Two of my favorite leaders are Randy Ongie, President of MAG Bookkeeping and author and ministry consultant Brad Lomenick. They recently sat down and spoke about leading next generation leaders during MAG’s The Fully Engaged Church.
Before we get to their thoughts, if you need bookkeeping assistance at your church or business, there is no one better than MAG. Click HERE to know more and HERE to sign up for their podcast. Now onto their thoughts:
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If you’re reading this blog post and in your 20s, raise your hand.
We’re willing to bet there aren’t a ton of hands raised right now. That’s probably because our regular readers tend to be older members of church leadership, which we love.
However, the new generation of 20-somethings and how to work with them is a hot topic that’s coming up more and more as we talk to clients and business leaders.
This is something Brad Lomenick addresses with the president of MAG Bookkeeping, Randy Ongie, in this podcast of The Fully Engaged Church. Brad became a leader when he was in his 20s and went on to lead and direct Catalyst for 12 years. Catalyst was formed to equip, inspire, and release the next generation of young Christian leaders through events, resources, consulting, content, and connection.
Brad has a unique perspective since he started as a young leader, grew into an older leader and has now stepped out of the way for others to follow in his footsteps.
As he has worked with young leaders of this generation, he has learned a few key characteristics about them and how to work with them. Here are a few of his insights:
- Encourage their hopefulness. While this generation is often the subject of much complaining, it is a hopeful generation. These young leaders can change our world faster and with more intensity because they have so many tools available to them. (Just don’t call them Millennials – they usually hate that.)
- Put them in early. Give young leaders responsibilities and opportunities BEFORE they are ready. In their minds, they are ready. They have grown up in a world where practically everything is at their fingertips, so they think they can do anything. The truth is, they will mess up. But if they aren’t given that chance, they will go somewhere else.
- Let them create their own economy. This generation wants the expression of their identity to be built on the ability to create their own economy. This means giving them a flexible schedule and freedom to make their own job-related decisions. Because they probably don’t think they will stay at one job for very long, they need that flexibility within the framework of the job you build. This may make them stick around longer.
- Be a mentor. They would rather talk something out while being coached rather than managed by a controlling structure. They want you to be right there next to them with your arm around them in the trenches to help figure things out.
- Projects are more important that careers. You need to have something great for them to do. They see everything as being built around projects that equal a career, not a career that might have a few good projects in it.
- Don’t be mad when they leave. This is a downside of the generation. Nobody shows up to a job anymore thinking they will stay for 20 or 30 years. When they leave, don’t make them feel like they have to hide it. Walk them through the process of leaving. You will lose a few good employees, but you’ll have a culture that’s much more connected to the fabric of young leaders today. This job may not be the only job they ever have, but it will be the best job they ever have.
Ultimately, it’s important for young leaders to know that whatever they’re doing in their 20s, they should see it as the greatest opportunity that will ever be in front of them. As older leaders, we have to encourage this by giving them permission to do great things. We aren’t the ones who always need to be the center of attention or the hero. Young leaders will figure it out as they are in the middle of it. It’s healthy for us to see this process in the next generation.
To hear more from Brad Lomenick is this episode of MAG’s podcast, click here.
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