So, what are the strengths and weaknesses of leaders under 35?
Jonathan Pearson has written a book for Millennials and, at age 29, leads a campus of 1400 for a large church. He offers some honest, humble insights about his generation and how to work with them. Some insights on Millennials…from a Millennial leader.
Welcome to Episode 75 of the Podcast.
Guest Links: Jonathan Pearson
Links Mentioned in this Episode
Geoff Surratt, Brad Lomenick and Carey Nieuwhof; Episode 74
3 Things You Can Do Right Away
How does the church view the stereotypes of millennials, and what can current leadership do to leverage their strengths? Jonathan discusses ways the church can embrace the generational changes without feeling threatened by the ideas and initiatives of millennials.
- Build a strategy around frustration points. Older generations are inclined not to cut millennials much slack, but you can re-visit the conflicts you’ve see with your own generation and set up a system. Any time a process becomes unstable or broken, you need to instate accountability that ensures quality. Establish guardrails and follow through. What fosters success are those who can build their strengths off consistency, and consistency caters to smoother transitions in change.
- Allow millennials to lead. A good leader builds influence before asserting authority, and the worst thing you can do to a millennial is to allow them to build an influence without giving them authority. They won’t want to influence without given permission to make change. Don’t just give millennials projects. Let them execute ideas, and give them decision-making ability. If you don’t give them a place to lead, they’ll find somewhere to do it. Trust them Believe in them. They’re the future whether you like it or not. Let them prove themselves.
- Create more opportunities to build community. The generational shift in the church is seeing a more service-minded attitude. It’s going to see more small groups, and millennials want to make an impact in their communities. As the church moves forward, the local church won’t get smaller, but it will need to feel smaller. Millennials like that sense of community because they feel it breeds authenticity.
