The Future Begins with Z: Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z as They Disrupt the Workplace
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Leader’s Edge: Leadership
The Future Begins with Z: Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z as They Disrupt the Workplace
By: Tim Elmore
Harper Collins, 2025
352 pages
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Summary
Tim Elmore is the founder of Growing Leaders, an organization created to develop emerging leaders. He has spoken to more than five hundred thousand leaders in corporations nationwide including Chick-fil-A, Home Depot, Ford Motor Company, Delta Global and others. His curriculum has been used by the Kansas City Royals, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Rockets, as well as by athletic departments at numerous universities. His expertise on the emerging generation and generational diversity in the workplace has led to national media coverage on CNN Headline News, Fox Business and Newsmax. He was listed as one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers in America by Inc. magazine and has written numerous books, including the present volume.
Generation Z has entered the workforce and is challenging leaders in ways they’ve never experienced before. Gen Z’ers often bring little work experience following college graduation, with parents encouraging them to focus on academics. Plus, having grown up on screens, they frequently bring lower levels of emotional intelligence than previous generations.
Today, 4 in 5 hiring managers say Generation Z is the most difficult population to manage. Almost one in three avoid hiring them altogether. Elmore argues that we cannot walk away from this challenge as these young teammates represent the future. While the boss has visibility on the past, they have visibility on the future. The Future Begins with Z offers nine strategies to inspire and connect with the next generation of workers as they enter the workforce. Some of those strategies involve:
- How to attract and onboard them so they’ll want to stay.
- How to offer firm feedback to a fragile young employee.
- How to uniquely motivate and incentivize them.
- How to cultivate full engagement in Gen Z teammates.
- How to equip them to manage their mental health challenges.
Charts and reflection prompts are included.
Leader’s Edge
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