The workplace of 2025 now plays host to four generations of employees — Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, all bringing distinct values, communication styles, and expectations. This means that today’s manager has to have skills and competences that were not demanded of a manager even a decade or two back.
Let’s dive into this a bit. It is not like cross-generational teams did not exist in the past, Of course they did, and probably in very large numbers. But the technological revolutions over the past 4 decades have changed the landscape quite dramatically, with each generation having to cope, learn, or master technologies and deal with momentous changes of that period in ways not seen after the industrial revolution. Consequently, today’s manager may have teams with boomers at one end of the spectrum, born around the time televisions were invented, and grew up during a period of rapid innovation in space technology, and Gen Z on the other end of that same spectrum, accustomed to streaming and cloud computing, AR/VR, Alexa & Siri. And sandwiched between these two generations are the Gen X quite comfortable bringing personal computers and laptops to their homes or using Cable TV for entertainment, and millennials adapting to the internet era, and social media like fish to water. As a manager, managing such people with such diverse growing-up years from a tech perspective imposes demands unlike ever before.
Chase Dimond, in his LinkedIn post puts it very nicely
“Most leaders try to treat everyone the same. Great leaders learn how each generation thrives”.
(see the full post here LinkedIn Post)
And that’s the leadership edge experienced professionals have. With decades of insight and emotional intelligence, you’re uniquely positioned to rise above generational stereotypes and lead with intention.
So, what do today’s diverse teams need?
- • Boomers (12%) value respect, stability, and legacy. They thrive when their experience is honored and their contributions clearly matter.
- • Gen X (27%) seeks autonomy and efficiency. They work best when given ownership and are trusted to deliver.
- • Millennials (34%) crave growth, coaching, and meaningful work. They respond to transparent communication and career development.
- • Gen Z (27%) wants to be heard and involved. They care deeply about inclusion and doing work that matters.
As a leader, mentor, or consultant, the challenge isn’t just managing tasks—it’s understanding people. Generalizing behaviors and attitudes of each generation matters up to a point. What really works is curiosity. What does this person value? How do they like to be supported? Where are they trying to go?
And answers to these questions help you manage the individuals in your team better – with empathy, and by tailoring their roles and responsibilities that are aligned with their mental makeup, attitudes, competences, and desires.
At 2nd Careers, we help professionals over 45 tap into their next chapter—whether it’s leadership, mentoring, consulting, or flexible roles that match their skills with real purpose. We also offer resources to help you strengthen your leadership across generations, stay relevant in a fast-changing world, and build a meaningful second career.
