Are You a Good Leader for All Generations?

Currently, in companies across various sectors, it is increasingly common to have teams composed of members of different ages, which can have both advantages and disadvantages. However, sometimes this age difference can create distance between people, and it is up to leadership to address this issue, which often begins when the leader themselves cannot effectively manage all generations.

It is understandable that a leader of a certain age may have more 'affinity' with people close to their age group, but this should not become a reason for differentiation. For example, if I am an older leader, should I only consider what older employees say and not listen to younger ones? The same applies to younger leaders who do not listen to older employees.

We know that being a good leader is not an easy task and does not happen overnight; it is part of a process and can be time-consuming. The manager placed in this position must be prepared for it and willing to improve every day, making adjustments in their demeanor to develop appropriate conduct for the role they occupy. Often, it is necessary to abandon behaviors that no longer make sense.

After all, a good leader requires some essential skills that are developed over time, such as having active listening, being fair and impartial in daily decisions, learning to delegate tasks, and ensuring that employees feel they have a safe space in the work environment where they can share ideas, express doubts, and even provide constructive criticism.

The fact is that acting in this way is already a significant challenge for many, which increases as the company has people of various age groups on the team. And why could this be a challenge? When we have people of different ages, we need to adapt our communication and treatment so that each group can correctly understand the message being conveyed.

I see many negative comments about Generation Z, for example, which includes people aged 14 to 28. However, are they really the 'managers' nightmare,' as they are often classified in various articles I have read, or are leaders simply not knowing how to handle them? Because when we have people from other generations working alongside us, providing proper guidance is essential.

In this sense, I believe that OKRs – Objectives and Key Results – can help leaders be effective for all generations. If we are seeking to achieve results through ambitious goals, the age of the person speaking matters little, as long as hypotheses and data are presented, and it is later identified which of them proved true and were validated and which were not.

In this way, the tool encourages teamwork and also motivates each employee to perform their function as effectively as possible, making it easier for people of different age groups to work together to deliver better results, forming a more powerful multigenerational team.