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The Future of Leadership

Report 2014

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“Young people across the world are trying to fight

for a better world. Young people want a change.”

Rolf Schmachtenberg President of AIESEC International

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Youth to Business Forum“Where Youth and Business meet to switch ideas into actions that will impact the world.”

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Youth to Business Forum is an event that takes place in multiple locations around the world; bringing top young leaders together with business leaders, thought leaders, and experts for a conversation around pressing global issues with the aim to generate new, but most importantly, actionable ideas that will impact the world and its future. !Youth to Business Forum: Top Leaders Edition took place on February 25, 2014 in Guangzhou, China and brought together 250 top young leaders and over 14 organisations to discuss the future of leadership.

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“People are interested in social movements, being sustainable and creating impact.

!Gen Y is fast moving and constantly comes up

with creative ideas. !

They don’t find solutions to solve problems in the system anymore; they create new systems

themselves. !

Gen Y is change-driven.” !

Ezekiel VicenteChief Technology Officer at Mindvalley

Executive Summary A Profile of Millennials

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Understanding Millennials There are many generational groups coexisting in the workplace. Millennials are different from previous

generations because they grew up during the technological age. This demographical diversity brings a challenge for employers in terms of creating a collaborative work environment.

!Profit versus Impact

The old business models of strictly seeking profit have become outdated. The world around us is changing quickly and new systems are being developed every day. We need to ensure that we lead with values and think with a long-term perspective. Young people want to feel that they can rely on

the leaders of today for a better tomorrow. !

Being Transparent It is crucial for business and employers to be very clear with what their messages is to

youth. Young people expect that they will get all the information they need to allow them to convert data into intelligence. In systems where information is not readily available or shared,

such as workplaces with hierarchy and without mentorship or guidance, Millennial employees can be disengaged and unhappy. !!!

The Challenges Leaders Face with Leading Millennials

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\ !!!!!!“ You can do some powerful things in whichever organisation you choose.Take as much from every

experience as you can. Experience is what matters.” !

Faith Brewitt CEO, Have Faith in Your Brand

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!!! !Business is moving fast, but the world is moving even faster. By 2025, Millennials will make up 75% of

the global workforce. The panelists at Youth to Business Forum: Top Leaders Edition shared insights on how they see the Millennial generation affecting Business today, and how leaders can start to transform

their organisations to see more success in the future. !!Empower Your People

People are the biggest asset for any organisation; they make everything happen. Employers should provide learning opportunities and mentors that will support employees throughout their whole experience within the organisation. Businesses should provide the opportunity to develop and grow into . !Invest in Women

Women bring something different to the corporate world, but also in leadership. Their style and motivation greatly differ from men and can offer different perspectives. For businesses to be innovating and adapting to the quickly changing markets, they need to be activating their strengths by having more women and diversity, not only in the company, but leading it. It is this generation that needs to make this change happen.

!Be Truly Socially Responsible

Chasing profits became popular before the financial crisis, but businesses now have to think about society and being sustainable. Consumers are more conscious about the social impact their choices have, so businesses have to start leading by example. Demonstrate strong values through the decisions and actions your organisation makes.

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“The power of your organisation is in the people that are managing it every day.” !

Jim Walsh Partner, Global Human Capital Strategy and Transformation Leader

PwC

The Changes that Need to be Made

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!Youth to Business

Action Space

The 250 young leaders were grouped into 6 geographical regions and spoke about their best

and worst experiences being led - ultimately, creating guidelines for how managers can lead

Gen Y to reach their full potential.

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After hearing about the challenges leaders face with understanding them, 250 young leaders came up with three key suggestions on the behaviours leaders and managers should

demonstrate in order to help young employees reach their full potential. !Be Entrepreneurial Youth are dynamic and adaptable to change. They are innovative, creative and expect that they will be able to work and lead using their full potential. Give them responsibility and hold them accountable, but let them figure out the best way to get to the result you want. !

Be Purposeful Millennials seek for purpose in everything they do, especially in their professional life. Communicate with them the purpose of their large

responsibilities and they will become more connected to their work tasks big and small. The “Why” is the most important thing to demonstrate to them. !Be Authentic In the social media age, being open and vulnerable is something that young people are very used to. They appreciate genuine leaders who promote honesty and transparency. Old, hierarchical systems are difficult for this generation to work within. They are motivated when they can contribute opinion, share feedback and have open conversations with their team and managers.

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How do Millennials want to be led?

DONT’sDO’sBE TOO CONTROLLING

UNDERESTIMATE THEIR ABILITIES

FORGET TO SHOWCASE THE RESULTS OF THEIR WORK

PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE WITHOUT SUPPORT

EXPECT THEM TO WORK IN A STANDARD WAY

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FORGET ABOUT FOSTERING A SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE

FORGET ABOUT FEEDBACK

LEAD WITH FEAR

DISCRIMINATE

BOX IN THEIR CREATIVITY

BE AUTHENTIC

HAVE A CLEAR PURPOSE

GIVE AND TAKE OWNERSHIP

BE FLEXIBLE. PROVIDE A CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT

CREATE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

GIVE FREEDOM AND TRUST

APPRECIATE AND GIVE CREDIT

BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

RESPECT DIVERSITY

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

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To make these more actionable in the workplace, here are some do’s and don’ts that young people believe will help you lead

the Millennial generation better.

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Caroline Watson CEO + Founder

Hua Dan

Faith Brewitt CEO + Founder,

Have Faith in Your Brand

Robert Scholten Country Manager Greater China & Mongolia

ING Bank

Jim Walsh Partner, Human Capital and Transformational Leadership

PwC

Da Li (Host)CEO

Deya Tech

Traci Fenton CEO + Founder

WorldBlu

Ezekiel Vicente Chief TLJOUVSVN`�6MÄJLY�

Mindvalley

Sarah Endline CEO + Founder

sweetriot

Linus Jonsson Country Manager, China

EF Education First

Jan Eliasson (by video)

Deputy Secretary General United Nations

Our Speakers

Our Partners

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“We won’t be able to do anything by ourselves. We all need to collaborate.” Siobhan Connelly President of AIESEC in Tanzania