UnLeadership

13The Leadership Gap

AS LONG AS THERE'S BEEN a younger generation, an older one has told them they've ruined things. For a while, it was millennials getting the flack; now it's Gen Z, labeled as lazy, without loyalty, disconnected from the “real” in-person world, walking around with their TikToks; apparently this is the end of the civilized world as we know it. Endless articles have been written about how to tame these generations. How do we get them in line? Get them to pay their dues? How do we get them to be more like us old folks? We're a bit tired of discussing the generation gap and how that affects leadership. We'd prefer not having to convince you that your coworkers and employees, no matter their ages, bring unique value to your business, and deserve a voice, fair treatment at work, and the same opportunities for well-being and challenge. UnLeadership is about stepping away from a deficit mentality and seeing the value of each individual. New ideas and challenges to “how things have always been” are opportunities to lead, educate, plant seeds, and raise up the next generation of leaders.

Gen Z was born into a digital world; many of our generation (Gen X) gave them their first iPads. They're witnessing climate change and social justice movements in real time and have seen the growth of social enterprise. In the US, Gen Z represents 26.5% of the population. Although currently a smaller percentage of leadership in the workforce, that is changing and will continue to change ...