Millennials are skipping the corner office Heres what they want instead

Millennials are skipping the corner office Heres what they want insteadMillennials are skipping the corner office Heres what they want insteadFor years, the goal for modern professionals has been to reach acorner officeby 30. But according to recent research, times have changed.Studies show a majority of Millennials have no interest in striving toward the number one spot in a company or even becoming top management.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIs there something really wrong here? Or do we as a society need to rethink what ambition really is?How Do We Define Success?For years we have watched people scratch and claw to make their way to the top. Thepressure, the long nights, the loyalty, and then finally the glory.Some professionals simply dont see the point. By and large young professionals value collaboration over dominating the top spot.A shift has occurred and now bends to ward a reconceptualization of what it means to succeed.AHarvard Business Review articlenoted young professionals surprisingly dont just want money and power, but the opportunity to actually make a difference.The best way in which is to be part of strategic decision making. The shift from money and power as the drive to succeed seems to indicate this new approach to ambition is rooted in a need to have an impact on the future and maybe even influence the direction of our culture.Around the world, professionals are less driven by individual rewards and feel empowered when making social and environmental impacts.Thenew ambitionis intertwined withthe success of our community and our planet rather than climbing the corporate ladder. Whether it is Ellen Paos crusade as the interim CEO at Reddit to stop salary negotiations in order to reduce pay inequity for men and women or Dan Price, CEO of Gravity Payments, slashing his own salary in order to equalize pay and promote the subsequent succ ess of every employee in the company, this generation is actively working toward a world where everyone gets a turn to play.Work-Life Balance The True GoalTodays young working professional values their personal life and the flexibility to both work andpursue their dreams. This attitude (which has been hastily labeled as lazy) is actually what we as a country have been promoting and working towards in order to prolong life, reduce stress and achieve higher levels of self-actualization.So why when we finally raise a generation that is able to throw off the shackles of the post-Great Depression work to survive work ethic, are we responding by branding them with words like entitled and lazy?Instead, this new ambition is directed toward the fierce determination to not be defined by only our form of employment, but to have our identity shaped by all aspects of our lives.In essence, this approach is demanding that my success as a daughter, a mother, a friend, an adventurer and alawyerall p lay an equal role in who I am and what I contribute to society.Could it not be seen as deeply ambitious when an individual determinedly works toward valuing their family, friends, personal interests and professional goals equally?These days, people are hyper-focused on having clear direction andpurposeto their lives. But this difference is what we were working toward citizens who are truly individuals because they value the individuality of all and work to promote equality.This re-conceptualized idea of ambition that is being injected into our previously limited understanding of individualism can appear threatening, but what it brings is the freedom to live life on your own terms, to seek connection and inclusion, and to value creativity and innovation. bedrngnis bad for a generation who got a ribbon just for showing up.This article first appeared on Capitol Standard.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in th e first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people