The “Y” generation is definitely living up to its name. Why, why, why…everything is why these days. It appears that the good old days of say it and obey it are over and behind us. Blind faith leadership is becoming a thing of the past. Personally, I say thank goodness. After all, as Colin Powell said, “if you have a yes man working for you, one of you is redundant.” Yes men, and women, add no value to problem solving. This is not to be confused with the need for command structure on a emerging emergency scene. But, when there is time, “WHY” has its place.

Today’s challenges are more complex than ever before. With twitter, facebook, linkedin, google, iPhone, etc., technology is changing the way we interact with the world, and the “Y” generation is changing the way we once blindly accepted the status quo. This generation will redefine problem solving. By not being afraid to ask why, they will learn instinctually how to solve problems at the root cause level. They force the previous generations to intelligently support their methods of doing business with facts. And when they can’t, this forces them to change. Without even realizing it, the “Y” generation is leading us into the future…thereby demonstrating their true ability to lead. I’m excited that we have young police officers and military members, willing to stand up and ask the hard questions…keep it up!