Do You Have Millennial Superpowers?

The days of waiting for a manly superhero to swoop down and save us, damsels, are long gone. These days, millennial women are taking the reins—and fighting for their equal rights. (We’re talking to you, wage gap.) With or without a cape, we’re a generation equipped with everything we need to change the world. Don’t believe us? Look at the personality traits and unsurpassed access you have to the potential for changing the world—or, as we like to call it, your millennial superpowers.

 

TEAM SUPPORT

Millennials show signs of being the most collaborative and inclusive generation of women. They publicly cheer on their squad and intentionally align themselves with a power posse of equally driven young women to collectively achieve their goals. They’re the all-female X-Men.

 

THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE

Millennial women have, for the most part, access to traditional education—but their learning also transcends academics. We’re socially informed about the possibilities of the future, and we’re digital natives—relevant and on point. We’ll learn about blind spots early on, on both personal and organisational levels, and use them to influence how we live our lives. We know which resources we need access to, which companies support our lifestyle, and how to leverage technology for efficiency, productivity, and happiness.

 

A SHARP TONGUE

We know what we want and we aren’t afraid to say so. In a recent study Why Millennials Matter, students were asked to describe their ideal boss. One said, “I want my supervisor to have realistic expectations. Hopefully, they would be ethically sound towards both women and men in the work environment. I don’t want to feel like I have to ‘Act like a man’, to make it to the top. Our communication would be clear, quick, and concise. We would have meetings weekly about what we
can do to improve our work environment.” No BS, thanks!

 

WORLD-CHANGING ABILITIES

Yes, young women recognise the challenges that remain in traditional work environments—according to Deloitte’s 2014 Millennial Survey, millennials say that unemployment is one of the biggest challenges. But that doesn’t change our expectations about how we want to (and should) be treated by management. We’re savvy women, and we’re prepared to use our superpowers to change not only the workplace but the world, too.

 

BOX-BREAKING SKILLS

Millennials don’t fit neatly into boxes. They have the self-assurance and confidence to break out, and recognise that labels are for jam jars. Many don’t identify as a strict gender, or even as a solid sexuality. A recent poll showed most respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 placed their sexuality somewhere between 1 (predominantly heterosexual) and 6 (exclusively homosexual) on the Kinsey scale. We see these traditional constructs as fluid—which means that we’re inclusive, non-judgmental, and open to new ideas.

 

ALTRUISTIC POWER

We’re classic superheroes when it comes to helping others. We’re passionate about changing the world, and driven to make a difference in our community, our country, and for future generations. Just look at the recent student protests by Pinjra Tod (an activist body that helps women fight for their rights, particularly at educational institutions). We fight against injustice, no matter how stretched we are between work and life. Plus, we’ll make time for activities that support a non-profit cause.

 

THE ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK

For us, failure is just a motivator. We thrive on creative instincts and embrace change to propel us towards innovative solutions. Our entrepreneurial affinity allows us to experiment with our own brand. We also have a high level of resilience to bounce back from failure/criticism. We know that sometimes the first idea doesn’t work. But since we’re going to be slashies (working on various projects at once), it doesn’t matter. Something will take.

 

GLOBAL MAGNETISM

As a global generation, we’re more closely tied to one another than any previous generation because of the Internet. We can tap into global trends in music, fashion, and culture, which is the foundation for building strong networks all over the world. This means we have access to knowledge and people like never before—and we intend to use that. Plus, it makes us more caring about others. We champion our peers and female leaders who inspire us. In turn, we strive to be the type of leader who empowers and helps others achieve their true potential.

 

EXTREME FLEXIBILITY

We want to be judged by our results, not held back by our work’s contract. While we impact the world, we strive to be flexible. We’re all about the work-life balance, modelling new norms of flexibility in the office and beyond. We’re determined to break the ceilings that exist, and focus on flexibility, wellness, and happiness.

 

CONSUMER POWER

As one of the largest generations, millennials have power over corporations and companies. In fact, they’re champing at the bit to be able to connect with us, which leaves us in a position of power. We can demand the product, dealings, and ethics we want from companies—and they pretty much have to comply, or risk losing a chunk of profit. 

 

Alia Bhatt

 

Gigi Hadid

 

Huda Kattan