

8 Summary of Research Details 16

9 Appendix i) Discussion Suggestions 18 ii) Example of Leadership Map 19

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3

Hello

Welcome to our research into Millennial Leadership in the UK. At a time when so many people are discussing the leadership performance gap that exists across the globe, it seems apt to be exploring the potential of young, emerging leaders.

Recent research published by Ashridge1, APQC2 and IBM3&4 indicates that new leadership capabilities are required to deal with the complexities of today’s world. Thinking strategically and innovatively, dealing with ambiguity and leading agile change are all much more important than they were 10-15 years ago. On top of this, according to the CMI5 in the UK, fewer than half of those asked believe that their bosses are competent to lead.

This sets out a clear agenda for all those interested in developing successful leaders, and points to a re-think regarding leadership development approaches. And where better to start this work than with the next generation of leaders?

The term ‘Millennial’ refers to anyone born between 1981 and 1997. Previous research into this generation has explored their habits and preferences, with a view to understanding them as a market, or establishing how to recruit and retain them as employees. Because of our developmental focus, we are more interested in finding out about their leadership potential and development needs. Our findings will be relevant to those, like us, who are hoping to get better at nurturing and growing this new generation of leaders. We hope this report will also be stimulating and supportive to Millennials themselves.

We began this project by inviting Millennials in paid or unpaid work, from across a range of sectors, to complete an on-line survey. We asked for people aged 20-30 to enable a focus on those with reasonably fresh experiences of work. 124 participants completed the survey, with 26 of these agreeing to one-to-one interviews to delve more deeply into their responses. This report captures the views expressed, and draws on our own broad experience of supporting leadership development and culture change.

If you’re pushed for time we suggest you read the summary at the beginning of each Section 2-6, followed by the recommendations in Section 7. Otherwise settle back and read the report more thoroughly, making your own assessment as you go, before turning to our recommendations and suggestions.

Esther Cameron Director, Integral Change September 2016

I hope you enjoy the read, and find the information useful. I would very much appreciate receiving your feedback and thoughts. Please do also get in touch if you’d like to find out more about our research or discuss your next steps.

esther@integralchange.co.uk

1 Hayward, I. & Voller, S., (2010) How effective is leadership development, Ashridge Business School, UK

2 APQC (2014) The Leadership Deficit, APQC http://www.apqc.org/

3 Capitalising on Complexity, Global CEO Study 2010, IBM Institute for Business Value

4 Redefining Boundaries, Global C-Suite Study 2015, IBM Institute for Business Value

5 McBain, R., Ghobadian, A., Switzer, J., Wilton, P. Woodman, P. & Pearson, G.,(2012) The Business Benefits of Management and Leadership Development, Chartered Management Institute

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New Leadership Potential

Many Millennials see themselves as having something unique and fresh to offer. They are also clear-eyed about their own shortcomings and how much they have to learn. In terms of leadership, they show signs of having greater access than their seniors to some of the capabilities necessary for leading complex change. This is demonstrated by greater capacity to juggle multiple inputs, continuously adapt to current realities and deal well with interconnectedness. We also experienced their passionate articulation, high quality interpersonal skills, determination and preference for positive encouragement.

CAPACITY FOR COMPLEXITY

There was a high level of agreement amongst participants in our survey that Millennials as a demographic are good at spotting patterns and trends, often with more of an eye on the future than some of their more experienced colleagues. They also see themselves as able to cope with multiple inputs while remaining focused on the outcome and staying open to new information as work progresses.

In interviews they described how they are able to allow a more emergent way forward rather than needing necessarily to stick to a rigid plan. Several told stories of their surprise at line managers’ tendencies to over structure and plan things in ways that appeared to create both rework and unhelpful restrictions. This added to the evidence that this group demonstrates a capacity for complexity. This is a much sought-after ‘agile’ quality in middle leaders that in our experience can be difficult to develop.

Strong evidence for dealing well with complexity.

“ I've never really seen myself as a different type of leader due to the fact that I'm a Millennial but this questionnaire has got me thinking and I am beginning to see some important differences! ”Participants came across in interview as flexible, adaptive thinkers as well as being pragmatic and well-organised. There were only 10% no-shows at interview which represents a much lower failure rate than is average for this type of research i.e. around 30-40%. All those who showed-up were on time and the majority well prepared in terms of arranging the right technology and level of privacy despite a lack of explicit rewards or reminders.

