Leaders We Prefer: Perspectives From Malaysian Gen Y Employees

The current workforce in Malaysia is experiencing changing employee demographics. Generation Y, those age 34 years and below (born in 1980 – 1999), makes up to nearly half of the labour force today. They will be playing a vital role in the Malaysian labour market by helping to spearhead the country’s future economic growth. However, a dilemma confronting leaders today is the limited understanding when leading the Gen Y and it is ironic that organisation’s future vitality is dependent on its ability to work effectively with Gen Ys. Although Gen Y characteristics and needs are documented in existing literature, leadership preferences and approaches that best support such needs are not clear. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the leadership dimensions preferred by Malaysian Gen Y employees in the private sector. In this study, participants were purposely selected based on certain criteria. In depth semi structured interviews were conducted with the intention to obtain real life experiences of the participants. It was found that the participants of the study preferred leaders who are (i) competent and knowledgeable; (ii) give guidance and develop employees; (iii) personable and caring; (iv) trust and respectful of other; (v) provide direction; and (vi) lead by example.