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Are generational clashes at work really as big of a deal as people make them out to be?

We’ve all heard the stereotypes—Millennials got participation trophies, Gen Z is lazy, Boomers are out of touch. And let’s be honest, Gen X…well, people just forget to mention Gen X. But what if I told you these so-called generational differences aren’t actually the problem? The real issue isn’t when someone was born—it’s where they are in life. Millennials are balancing careers and family, Boomers are thinking about legacy, and Gen Z is just starting out, trying to figure out where they fit. And yet, we talk about these differences like they’re unbridgeable gaps when, in reality, they’re just different life stages.

The truth is, the more we emphasize generational labels, the more we create unnecessary tension. It’s not age that divides teams—it’s the assumptions we make about each other. And as leaders, we have to stop managing based on stereotypes and start focusing on strengths.

00:00 Intro

00:49 Forget generations. It’s about life stages.

02:08 Talk to each other!

03:51 Focus on strengths instead of labels.

05:25 Make mentoring a two-way street.

//ABOUT DAVID

One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever.

He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University.

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