Years ago, I worked for a boss who would have told you how much he admired, encouraged, and inspired discretionary effort. And he would have been wrong on all counts. However, he would have also told you that he went to great lengths to hire highly motivated people who would ensure his success as a business owner, and he would have been right about that. So, how did the wheels come off his plan?

Highly motivated people don’t need external forces to encourage them to go above and beyond. It’s in their DNA. But these same top performers can cease to perform when their bosses engage in demotivating behaviors, as my former boss did.

Kelly and Robby Riggs, Authors, Counter Mentor Leadership: How to Unlock the Potential of the 4-Generation Workplace

Unfortunately, most managers aren’t interested in being better leaders.

Not really.

What they’re most interested in is blaming the younger generation. From slumping sales to dismal employee engagement, it’s all the fault of those entitled, lazy, glued-to-their-phones Millennials.

We wish that was an exaggeration, but, in our experience, it is the reality.