How will your company’s management change as baby boomers continue to retire and are replaced by Gen X and millennial leaders? Here are suggestions to prepare your workplace for the new generations.
As the baby boomers continue to retire and are replaced by Gen X and millennial leaders, how will company management change? Here are suggestions to prepare your workplace for the new generations.
Young leaders will inevitably rise in any organization, but today’s younger generations bring special considerations. I’ve seen this from both sides—first as a second-generation employee who helped my father’s company expand and grow years ago, and now as a CEO whose three sons and three nephews, all between ages 26 and 32, are in top leadership positions in my company.
From enthusiasm to embracing technology, there are a lot of positives to mention here, the biggest of which may be they want it now—whatever it is. And the biggest challenge is they want it now. That’s right: Their biggest positive is also their biggest challenge or weakness. Being patient and learning the lessons of life has never been easy for any younger generation, but we must help them understand it’s needed for any growth.
A big lesson we can learn from these younger generations is that age itself doesn’t always matter when it comes to leadership. We’ve always believed in having the right person for the job regardless of age, race, or gender, and it shows. Our company has four presidents under 32 (one is 26), our chief operations officer is 32, our director of human resources is 30, our comptroller is under 30, and our director of marketing is 25, to name a few.
I could give hundreds of examples of how their youth has helped our company grow and improve, from embracing social media to using stand-up desks. But let me tell you about two of my sons, A.J. and Andrew.
In both cases, they were made presidents (of Signarama and Fully Promoted, respectively) at just 26 years old. Both had nay-sayers who thought they were too young and were only put there because they were sons of the CEO. But they earned their way in and once they took the helm, they made believers of everyone.
Both A.J. and Andrew brought two things: an old-school work ethic that impressed the older employees and made the younger ones work harder, and an enthusiasm for the brands they were running. That’s the kind of leadership you can’t teach but must take advantage of when you find it—no matter the employee’s age.
Still, don’t forget the contributions your older employees are still capable of making and the wisdom they can share with those coming behind them. Experience always matters, and when you forget that, you risk paying for the mistakes that will eventually come. We spend a lot of time training and mentoring new leaders, but we also believe in promoting from within, so our executives tend to have much of the experience we need. Current employees know how to get things done and who to go to for anything. Besides, they get the culture, which is most important.
We benefit every day from both older, experienced employees and younger newbies. The best proof is our formal mentoring program which we promote across our whole company.
ADVICE FOR WORKING WITH YOUNGER LEADERS
- Accept younger leaders by looking for the good in what they’re doing, not what’s wrong
- Never tell them, “Because that’s how we’ve always done it,” when asked about a decision or process. They won’t accept it—nor should they
- Embrace technology—don’t fight it (which is the quickest way to get written off as stodgy and out of touch)
- When they ask for help, give it. Turning to you for guidance and support is a sign of respect
ADVICE FOR YOUNGER LEADERS
- Remember that while your older team members will accept your authority, you must earn their respect before they follow you wholeheartedly
- Meet your team members individually and ask a lot of questions—about them, about projects they’re working on, and most importantly, about how you can help them
- Don’t just make changes right away. Get buy-in first
- Remember: One day, you’ll have to work with—or for—younger leaders yourself. Gen Z is right behind you and coming up fast
ADVICE FOR ALL GENERATIONS
The biggest lesson I learned from my dad early on in my career was never to forget there are always two sides to a story—and sometimes three. His words have often helped me manage across the different generations.
If done right, there is nothing better than building and growing a business with experienced older employees and young enthusiastic employees working together. They are the best of both worlds. Make room for both and your company will do great things.