I’m concerned about the rapid change in culture, namely because business leaders don’t seem to keep up with these new norms. We’re so obsessed with increased revenue, that we fail to see what it’s doing to our ethics and our people. Political agendas change slowly today, but our culture is shifting at warp speed—and not always for the better. After reviewing predictions from futurists and journalists like Ray Kurzweil, Leonard Sweet, Ted Giola, Nikolas Badminton and George Friedman, here are my looming questions:
- Everything that can be digitized will be, but what will it do to our people skills and our emotional intelligence?
- Much of our consumer content will be reduced to “free,” but will that make us lazy and unwilling to pay a price for something valuable?
- Media and consumer tech will change much faster than legislative initiatives, but are leaders ready to manage the impact?
- AI will disrupt things more than any vote in the Senate, but are we ready to provide ethical guardrails to this technology?
- Dumbed down reality television shows will shape young people’s acceptance of cultural norms more than any college class, but is that okay?
- More conflict will happen at educational institutions than in Congress, but are schools willing to change strategies or pedagogies to reach students?
- Manipulative platforms, misleading media reports and false search engine results will harm us more than a bad governor, but can we spot them?
- Leading with values can make a more meaningful contribution to a healthy future than political rhetoric. Can we embrace this kind of leadership?
We need a new kind of leader.
STARTING WITH THE BASICS
Let’s begin with some fundamentals. My surveys of Generation Z employees offered me a snapshot on what they want from their leaders, at the most basic level. After analyzing the research, I’ve concluded young professionals want three traits from their boss.
- Neutral—They want employers to be objective and unbiased.
- Transparent—They want employers to be clear and honest when they speak.
- Responsive—They want employers to ensure that staff are heard when they speak.
Relevant leaders demonstrate these realities regularly. Keep in mind: Young people do not have the innate need to get their own way, but they do have the innate need to be heard. Today’s workforce is more educated, exposed and entitled than past generations of employees. Leaders must adjust their approach to lead them. I asked more than three hundred Gen Z employees what qualities they most appreciated in their boss, the ones that enabled that manager to genuinely connect with them. Three qualities topped the list.
THREE QUALITIES THAT WIN THE HEART OF GENERATION Z
1. Humility
Gavin bluntly corrected one of our senior leaders in front of the entire team on a Zoom call. Regardless of the accuracy of Gavin’s comment, it divided folks because it was made in an arrogant way. Everyone noticed it but him. The irony is, he expected humility from others but seemed unable to show it. I met with Gavin and attempted to explain the disconnect. The problem wasn’t his information; it was his delivery. When people approach a difficult topic or a different generation with humility, it communicates an openness to input, a recognition that they’re human and flawed. It says that we know we don’t have all the answers. This means I offer ideas, then listen to gain helpful insight myself. Listening screams humility! I try to speak as if I believe I’m right but listen as if I believe I’m wrong. More on this later. Gavin never got this and is no longer with our team.
2. Respect
Charlotte had a chip on her shoulder. She was smart and talented enough but began most of her interactions with distrust instead of belief. This twenty-four-year-old even told me when she meets people, she assigns them a grade. They start with an F and must earn an A. She questions everything, which is fine if it’s done in a respectful way. I recognize the majority of Gen Z does not trust traditional institutions, but if they hope to make improvements on those institutions, they should know respect can accelerate their progress. Once again, Charlotte demanded respect but didn’t offer it to others. We live in a very uncivil, disrespectful era, yet everyone wants to feel respected. Respect communicates your esteem the other person. Even if you feel you have a better idea, it’s good to recall that at one point current ideas were implemented as solutions to problems. Respect begins every interaction with belief.
3. Curiosity
If we enter conversations curious to learn and to see new perspectives, it enables connection between two points of view. When teammates from two generations embody curiosity, they can naturally smooth over rough spots and differences in style. Curiosity trumps conflict and builds a bridge where there might have been a wall. It communicates openness to new ideas and a hunger to grow and improve. Rachel is forty-six and Sam is twenty-two. At first, they butted heads during ideation meetings, but once the need to improve on methods was obvious, both switched gears and became more curious. Those teammates sharpen each other today and now not only overlook their differences but welcome them as an impetus for growth.
When we embody these qualities, we can say almost anything and connect with them.