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flexible and willing to adapt to new

information

like to look at multiple inputs

skilled at spotting patterns

and trends

6 The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey

7 UK Millennials Report (2015), Inkling

8 The Millennial Leadership Study (2015), Virtuali and Workplacetrends.com

9 Pew Research (Feb, 2010) Confident, Connected, Open to Change

As a way of finding out how Millennials see their own and their peers’ capabilities and skills, particularly where these relate to leadership, we asked them about some of the recent findings from Deloitte6, Inkling7, Virtuali8 and Pew9 as well as one or two possible ‘urban myths’.

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NATURAL TEAMWORKERS

There was also recognition that Millennials collaborate and work well in teams. In interviews several mentioned how they believe that at some point it’s necessary to divide tasks up and let everyone get on with their work, reaching out for help if necessary. However this doesn't always happen. Micromanagement and/or lack of sufficient direction were mentioned by 58% as problematic. This is an area where we sense that some line managers in their 40s and older may be struggling in terms of style, as their teambuilding and dialogue management skills are either rusty or have never become particularly developed.

“ Flexible teamwork is not an add-on. To me, it’s central to effective working! ”

Rating self and peers against recent Millennial research insights (average survey scores per characteristic 0 = definitely not! 10 = absolutely yes!)

flexible and willing to adapt to new

information

like to look at multiple inputs

skilled at spotting patterns and trends

tendency to push for promotion

prefer to work in collaboration rather

than alone

probably need to toughen up!

there’s nothing special about this generation

want to be healthy/enjoy work rather than do anything

especially meaningful

tend to avoid asking for permission or advice

58%

7.7

7.2

7.0

6.3

6.2

4.5

4.44.2

4.1

58% of Millennials mentioned micromanagement and/or lack of sufficient direction

by line management as problematic.

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PASSIONATE AND KEEN TO PROGRESS

“ When Millennials are passionate about something they really go for it! Companies should pay attention to this, as we’ll work extremely hard for things we believe in. ” There was agreement amongst interviewees that Millennials want to progress in their jobs, especially those who are attracted to forms of leadership. This hunger for promotion was reported to be about money and security, rather than about arrogance or a sense of entitlement, which felt understandable given the economic situation many are in.

Almost everyone we spoke to said they have a real interest in doing meaningful work, but that they understand the need to balance this with realism. Some had surprised themselves by finding something they were passionate about almost by accident, having started in a role just because that was all that was available. In interviews, 70% expressed evident passion for aspects of their work and what it could deliver to the world, often in unexpected and stimulating ways.

FEAR OF MAKING A MISTAKE

On the negative side, several interviewees said that receiving difficult feedback, or asking for support when stuck can be problematic for those in their first work role. Several recognized that they don’t want to make mistakes or be seen to be ‘wrong’ or incompetent – sometimes for fear of losing hard-won jobs. Processing negative feedback without feeling crushed by it is therefore difficult for some, particularly having come from school, college or university where there is often a lot of encouragement for learning and feedback is given in a more skillful way. We noted that only one of those interviewed asked directly for feedback regarding how they came across. Our strong advice is that recent Millennial recruits are supported to process negative feedback in positive ways.

Another difficulty cited in interviews was the impact of still living at home for many. Trapped in a situation where moving out is unaffordable, the usual methods of growing up such as running your own home and having a family are unavailable to many, so building self-reliance and independence of mind can be an issue. However those able to afford to live in shared accommodation, particularly in cities, said that this enabled rapid growing up in all sorts of ways, given the stresses and strains of urban life. Our sense is that these differences could be better understood by line managers, particularly those whose early experiences of work were a bit simpler.

In interviews, 70% expressed evident passion for aspects of their work and what it could deliver to the world.

70%

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Experiences of Work

On the surface it seems Millennials are broadly enjoying their work, learning a lot from it and contributing. However, those graduating more recently also say they feel lucky to have a job at all, and therefore appear more tentative about offering criticism. On closer questioning we heard more about the poor quality of performance management being provided to many of these ambitious Millennials and the low level of openness to their ideas and innovations.

We asked participants what they are loving about work, the frustrations they were having, and the type of support they were getting as potential ‘leadership talent’. We also probed into the quality of performance management they are receiving and the relative ‘openness to change’ of the organisational cultures they find themselves in.

LOVES VS. FRUSTRATIONS

Regarding their current work, the survey data indicates that things are going reasonably well for this group, with many participants saying they appreciate quite a bit about their role. This included learning a lot, being able to bring their skills and insights and being given a lot of responsibility. However only a third said that they are receiving good encouragement and having a decent level of influence.

