Chamber Chat: The characteristics of our emerging leaders

From workplace culture to consumer behavior, Millennials have reshaped how organizations operate, communicate and connect with their communities

I always find it fun to look at some of the defining characteristics of different generations. I choose to focus particularly on Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y), as they are generally considered to be people born between about 1981 and 1996, making them roughly 30-45 years old in 2026.

One of the interesting features of this group is that they bridged the analog and digital worlds. Most Millennials remember life before smartphones and social media, but they were also early adopters of the technologies that transformed society. They remember dial-up internet and flip phones and they witnessed the rise of Facebook, Google and YouTube.

Their arrival in the world of business was interesting as well. As Millennials entered adulthood, they experienced periods of economic disruption, including the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis centered on the mortgage lending industry and they have seen the cost of housing skyrocket.