SIMPLE HABITS TO UPGRADE YOUR LEADERSHIP
1. Start with small and easy habits attached to current ones.
James Clear says, “Your habits are often a byproduct of convenience. Humans are wired to seek the path of least resistance, which means the most convenient option is often the one that wins. Make good choices more convenient and bad choices less so. Behavior will improve naturally.” As you see your Gen Z team members needing encouragement or coaching, for instance, set aside time in your calendar to offer it. A few years ago, I inserted space for “interruption time,” margins in my day for disruptions I knew needed my attention but that I had no time for. Bingo. Now I can stop. My stack of empty thank-you notes sits right next to my laptop at my home office, impossible to miss, making a note easier to send. Simple steps can make you a better leader without much trouble.
2. Imagine your team members are volunteers.
This is a step I take on a regular basis. Since Gen Z team members can feel “used” and can see leaders as utilitarian, I walk through our office doors imagining those employees are all volunteers, serving our mission and generating revenue. It changes the way I interact with them, increasing my smiles, gratitude and grace. It helps me slow down and walk slowly and warmly through the halls. Even though they all get paychecks, I become a better leader by not counting on money to motivate them. Instead, I count on effective, life-giving leadership to do so. When I practice this habit, I lead with higher emotional intelligence, which makes staff serve with better attitudes. They show up because they want to, not because they have to. My improved disposition is contagious.
3. Think: one size fits one.
Each young team member is a unique person with distinct loves, interests and strengths. The old-school leadership style that shoves everyone into a cookie-cutter mold is outdated. Gen Z wants to be treated as unique and valuable people. They see old-school leaders treating staff like cogs in a wheel, playing a small and often unappreciated role, in a mass of other parts. Gen Z wants to be seen and recognized for who they are. Years ago, we began to assess new team members in their Meyers-Briggs profile, their top five strengths, their motivational needs and their Enneagram results. These were framed and placed in their office. It helped us lead our team like we were playing chess not checkers (which is one of our Habitudes). Each feel valued for who they are.
4. Speak as if you’re right, listen as if you’re wrong.
Since Gen Zers want to have a voice from day one, I made a change a few years ago when I wrote the book Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership. This decision is a paradoxical one. When I am in meetings, I commit to speak as if I believe I’m right (exhibiting confidence), but I listen as if I believe I’m wrong (exhibiting humility). This has been a game changer. Earlier, I had been guilty of finishing their sentences or rolling my eyes at what I assumed I already understood. That wasn’t helpful, and it erected a wall instead of a bridge between me and my young staff member. As I listened this way, I found myself saying, “Wow. I had no idea!” Or “I didn’t realize that. I appreciate your shedding light on the issue.”
5. The people are the point.
Unlike past popular definitions of successful business, which were all about increasing profits for stakeholders, this new leadership paradigm attracts and keeps Gen Zers longer. Employees—more than customers or shareholders—are the most important stakeholders in your organization. I believe taking care of your staff is the critical transaction. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Happy employees equal happy customers.” Starbucks launched a personal growth and leadership training program for young baristas who aspire to management. IBM runs mentorship programs aimed at guiding young employees in tech and leadership. General Electric places a strong focus on leader development and offers rotational programs to learn various parts of the business and mentorship for young staff.
6. Don’t argue to win; argue to learn.
Since Gen Z’s common narrative is that boomers and Gen Xers are prone to lecture and be stubborn rather than teachable, this leadership habit has transformed the way I debate issues. In meetings, I have typically debated topics to win the argument, which meant I dug my heels in and found new methods to defeat the opposing side of an issue. When I began to argue to learn, I became a more likable leader, and the best idea won, instead of the loudest voice. Our leadership team benefited from inviting two principals (Rick Packer and David Hoyt) from The Table Group to help us with this issue. The power gap was reduced between management and labor, and even between C-Suite executive and directors.
7. In trust we grow.
Since Gen Z struggles with trusting authority, this step is valuable. For young staff to discover and contribute their passions—to approach their work as if it were a compelling hobby—leaders must explicitly make trust the foundation of all practices and policies, says Marcus Buckingham, from his Harvard Business Review article “Designing Work That People Love.” According to the ADP Research Institute, before the pandemic only 18 percent of respondents were fully engaged at work and just 14 percent trusted their senior leaders and team leader. The Centers for Disease Control reported in 2018 that 71 percent of adults had at least one symptom of workplace stress, such as headaches or feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Since the pandemic, it’s grown worse. Leaders must host regular check-ins with young staff to ensure lines of trust are strong. Leadership operates on the basis of trust.
Taken from The Future Begins with Z by Tim Elmore. Copyright © 2025 Tim Elmore. Used by permission of HarperCollins Leadership, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus, LLC. www.harpercollinsfocus.com/
