"Our Minnesota" Cascading Conversations Tour 2014 Analysis: Theme 5 of 6

In honor of our sixth anniversary celebration, Minnesota Rising is excited to release the initial six findings from the "Our Minnesota" Cascading Conversations Tour! Watch the blog in the coming days to learn about how this group of emerging leaders views and does leadership in Minnesota. You can read more about the report methodology and participant profiles in the first post of this series. And as the name implies, we are looking to continue cascading these conversations across the state this summer - and invite you to join us. Let us know if you'd like to be invited to participate in a conversation and/or join our Advance Team and help host 3 to 5 conversations this summer!

Theme 5 of 6: Emerging Leaders value working within and across generations 

Referring to both those who have come before and those who will follow after, emerging leaders told stories about successes and the enjoyment they have had working with other generations. They viewed these relationships as essential since there are lessons to learn from older and younger generations. “New generations will continue to emerge and we must continue to engage them and connect them with older generations.  Older generations must continue to embrace and respect the contributions of younger generations, and we must all embrace change.” 

And, with an eye towards the sustainability of programs and resources, there is an ongoing need to bring younger people in to shape, refine, and continue the work “[to] create pipelines for Minnesota... [that] give resources back to the youth.” 

Many leaders shared stories about the importance a mentor had played in their life and the joy they have found in mentoring others. Participants from the second round of conversations specifically cited the importance of having mentors and role models with a shared identity, in order to diversify and expand the definition of a leader.

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