Seven Habits For Millennial Leaders
At TQL, 61% of the sales leaders are considered part of the millennial generation, born between 1981 and 1996. Bryan H., 28, is one of those leaders in TQL's Chicago office. He is a communication graduate of DePauw University where he double majored in public speaking and Spanish.
As a manager and a millennial, Bryan offers this advice and perspective to other millennials who will soon join him in the ranks of business leadership.
1. I must work harder - To quote my first manager at TQL, "every day is an interview." It's not about impressing your manager or your peers in a thirty minute interview. It's about demonstrating every single day that you are the right person for the job.
2. I am a role model - Charles Barkley can be whatever he wants, but the fact that I was in the same shoes as a new hire a mere five years ago means they can relate to me. I have to lead by example. In this job, it takes time to build your business. I'm still the first one in the office and the last one to leave.
3. Hire good people - I'm constantly asking other leaders for advice on hiring the right candidates. Bringing the right people in the door is the most important part of being a leader. If you hire the right people to begin with, it will make your job that much easier.
4. My mood matters - Energy is as contagious as the chickenpox. Yep, I had them. The vaccine didn't come out until 1995. If I'm upbeat, energetic and excited about what I'm doing every day, my team will follow suit.
5. I like to have fun and that's ok - I like to play a game of corn hole before I start my day. I'm not lazy. I just need some intermittent renewal. Harvard backs me on this one. No person is a machine. I don't care what generation you hail from. I'm a better leader and my team is stronger because we work and play together.
6. My time playing video games wasn't a waste - I developed a Mario Kart-themed sales competition that led to one of our most enjoyable and successful sales days. We divided into eight teams (Mario, Luigi, Bowser, etc.) and taped color-coordinated balloons to the back of each of our chairs. When we completed certain tasks, we popped a competing team's balloon.
7. I fully embrace this one Gen Y stereotype - I have a no fail attitude. It's not because I have four bookshelves full of trophies for "participation." It's because nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal. Thomas Jefferson said that, and I make it a point to learn from the great leaders who have come before me.
Forbes recently published its top 10 list of best cities for college grads to live in based on job opportunities and affordable housing. TQL has offices in four of them - Denver, Austin, Raleigh, and Cincinnati. Check out our job opportunities in these cities -- or at any one of our 32 offices across the country.
