The weekly television show 60 Minutes recently did a special on the "Millennia" generation. This newly-minted workforce apparently wants to get out of college and find a job that is fun and also one in which they can become the CEO in a short period of time. If you don’t like their attitude, their mom will phone you and sort things out with you on their behalf.

A few decades back we heard about the "ugly American" who traveled abroad and presumed that everyone spoke English. The ugly American expected foreigners to have the same customs as Americans and never made an effort to learn anything about the traditions or customs of the countries s/he visited.This presumptuous attitude caused many Americans to be judged as arrogant. It is entirely possible that the presumptuous attitude of this group of Americans was due entirely to naiveté. In other words, a total lack of experience and knowledge, rather than arrogance, caused their negative attitude.

We don’t hear of ugly Americans very much these days, and that is because we have "grown up" and are a little more in­formed about the world out there. I expect that this will also happen to the young Millennia workforce in due time.

Not every member of the Millennia has a presumptuous attitude. One year ago, I spoke to female undergraduates in the School of Business at Harvard. I’ve spoken to college students before, and they usually turn up looking like "what not to wear." Not this time. I was awed by the appearance of every single workshop at­tendee.They wore suits, heels, stockings, earrings, and the real surprise—very few had long, stringy "teenage hair" which shouts disheveled and greenhorn. A great many of the students remained after the class was over to learn more about how to look professional and credible.They were eager to soak up every bit of information they could. They valued expertise. And there wasn’t a presumptuous attitude in the entire workshop.

Attendees of other college workshops I’ve taught were not so professional in their appearance, but their attitude was on a par with the Harvard students. They were eager to learn how to "dress to impress" for an interview. I expect that once this generation has had time to mature, they will think they invented Power Dressing. How­ever, "maturity" may come later than with previous generations. For example, Millennias often move back in with Mom and Dad after college because it decreases their
responsibilities.

The attitude of the young adults interviewed on 60 Minutes was rather unrealistic because they omitted one important thing from their belief systems: how to become "the greatest." It seems that this new generation was told ceaselessly that they were the greatest and could achieve anything they wanted. The problem is Mom and Dad apparently skipped over the part about how you actually become "the greatest." While rock stars are occasionally catapulted up the ladder of success overnight, for most of us it is necessary to climb the ladder to success. The greatest speaker gains his expertise by practicing until he gets better and better. The greatest CEO garners her success by "practicing" until she gets better and better. Practice not only makes perfect; it produces expertise.

Nevertheless, I have high hopes for this new generation. I know they are quick learners because I have seen it with the workshops I have presented to large corporate groups where four generations are present. The awareness that Millennias take away is that Boomers are not the only ones who judge by appearances. They also judge. As social psychologists have pointed out, we are hardwired to judge by appearances for survival. And this naive generation discovers it is true because when shown Before & After photos of the same person, they judge the person who is professionally attired (After photo) to be the most competent. The person who is dressed for "comfort" is judged to have less experience and be less of an expert.

In business there are two harsh judgments that still exist today: according to fashion historian Fred Davis, when men dress in an irresponsible manner, they are dismissed; and according to gender-bias expert, Professor Peter Glick, Ph.D, when women dress in a provocative manner, they are dismissed. The "club attire" favored by young professionals is exactly what gets them dismissed as serious contenders in the workforce today.

As fashion historian Fred Davis noted, there is no longer a single fashion motif today, and styles, skirt lengths, and shoulders vary dramatically. However, there is one thing that does not vary, and that is the "look" of leadership. The way you look and dress announces the out­come others can expect from you. It also announces how you feel about yourself, and you will be treated accordingly. Once Millennias discover this profound truth, they are quick to exploit it.