Frustrations also seemed manageable, with the most common work difficulties named as squeezed resources/everything done in a rush, seeing wrong or ill-informed decisions being made and experiencing stressful working practices. Almost one fifth say that they have no frustrations at all.

Loves:

I am learning a lot:

I am bringing skills and insights:

I am given a lot of responsibility:

Frustrations:

Resources are squeezed and everything is done in a rush:

Seeing wrong or ill-informed decisions being made:

Experiencing stressful working practice:

68%

33%

61%

29%

52%

27%

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PATCHY SUPPORT FROM THE BOSS

Interviews revealed a rather more concerning picture, perhaps because of the more personal and private conversation this offered. At least 84% are already working in roles involving considerable leadership responsibility and yet there were lots of stories about the absence of regular, decent quality performance discussions with line managers, even from those who are part of a graduate or talent programme. This generally means a lack of regular, structured one-to-one time with the immediate boss or an on-going mentor, covering both task and development progress, with only 8% receiving this and the rest missing it and acknowledging how valuable it could be.

This will all be disappointing news for many HR Professionals who, in line with ‘agile’ thinking, have been encouraging line managers to offer higher quality, one-to-one contact to their teams.

Only 8% receive regular, high quality performance management.

BLOCKS TO INNOVATION

Resistance to change and a lack of openness in the leadership culture around them was also a problem for many, with 54% of those interviewed saying they find the organisation very resistant to their ideas, and only 4% saying they feel the organisational culture to be genuinely open to change. Ideas mentioned were often to do with process innovations based on their own research, or previous experiences which are batted away without much of a hearing. The phrases “we’ve always done it that way” or “we tried that a few years ago – didn’t work” were repeatedly mentioned.

54% find their organisation very resistant to change.

Considering the degree of challenge being faced by most organisations, and the potential of Millennials to contribute if supported well, these established cultural norms clearly need confronting.

“ One of the senior leaders here is exceptionally open and said to a group of us ‘I’m interested in doing things differently on this project, so I’d really welcome your ideas at these meetings’. That sort of attitude is rare but very motivating. ”

8%

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Routes to Leadership

Millennials who are interested in leadership have a hunger for development, and a strong need to clarify how they can best progress towards this. Many are already working in roles where they are required to influence stakeholders across the organisation and engage others in change proposals. However outline career plans and clear routes to leadership are absent for the majority. Our sense is they need to be engaged in more dialogue about ‘what leadership is’ in their current context. They also need more stretching interventions to help them to experiment with new skills. This needs to go beyond basic interpersonal skills, which most have already mastered to a decent level.

We asked participants to tell us about what’s important in their lives, the path to leadership they expect to take, if known, and the types of skills they believe will help them to get there.

“ Money is important, of course. But when you develop yourself, you set yourself up for the future. That's my focus now. Jobs are not secure - this is my security! ”

DESIRE FOR LEARNING

Enthusiasm for learning how to lead is high, with 75% of participants rating their interest in becoming a capable leader at 7 or more, out of a maximum score of 10.

Millennials are extremely hungry for learning and development. Around half selected ‘developing myself’ as the highest priority in their lives right now, with ‘making money’ and ‘getting things done’ attracting far fewer votes.

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What's most important right now in the way you lead your life?

DEVELOPING MYSELF

MAKING MONEY

SERVING SOCIETY

EMPOWERING OTHERS

GETTING THINGS DONE

GAINING INFLUENCE

OTHER

48% 6% 6%4%15% 14%7%

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READINESS FOR LEADERSHIP EDUCATION

We asked about the extent to which participants believe that developing a broad range of leadership skills is likely to help them now and in the future. All the options attracted high scores. This indicates a readiness for developing a wide spectrum of leadership skills, and thus expanding their repertoire as leaders.

The range of skills offered was drawn from our own Five Leadership Qualities Framework which sets out a map of the essential skills and qualities required by today’s leaders10.

“ What I need to learn right now is how to engage people in my ideas, and how to hold others to account for things they haven’t done when they don’t work or me. ”

In interviews Millennials were stimulated by explanations of what these ‘new’ leadership skills involved. This seemed a step beyond the more management-oriented courses received by 42%, mostly focused on managing budgets and understanding how to communicate with different types of people. These courses were appreciated for their connecting and networking possibilities, and as revision, but sounded a little basic considering participants’ existing capabilities. Only 12% spoke about receiving training that had impacted their leadership in any significant way.

