The Millennial Leadership Conceptual Framework: A Recipe for Millennial Retention and Recruitment

School leaders have been retiring and resigning in record numbers, creating a significant need for new leaders to fill those roles. The demands and stress of these jobs limit the number of people interested in educational leadership positions. Millennials can fill this impending void. Previous studies have examined what millennials need in the industry to achieve job satisfaction and retention. This study was the first to propose a new leadership framework, the Millennial Leadership Conceptual Framework (MLCF), that takes into account research on transformational leadership and millennial workplace preferences. This paper surveyed educational leaders to determine if the MLCF components of relationships, voice, and moral purpose were essential for the recruitment and retention of millennials in educational leadership. The results revealed that voice, relationships, but not moral purpose, were critical to millennials’ recruitment and retention.