For my part, I see inexperienced employees being thrust into various “leadership” positions at their jobs for the wrong reasons. I see people with family connections or school connections that are given titles and authority when they have no experience with such roles. On the flip side, I see some of my fraternity graduates not having their collegiate leadership experience taken serious because it is based off of being a member in a fraternity. What horrible, bad decisions employers are making!

I’ve seen young adults thrown into leadership positions and watched as they lashed out when times have gotten tough. Sometimes these people put up a very mature front and act like they are twice their age, but to the trained eye they are laughing stocks. I’m sorry but you don’t spend as much time as I do training young adults in leadership skills and then NOT notice the severe lack of leadership skills in those who you communicate with on a daily basis! From people that I work with as colleagues to those who my company does joint ventures with, a lack of definitive leadership is all over the place.

Once upon a time I worked for a job where people would sleep their way into leadership positions and then completely crumble when times get tough. Frankly, it was hilarious.

So this is a message to all of my young fraternity leaders out there – don’t worry if you’re in a job where inexperienced people are being promoted over you. Just watch as they fail because they’ve never felt what it’s like to have to perform under pressure. And for my readers who are not fraternity or sorority people, but who have leadership experience and are STILL being passed by – I give you the same message. With a tightening economy and less money to go around, performance will become a major aspect of all jobs (as it should be already).

Though I do offer this advice: keep an eye on everyone around you at your office. If you’re ready to take a job or if you think someone above you is ready to crumble, then I hate to put it so bluntly but you have to be opportunistic and be ready to pounce. If you have the leadership training, then brush it off and get ready to shine when the time is right!

One of my more devious posts, I know. But hey – the current economic situation calls for it.

Today’s society has infantilized this graduating class (and the last one or two graduating classes) since the time they were born. These are the kids that played in tee ball leagues where every team won because no one could be a loser. The same kids who played for CYO basketball teams where everyone had an opportunity to play even if they were the dumb kid who didn’t know how to dribble a ball. These are the kids whose parents harangued 30-year veteran elementary school teachers because their dear, sweet, brilliant child failed a test. Obviously if their angel failed a test, then the teacher has no idea what she’s doing and she needs to be fired (this situation actually occurred at my old grammar school a few years after I graduated eighth grade – ridiculous).

And now society is reporting on the fact that these young adults – who have been coddled through high school and college by overprotective parents, scared teachers, and miserable on-campus administrators – are having issues adjusting to life after college? Well what the F did they expect?!? You can’t raise a fish in a bowl for 22 years and then drop it in the ocean and expect it to survive! In that situation, the very best you can hope for is that the fish finds a little place to hide and survives without really becoming a part of the large ecosystem.

That’s what we’re making in America today – scared fish.

I’m not saying that parents shouldn’t be protective of their kids or that teachers shouldn’t acknowledge and help students who need extra help, but if we don’t start putting some self-sufficiency back into America’s youth, then the future of this country is in trouble. Hell, on the very face of it we can all look forward to paying some 40% – 50% in income taxes because we’ll be a society that needs our government to take care of us! Seriously, though, we need to get back to business in this country, but it doesn’t need to be all or nothing…

For example, if you’ve got a kid in college who keeps coming home so you can do his laundry then it might be time to teach him how to do it on his own. Yes, I know that parents get great pleasure out of seeing their kids come home and the truth is that many kids love going back home to see their families. But if they’re coming home so their parents can perform basic tasks (laundry, grocery shopping, calling professors for class scheduling or asking questions about a test, etc), then the parents are actually hurting their kids. Cut the cord. Let the kids handle their own business, but teach them how to do it so they can be a fully functioning adult when they graduate. Don’t worry – you’re not alienating your kids. They’ll keep coming home because they like you!

Of course my commentary, as always, goes beyond the scope of the New York Times article linked above. However, this is a growing issue that I see with the guys I advise all over the state for the fraternity (hello GGL and Walnuts). Thankfully, these guys aren’t from the type of backgrounds that I talk about above, but the lack of proper preparation for post-collegiate life for today’s graduates is frightening and something that we need to reverse as soon as possible.