Today’s workplaces have never been more diverse in age, and leaders in organizations face a unique challenge in addressing the varied expectations, needs, and priorities of employees of different generations. In a single meeting, you might have a Baby Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z employee. Each brings different expectations, but also untapped value. The real leadership challenge is knowing how to unlock it.
The emerging need to rethink legacy leadership models to incorporate different generational perspectives is reflected in the priorities of organizational leaders. More than 50% of CHROs cite leadership and management development as a top priority for 2025, according to SHRM’s CHRO Priorities and Perspectives report. This goes beyond people and engages the systems of an organization. That’s why nearly 1 in 3 CHROs (30%) also prioritize organization design and change management, recognizing that leading across generations requires more than empathy; it demands structural adaptation.
This shift in priorities also aligns with the changing pressures of the world. Traditional leadership models planned for a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. However, the current environment is more than just VUCA; it’s brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible (BANI). It’s this environment that leaders Nick Schacht, Chief Commercial Officer at SHRM, and Tamla Oates-Forney, CEO of SHRM Linkage, explore during, “Evolve to Solve: Unlocking the Power of Multigenerational Workforces.”
When done right, organizations that successfully lead across generations in a VUCA and BANI environment can support performance and employee retention, while fostering a workplace culture where everyone feels valued. It’s not just about managing differences; it’s about recognizing them as strengths.
Why Empathy-Driven Leadership Is Urgent
Traditional leadership models often fall short in this BANI environment. Leaders now must adapt swiftly, providing clarity, confidence, and flexibility to support their teams through rapid, unpredictable changes. Empathy, resilience, and thoughtful leadership have become non-negotiable.
“Think of it like moving from MapQuest to Waze,” said Oates-Forney. The best leaders recalibrate in real time, providing a steady hand amid shifting circumstances.
Generational Leadership Matters
To understand today’s workforce, it’s worth highlighting the makeup of the generational groups currently shaping the workplace:
- Baby Boomers extending their careers or returning to the workforce bring wisdom and experience.
- Gen X and Millennials often balance ambitious career aspirations with personal and financial responsibilities.
- Gen Z delivers fresh, innovative energy along with a deep affinity for technology.
- Gen Alpha is on the horizon, poised to shape the future of work as digital natives and ambassadors of mental well-being.
Each group enriches the workplace, but differences in expectations can make alignment tricky. For example, while Gen Z often values purpose and flexibility, only 6% aspire to leadership roles, according to a report from Deloitte. On the other hand, Boomers contribute critical expertise but may require upskilling to stay competitive in a tech-driven environment. Together, they form a complex mosaic that demands agile leadership to ensure no generation feels overlooked or misunderstood.
For business leaders, success lies in creating strategies that respect these differences while uniting employees around shared goals.
Empathy at the Heart of Leadership
It’s tempting to over-engineer strategies to address generational gaps, but often, the solution begins with a simpler focus on human connection and empathy.
“Sometimes we overcomplicate this,” explains Oates-Forney. “Leadership is about humanizing every team member.”
For example, Schacht, as a chief commercial officer, described managing team members in different life stages. One was a late-career employee looking to reconnect with meaningful work, while another was a Millennial mother seeking stability and flexibility. Their motivators and priorities were wildly different, and that’s the point. Empathy doesn’t mean leniency; it means leadership with context.
The takeaway? Leadership isn’t about applying a one-size-fits-all formula. It’s understanding each team member’s individual needs and allowing flexibility without losing sight of team goals and organizational priorities.
A Guide for Leaders Across Generations
To equip leaders for navigating multigenerational workplaces, SHRM Linkage developed the Purposeful Leadership model. Built on data from over one million assessments, the framework provides a roadmap for engaging and uniting diverse teams through five commitments:
- Inspire: Provides hope and inspiration for the future and directs energy toward a bold vision.
- Engage: Identifies and offers opportunities to engage, contribute and thrive at work.
- Innovate: Drives new thinking and creative freedom. Reimagines realities for competitive differentiation and success.
- Achieve: Accomplishes successful outcomes and delivers excellence by creating appropriate structure and clarity.
- Become: Grows with determination, compassion, self-awareness and courage.
Oates-Forney emphasizes the importance of the fifth point, noting that becoming is the hardest yet most vital aspect of leadership. “It implies you haven’t arrived. The C-suite shouldn’t be where learning stops.”
This framework doesn’t just apply to senior executives. Whether managing frontline workers or a seasoned leadership team, the principles of purposeful leadership provide a shared language to guide effective leadership.
Creating a Sense of Community at Work
One of the most impactful yet often overlooked strategies for engaging a multigenerational workforce is fostering a sense of community. Leaders like Oates-Forney hold informal “Tea with Tamla” sessions, creating open conversation spaces where employees can connect without hierarchy or judgment. This approach fulfills essential human needs like belonging, recognition, and psychological safety.
By embedding practices like these into day-to-day team operations, HR professionals can help nurture collaboration, creativity, and trust across generations.
Next Steps for Multigenerational Success
For organizations ready to take the next step in fostering generation-inclusive workplaces, here are five actionable recommendations:
- Conduct leadership assessments using tools like the Purposeful Leadership 360° to align development areas with organizational goals.
- Tailor leadership development by matching training opportunities to the unique needs of employees at different career stages.
- Champion inclusive behaviors by incorporating inclusion into performance reviews and promotional standards.
- Offer flexibility with accountability, creating systems that cater to individual needs while maintaining clear expectations.
- Create spaces for connection, ensuring community-building practices are a part of team culture.
Generational Differences Are Assets
While managing generational differences can feel complex, it’s also an incredible opportunity to lead more inclusively, intentionally, and effectively.
“When you humanize leadership and align people to purpose,” says Oates-Forney, “generational differences become assets — not obstacles.”
As workplaces grow more diverse, business leaders hold the key to evolving leadership strategies, strengthening pipelines, and preparing organizations to adapt to an increasingly dynamic future. It won’t always be simple, but bridging differences turns them into strengths that ensure employees and businesses thrive.
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