Our sense is that this group needs higher quality stimulation to enable them to take their leadership to a new level that matches the complex leadership challenges they are already facing. For instance, this means going beyond understanding behaviours, to understanding organisational systems and the forces within them.

How useful would it be to develop these leadership skills? Average survey scores per skill 0 = definitely not! 10 = that would be great!

Engaging other people in your ideas

or proposals

High Scores above this line.

Thinking and acting strategically i.e.

getting ahead of the curve and supporting

others to join you

Bringing standards and rigour to your work and the work

of others

Managing or taking part in good quality

dialogue at meetings

Conducting difficult conversations with a

boss/colleague/customer

0

10

7.5

5

10 See forthcoming book Essential Leadership by Director Esther Cameron, Kogan Page (February, 2017)

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A NEED TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE

“ In my sector, people are often treated quite badly and there is little investment in your future. So when I started in this company and they talked about wanting to see me here in 5-10 years’ time, and explained the ways I could progress, that felt amazing. Even tho’ I know there’s no guarantee of this, it’s helpful to hear. ” There was an absence of broad-brush career plans or ‘routes to leadership’, evidenced by only 19% of those interviewed having a rough idea of how they might progress towards becoming a skilled leader within their current setting. Many had only a basic understanding of the type of skills they will need to learn or the sort of leadership development options and opportunities they might get if they’re keen to lead and show promise.

Only 19% of participants know how they might progress

towards becoming a skilled leader.

Our sense is that this missing 'map of the future' is unsettling for many given all the other uncertainties in their lives. It is also a missed opportunity to engage Millennials in the future direction of the organisation, and inspire them to bring their passion and potential to this. Once they have a clearer picture of what leadership is and how they might be supported to develop the necessary skills, they will be more confident to try things out and ask for help.

Our experience indicates that many organisations have such maps available but that these are either not well understood by line managers or not as accessible as they might be (see Appendix ii) for an example). It may also be out of date and therefore not particularly inspiring to this group. This needs to be addressed if so.

APPRECIATION FOR REFLECTIVE SPACE

Interviews revealed that opportunities for guided reflection seemed rare, and many remarked on how much the conversation had helped them to consider their leadership development. Some committed to asking for improved line manager contact and feedback.

Our experience indicates that as leaders develop new skills, the way they mature and deepen their capabilities is through reflecting on experiences and seeking information about the impact of their actions.

“ I went on a training programme recently about dealing with difficult people. It was fine, but I know all that already! What I need is someone to coach me in doing this in my day-to-day work. ”

19%

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Line Management Support

Millennials value face-to-face contact and feedback extremely highly, which is perhaps unexpected for the generation that grew up with the internet and social media. They also place a high priority on developing themselves in practical, applicable ways rather than just acquiring knowledge. They would like their line managers to take a more active role in this development, with over 80% of participants wanting higher quality feedback and better, more regular coaching. Advice from an experienced mentor with good, practical sector knowledge was also seen as valuable in theory, but only 12% of those interviewed mentioned mentors whom they were finding beneficial to their learning.

GIVE ME FEEDBACK PLEASE!

Participants were asked what leadership development supports they would most like to have more of, if money was no object, and the results were startlingly consistent. Our research revealed a very strong wish for better quality interaction with line managers, and much better quality feedback. In interviews, some talked about rarely receiving feedback on how they are doing from their line manager, if at all, even those enrolled on graduate training schemes.

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81% want more high quality feedback and coaching from

their line manager.

Advice from a good quality mentor is desired

by 56%.

41% would like more opportunities to attend

leadership training.

81% 41%56%

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A TEST FOR THE BOSS?

Based on some stories from participants we wonder whether line managers are sufficiently skilled as people leaders themselves, and whether they require more training in how to conduct high quality one-to-ones, particularly where Millennials are showing leadership potential. Our view is that they also need to be more aware of the leadership capabilities required by the organisation and have some idea of typical development routes.

“ I understand that your boss is meant to sit down with you once a month to review how you’re doing and coach you. That would be great in theory, but I think that would really test my current boss’s skills… ” A particular difficulty that was mentioned by several of those interviewed was having a line manager or team leader who lacked upwards influence. So there were lots of good quality conversations between them, but ideas and requests never went any further.

