What makes a good boss? Not so much a good boss in terms of how they do their job, but those intangibles which make a boss a pleasure to work for? I think the answer to this question is different for millennials than previous generations.
Hollywood most notably affects how we view romantic relationships, but a lesser-felt effect is how bosses on the big screen shape our views of bosses in real life. The following three movie bosses all have characteristics which would appeal to millennials.
Harry M. Rosenfeld- All The President’s Men (1976)
All The President’s Men is the Hollywood account of the Watergate Scandal that shook the foundation of Washington D.C. The cliff-notes version is that the scandal was uncovered by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, two green reporters for The Washington Post with no real journalistic experience. They reached the Nirvana of Investigative Journalism under the guidance of their editor and boss, Mr. Harry M. Rosenfeld.
Although not a fictional movie boss, there are a couple of reasons why Mr. Rosenfeld is a boss millennials would love to work for.
The first is that he believed in hiring and developing young talent. He gave Woodward and Bernstein constant feedback, and this feedback is what gave them the confidence to succeed when their investigation brought them into uncharted territory career-wise.
The second is he trusted his young employees with the most important story. Millennials thrive off of this level of confidence from their bosses.
Jordan Belfort- The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo Dicaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, made some ethically questionable decisions during his time on Wall Street. With that being said, he was one of the best stockbrokers to ever live. If anything, being too good at his craft is what led him to the temptations that caused his downfall.
You may be wondering why I am including a man convicted of fraud as a boss millennials would like to work for. It’s because Jordan Belfort was a master of motivating his employees, most of whom were young twenty-somethings fresh out of college. He truly valued his team, and that was an integral part of his massive success. Millennials want to feel valued in the workplace. Check out this infamous scene from the movie to see that love for his team in action (and click here to read my article on how The Wolf of Wall Street can teach you some interview skills).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaRHgUS_49Q
There are plenty of other bosses who have graced the big screen that millennials would enjoy working for. Harry Rosenfeld and Jordan Belfort are, in my opinion, two of the best examples simply because their respective movie personas are based on real people. What both of these gentleman have in common, even though they operated over 20 years apart, is they believed in the value of youth. Millennials want to feel like they matter in the eyes of their employer, and that’s what makes Mr.Rosenfeld and Mr.Belfort great bosses. Do you have a favorite movie boss? let’s talk about it on Twitter
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