Leadership Qualities of Successful Millennial Leaders in Developmental Agenda in Africa

Abstract

Leadership is the glue that bridges good ideas to action. Leadership is the ability to influence people to follow, and then bring about fundamental changes in society. Scholars have widely postulated different kinds of leadership styles. With the changing technological environment and millennials, these studies are further extrapolated to what skills should millennial leaders possess in this digital age. The study adopted exploratory direction using a desktop review of literature. The study revealed five themes that millennial leaders must exhibit. The study identified visionary, crisis, innovation, and adaptability leadership; inclusive, empathetic, integrity and accountability leadership; resilience, perseverance, cultural appreciation, and contextual understanding; it also viewed youth, women empowerment, environmental stewardship, and long-term thinking as another group of though leadership that millennial leaders ought to advance. Lastly, the ability of millennial leaders to communicate, educate and share knowledge is critical in ringing and growing new leaders through education.