Interesting results from a Forbes roundtable discussing how young professionals want to be led at work. They boiled it down to five principles:

1. Empower us; don’t micromanage our talent

2. Sponsor us; serve as role models

3. Allow us to manage our own brand; don’t define us

4. Trust us; don’t question our intentions

5. Challenge us; don’t marginalize us

I think you could sum it up as just one thing: “Set us free” which is exactly the core concept of democratic business.

This is further evidence that workplaces based on democratic principles are the best placed to attract, retain and get the most out of the smart young people entering the workplace now.