The more valuable mentors were all ‘found’ rather than appointed, with formal mentors described by some as remote senior leaders with little insight into the individual’s actual role or performance. Although participants understand the value of connecting with well-networked senior leaders for reasons of networking and visibility, they tend not to see this type of connection as developmental. There was however much appreciation for sector-specific insights from seniors and quite some discussion about how to find a good mentor.

“ My boss is a Millennial too and she’s just great. We talk things through, she pushes me, she builds me up when I’m down … The only problem is she doesn’t have a lot of influence upwards. ”

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Learning Preferences

It might be surprising to hear that for a techno-savvy generation, Millennials are not particularly drawn to on-line learning. Most are much more interested in live, face-to-face leadership development options. They see tailored, personal exchanges and connections with experienced leaders and peers as the most valuable forms of learning. If training courses are to make an impact on this group, our advice is that they need these to be well-structured, highly practical, delivered authoritatively and relevant to their sector. There is little tolerance for theoretical training or poor quality on-line courses, with only one fifth saying they have an interest in reading blogs, articles or podcasts on leadership.

A PREFERENCE FOR LIVE, INTERACTIVE LEARNING

“ I don’t want to listen to someone who has no authority talking about leadership using dreary powerpoints. We had too much of that at school! ” In terms of more structured forms of leadership development, there is much more interest in live interactions via training courses (see above) than in reading blogs and articles on-line or watching videos/webinars, which each attracted only one fifth of participants. And the more practical, authoritative and sector-related the better.

SOME INTEREST IN ON-LINE TRAINING – IF MORE ENGAGING!

“ Webinars that I’ve seen so far are on pointless things, done in a detached way. That’s not helpful to me at all. ” Many of those interviewed reported that the material they had already experienced via webinars and on-line learning was extremely dry, not particularly relevant, poorly structured and delivered in an uninspiring, detached way. If this was to be improved, and made more engaging and interactive, they said they might well be interested and could see the value in such a flexible, cost-effective approach.

This is certainly food for thought for those involved in learning design for leadership development. If web-based solutions are being sought, these need to be carefully selected, and part of an integrated approach that includes engaging, live interactions.

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Want to access more blogs, articles,

podcasts.

Want to access more webinars, video

interviews, on-line teachings.

21% 19%

Key Recommendations

Here are three sets of recommendations for consideration, depending on your role. These are based on majority findings, so if you’re in the minority, they may well not apply. We urge you to start a dialogue with others, and begin to explore and experiment together! See Appendix i) for Discussion Suggestions.

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FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

For HR Professionals, this research implies the need to:

• consider refreshing your in-house approach to performance management, establishing clear expectations

• provide support and/or training for line managers in how to nurture and coach Millennials with leadership interests and potential

• identify a map of leadership (see example of this in Appendix ii) that supports the development of Millennials and engage line managers in making this a reality

• source good quality, engaging leadership development solutions to stimulate your Millennials in their day-to-day leadership

• find ways of cross-pollinating ideas about leadership between senior leaders, team leaders and Millennials.

FOR LINE MANAGERS

For Line Managers, this research implies the need to:

• brush up on your coaching and team building skills

• commit to a monthly, structured, high quality one-to-one conversation with every team member

• improve your own influencing skills – both across and up

• invite and listen to the views of Millennials about what needs to change; try using this as a coaching opportunity for them to think through possible next steps

• get familiar with an up-to-date map of leadership that fits with the aspirations of your organisation (see example of this in Appendix ii), and support Millennials to build next level leadership skills.

FOR MILLENNIALS

For Millennials interested in leadership, this research implies the need to:

• tell your Line Manager and HR Department about your leadership aspirations and ask about routes to learning

• commit to taking responsibility for your own leadership learning, and make time to reflect on your progress and clarify what support and development you need to get in place

• ask your Line Manager for a regular one-to-one discussion about the work you’re doing every month, including some coaching feedback

• work on your openness to critical feedback if you find this difficult; try not to take it personally, even if you sense a little aggression or impatience from the other person

• explore the possibility of a mentor, inside or outside of your organisation, getting help and advice from your line and HR and being clear about what you’d ideally like.

