073 Danita Bye on why millennials matter

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Danita Bye was planning to write a book, just not the one that ended up being written! After speaking with her 23-year-old son following a leadership conference he attended, she felt compelled to explore what leading Millennials looked like — and what it should look like instead.

Who is Danita Bye? Danita Bye, M.A. is a sales development and leadership expert, as well as a sales coach and business leader. She has worked at corporations like Xerox, and is a contributing author to the Forbes Coaches Council. She has served on the Board of Trustees for several private Christian universities, as well as a Harvard MBA Sales Coach. Her new book, Millennials Matter: Proven Strategies for Building Next-Gen Leaders is about developing Millennial leaders as they rise through the workforce.

Danita wants leaders everywhere to stop complaining about Millennials and do something about the lack of character they see. With a passion to energize and equip the world’s current leaders to prioritize mentoring Millennials, Danita has started the trend herself with her new book that seeks to give leaders today the skill they need to make the leaders of tomorrow.

Quotes:

“We as leaders in the workplace need to step up to the plate and start being intentional about raising up this next generation of leaders.” — Danita

“Current leaders are excited about the creativity and innovation that’s available with the Millennial Generation. But they’re concerned about three areas: character, confidence, and collaboration.” — Danita

“That’s part of the journey of a leader: to always be developing and strengthening our character.” — Danita

“In many ways, we live in a fatherless and motherless generation. Many of us have come from broken homes or have parents that were workaholics. Whatever the factors are, leaders in the workplace need to step up to the plate, stop complaining, and start mentoring.” — Danita

“The Internet makes you think you are smarter than you are.” — Danita

Action Steps:

• Help Millennials or emerging leaders to identify their gifts and talents that they can leverage when they are up against a huge, massive obstacle. We can stretch out a hand when they are feeling despondent and talk about failing forward and how to use it as a stepping stone.
• Share real stories with the next generation. This includes how you’ve failed and what you learned. Millennials are hungry for real stories, not the shiny, polished, corporate ones.
• Don’t automatically assume that you have the respect of a Millennial just because you are in a place of leadership. You need to earn it through opening up and demonstrating that you can listen and learn from them, too.
• Engage Millennials in these ways: 1. Spend time with them and build a relationship; 2. Be intentional about character development; 3. Recognize where there are “crunch areas” – the places the emerging leader gets anxiety or stuck. Come alongside them and provide additional resources to help.
• The message Millennials get from successful people today is that outside of trying to attain success, there is no life.
• Millennials: you don’t have to be inspired to do every task. You can just do it if someone has tasked you with it as part of a job.

Resources mentioned:

• Official website: danitabye.com
• Connect with Danita Bye on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
• Millennials Matter: Proven Strategies for Building Next-Gen Leaders by Danita Bye 
• The Making of a Leader by J. Robert Clinton 

This Episode Sponsored By