Leading Across Generations
Mark Rapier CMAS, ALC
Trusted Guide | Author | Lifelong Learner | Corporate Diplomat | Certified M&A Specialist | Certified Life Coach
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Across multiple feeds, a day does not go by without seeing articles about how unhappy Gen Z is or how frustrated managers are with Gen Z.? Stories about workplace surveillance and returning to the office are just as common.? When you take a step back and observe from a distance, a core theme emerges – leaders are not communicating effectively across generations.
Every Generation has its Point of View.
I am in the second half of the Baby Boomers.? My parents were teenagers during the great depression, and my dad served as a Navy pilot during World War II.? For over 15 years, they lived through times that, in many ways, seemed like the end of the world.? I learned from my parents that life is hard; there are always challenges,? and working to overcome those challenges makes life good.? I started work just as Milton Friedman's idea that a CEO's only obligation was to increase shareholder value took hold.? In addition, my two older brothers and I had draft cards, and the war in Vietnam was a genuine concern.
Gen Z is at a natural stress point in their careers.? They are 8 to 12 years into their working life and want to understand their path forward.? Millennials are at the halfway point of their careers and should be reaching their peak earnings potential, but many do not feel secure in their work.
Every generation faces unique challenges.? We should all say a prayer of thanks for the Greatest Generation (born 1907 to 1917).? They lived through World War 1 (40 million dead), the Spanish Flu pandemic (50 million dead), the Great Depression, the rise of fascism, World War 2 (80 million dead), and the beginning of the Atomic Age (massive fear, uncertainty, and doubt).? No one alive today saw a world as unsettled as theirs.
The Leaders' Responsibility
Our responsibility is to prepare the next generation. ?We won't be around forever, so we need to do several things to make this happen.
We must meet younger generations where they are.? Walk them back so they can better understand the perspectives of all the generations that come before them.? Bring every generation, including yours, to a consensus about where the organization needs to go to be successful.
Leaders must stop expecting absolute loyalty. ?Let's be realistic. ?Companies want loyal employees but do not hesitate to lay off people based on poor quarterly or annual results.? Only offer as much loyalty as you can give.
We must make business cases to encourage behaviors that used to be the norm.? Returning to the office is a great example.? The COVID pandemic forced the adoption of remote work.? At an individual level, this created great flexibility, but much was lost as well.? In-office collaboration is a great place to learn.? My experience is that the most valuable conversations occur in the 15 minutes before and after scheduled meetings.? Break rooms and lunches allow you to know your peers.? Knowing people is the key to building trust.? When times get rough, knowing who you can trust is essential.
The Youngers Responsibility
The rising generations must admit and embrace the reality that they do not know as much as they think.? (For the record – no one knows as much as they think they do.)? The most important things in life cannot be learned via search or AI.? You have to dig in and do the hard work.? The generations ahead of you are willing to help, but you have to be willing to ask for it.
Learning to play the long game is essential.? I see many articles about work-life balance.? The right balance is imperative, but recognize that balance is constantly changing and adapting.? (Try standing on one foot for 5 minutes.)? Early in your career, dive in.? Learn as much as you can about everything.? Go deep in one area and broad in a dozen others.? One prediction about the future will come true – what you do today and how you get it done will not be the same five, ten, fifteen, or twenty years from now.
Continue to focus on experiences rather than things.? But be very selective about what experiences and when.? Think about the experiences you will want when you retire.? That is when you will have time, but if you are not careful, you will not have saved the money you need.
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Note
Great comics from Non Sequitur.
Six Charts about AI
Imposter Syndrome myths.
There is so much we do not know about human history.
One of humanity's great strengths is that the past does not limit us.? This is also a weakness.? Sometimes, we forget the past entirely.? The measles outbreak in Texas is an example.? Because people no longer know how bad the disease is, they fail to see the value of the vaccination.
There is an art to being a good devil's advocate.? You must ask probing questions in ways that do not come across as personal attacks.? Choosing the right words and the right time is essential.
A great article about my hometown, Arlington, Texas, and there is one many to thank for what we have today.? Tom Vangergriff was Mayor for more than 20 years.? He brought a GM manufacturing plant, Six Flags Amusement Park, and the Texas Rangers to the city.? That foundation made everything else possible.
If you want to ruin your health, shorten your lifespan, make stupid mistakes, and not be present for your family, do this.
I vividly remember saying these three magical phrases to my father.? I never saw them in a list.? They just felt right.
Quotes
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
- Winston Churchill
“We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.”
- Buckminster Fuller
“The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.”
- Ernest Hemingway
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You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible. ?Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement. ?If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.