Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change
Read by Management Researchers in over 19 nations
"I THINK, YOU THINK, WE ALL THINK DIFFERENTLY"
"#8 Most Important Reads"
Non-Profit Leadership Center of Tampa Bay
Leadership Skills for Boomers to Zoomers
This book is for those who will fill the leadership gap as Traditionalists and Baby Boomers retire. My greatest wish for Millennial and Gen Z generations is that they learn how to lead our society and economy to new heights, without all the hang-ups of past generational transitions.
​
Are you ready to lead? A global retirement tsunami is about to strike!
I love working across generational and cultural lines, especially with Millennials and Gen Z. Maybe that’s because my children are Millennials and Gen Z. I love them deeply and don’t want them to have to enter a workforce lead by leaders who don’t get the flow of our modern society.
Dr. Greg Buschman, MSIS, MSMKT, Ph.D.
Click to Order
Listen to what Ross, Jenna, and Brent had to say.
Reader's Comments
Ross, MBA, VP & Investment Professional.
I was on the front end of the millennial generation entering the workforce, and many managers at that time didn’t exactly know “what” we were all about. This book gives so much attention to learning about my generation. It’s great to see how much research went into this book.
As opposed to being told, “get a job,” the section that encourages folks to ask themselves questions to determine what they want to do, was enlightening. How to choose a fulfilling career is not taught or discussed enough. My dad used to joke that whatever industry you started in would most likely be the industry you will be in for your entire career, so pick wisely. However, I’ve heard other folks say, “get a job to get experience.” Asking these questions throughout your career and life, will be helpful. Doing some soul-searching along the way will help keep you from finding yourself stuck in a job or industry you don’t like. Asking these questions after significant life events (getting married, having children) could help identify needed changes.
Something else important I learned from the book, is the reasoning behind how older generations have developed their way of thinking. Having a better understanding could have helped me when I asked for my first raise (just because I was there for a year, I thought I “deserved” it). My manager at that time acknowledged my hard work, and that they were pleased with me. He then asked me if I would like him to ask his boss if he should give me a raise, even though the company was not doing well at that time. He got his point across without beating me up. I think back and realize he didn’t say what he probably wanted to say. If he did, I would have been depressed and had less productivity. The discussion on how and when Millennials should approach conversations with their superiors about advancement and compensation was helpful.
I am very excited to be a part of a generation that values a balanced work/life balance! The workplace, unfortunately, sometimes looks down on that phrase. The book discusses how Millennials can approach this topic in interviews and gives some options on how to use words that other generations will respond to positively. I feel like the minute a Traditionalist or Boomer hears the phrase “work-life balance,” they prejudge what is about to be said or discussed, or possibly the person. What Millennials are saying is, “we as Millennials have experienced first-hand, as children and young adults, what happens when work becomes more of a focus than having a healthy personal life.”
Lastly, the info to help Millennials who are currently in organizations that are managed in an authoritarian manner by a Boomer or Traditionalist was helpful. Lots of people will benefit from the advice on what to do if their firm continues to be successful with this approach, thereby never seeing a need to change. Do you get out sooner rather than later? If your firm mainly motivates by money, how do leaders learn there are other ways to reward and get intended behavior, beyond money?
Ross
Reader's Comments
Jenna, Marketing Project Manager
I’ve always been fascinated by the people others seem to want to follow. I wondered what their secret was until I eventually dismissed my curiosity and decided the big man upstairs must have just molded them to be natural-born leaders. I had this one particular boss who was such a spectacular leader. Her followers were always motivated to go above and beyond for her, many times without them even realizing it! In the section where Greg teaches about servant-based leadership, I immediately tuned in to some of the primary reasons my former boss had been so successful — she had been implementing these very principles herself! That gave me a lot of hope that leadership CAN be learned. From reading this book, I learned there is something to the adage “leaders aren’t born, they’re made.”
I also found the story illustrations that shed light on our differing generational paradigms and their impact in the workplace to be particularly insightful. As a Millennial who has reported to both Gen X and Boomer bosses, I only wish I had had this book in my hands at those times. The concepts and truths in this book will most assuredly help you communicate across the generational divide, which can only prove useful when having those conversations about career advancement, raises, and other opportunities. Communication and knowing your audience are vital in becoming an effective leader, and this book empowers you to do just that.
Jenna
Reader's Comments
Brent, CMP, Marketing Director
All of the book is great. Seriously, I learned a lot from the book. From my perspective, one of the most significant issues the book addressed was, “Why any Millennial or Gen Z might even care about leadership in the first place?!” Be it what others think about it, or the way they currently do things.
“Why should I care? And if I do, what now?” The answer is simple; If you understand and apply the book’s content in your communications with others, you will unlock the door to promotions, better income, and happiness in your field while gaining the respect of other generations.
The book is bigger than any one of us. It helps people see not just generational differences, but also cultural differences, something that Millennials and Gen Z care about profoundly: sensitivity to identity! Different generations, by default, don’t engage on a personal level. Understanding people’s personalities and management styles is like acquiring the ability to speak another language. The book’s real-life examples and contexts are priceless, “context is power.”
One of my most eye-opening takeaways from this book was seeing the side-by-side comparisons of how each generation might handle the same problem or situation, and then discuss how each other generation should manage them. If we as a generation are going to strive to be catalysts of change, to create work environments that value people, which are fulfilling, it’s our responsibility to HELP management to identify the value and return we bring to the table. Building multi-generational teams that want to help one another succeed produces a positive winning environment. There are plenty of stats to back that up, and this book is full of practical “how to’s.”
The wording is conversational, “big picture,” and purpose-driven. The book takes the time to paint a picture for Millennials and Gen Z about how old work environments used to be, and it gives the context of each generation’s tendencies and their “why.” It uses short comparisons of crucial differences that provide meaning to readers who are new to leadership and who might not even know that generations think differently. The section on professional advancement and the human resources lingo used when hiring leaders and managers a HUGE value. The advice will help you earn respect in the interview process and with seasoned peers.
This book matters. It matters to help win the respect of people from other generations, and prove we don’t suck, because our generation is awesome and great!
Brent
Dr. Greg Buschman, MSIS, MSMKT, Ph.D.
“I love working across generational and cultural lines, especially with Millennial and GenZ generations. Maybe that's because my children are Millennials and Zoomers. I love them deeply and don't want them to have to enter a workforce lead by leaders who don't get the flow of our modern society”.
Reader Feedback...“This book taught me the reasoning behind how older generations have developed their way of thinking. The discussion on how and when to ask your superiors about advancement and compensation was helpful”. Ross K, MBA, VP & Investment Professional.
Reader Feedback...“If you understand and apply the books content in communicating with others, you will unlock the door to promotions, better income, and happiness in your field while gaining the respect of other generations”. Brent S, CMP, Director of Marketing.