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Summary of Research Details

CHARACTERISTICS:

Sample: 124 survey respondents, of which 26 interviewed by phone or skype Recruited from throughout the UK during June – August 2016

Genders: 60% female, 39% male, 1% other

Ages: Average age 25, range: 20-30

Employment: 91% employed in a wide range of organisations Average length of time in work 3.5 years, range: 6 weeks – 10 years

Sectors: Retail 20% Transport 15% Media/Arts 11% Finance/Banking/Accountancy 9% HR/Consulting 7% Education 7% Science/Technology 7% Sustainability 4% Public Services 4% Manufacturing 3% Marketing 3% Charity/Volunteer 3% Health 2.5% Sports/Leisure 1% Other 3.5%

RESEARCH TEAM:

Esther Cameron, Research DirectorEsther is an experienced leadership educator, change consultant and author. She is co-founder of Integral Change Consulting Ltd, and co-author of best-selling book Making Sense of Change Management (Kogan Page, 4th Ed, 2015) as well as a brand new book on 21st century leadership called Essential Leadership (Kogan Page, February 2017).

Alice Stapleton, Millennial advisorAlice offers bespoke coaching to ambitious Millennials wanting to progress and grow, and advises organisations on how best to welcome and keep valuable Millennial recruits.

Jeff Pigott, Front cover pictureJeff is a visual artist and graphic designer.

Tom Walker, Document layout and design Tom is a Millennial freelance design consultant.

Louise Overy, Editor Louise is a freelance copy editor in the field of leadership and coaching.

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ABOUT INTEGRAL CHANGE CONSULTING:

Integral Change Consulting Ltd brings together 35+ years of change consulting and leadership development experience in support of improved organisational performance. We advise and coach senior leaders, design and deliver change interventions and simultaneously build change leadership capability as required to meet the challenges being faced. Our work involves leading-edge practice combined with robustly supportive relationships and a highly personal approach.

If you’re interested to talk to us about developing your leadership culture in line with the leading-edge practices touched on in this report, please do get in touch. We’d be pleased to meet and talk.

www.integralchange.co.uk

esther@integralchange.co.uk

twitter.com/Integral_Change

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Deep thanks to all those who gave their time to complete the survey and be interviewed, and to all the HR Managers, Line Managers, colleagues, friends and Millennials themselves who encouraged others to do the same!

Thanks also goes to Jane Hounsome for supporting the production of this report through offering her Senior HR perspective.

Appendix i - Discussion Suggestions

Here’s a possible set of preparation questions for any discussion and/or decision-making forum you think would be valuable after reading and circulating this report. This would ideally be a gathering of Millennials, Line Managers of various levels and relevant HR Professionals.

PREPARATION QUESTIONS

1. How do you find yourself responding to the report?

2. What feels confirming and familiar, and what feels surprising or at odds with your own experiences, from whatever perspective?

3. What questions would you like to ask others in the organisation, or the researcher, about the topics covered here?

4. What requests would you like to make of others to improve the way Millennial Leaders are nurtured?

5. What else would you like to say to others about the part they play in nurturing Millennial Leadership potential?

6. What commitments would you like to make, personally?

7. Any other comments or reactions?

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Appendix ii - Example Leadership Map

In sections 4 and 7 above we refer to the need for an organsational map of leadership that sets out a path for leadership development. This can be used by those interested in becoming leaders, their line managers and mentors and those tasked with designing and sourcing leadership interventions.

While many organisations have something like this already, it seems useful to suggest how this might now look considering the findings from the above research, and our own experiences of developing leaders in today’s complex and fast-moving organisational setting.

We imagine Millennials working their way along this pathway depending on progress and job opportunities. Key supports are likely to be: their line manager, HR professionals, mentor/coach, regular leadership forums with peers/others, training courses or webinars on key topics plus clear links to their day-to-day work, and the organisation’s current business plan and priorities.

Those interested in fleshing out this suggested pathway can context Esther Cameron at Integral Change for help. They may also find it useful to read Esther’s forthcoming book, Essential Leadership (Kogan Page, 2017).

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Working Essentials (0 - 1 years)

• passions, ambitions and goals

• understanding and working with others

• learning how to learn and reflect

• giving and receiving feedback

Self-Leadership (0.5 - 3 years)

• becoming a leader: purpose and values

• delegation, accountability and follow-up

• inspiring, engaging and influencing

• having tough conversations – up, down, across

Leading Others (1.5 - 5 years)

• becoming a leader: 360 feedback ---> leadership development objectives

• stakeholder influencing- up, down, across

• facilitating high performing teams

• leading complex processes

Leading Systems (3 – 10 years)

• strategic leadership

• complex agenda and priority setting

• building organisational capability

• managing dialogue

Beyond?

• on-going education, coaching, reflection

• ever greater capacity building of self/others

• learning networks with customer, supplier, competitor, other organisations

• voluntary work/’back to the floor’/other stretching experiences