007: Are You Leading the Person or Fighting the Generation?

I Have Some Questions...

🎙️ Episode Snapshot

In this unfiltered, freewheeling solo riff, Erik tackles a controversial leadership question: How do you lead Millennials and Gen Z? Not from a place of judgment, but of lived experience. As a millennial himself, Erik offers a deep and human-centered take on why these generations behave differently at work, what they’re really optimizing for, and how leaders of all ages can unlock their performance by honoring their context, not criticizing it. This isn’t a generational rant, it’s a leadership reframe.

❓The Big Question

What if Millennials and Gen Z aren’t lazy or entitled but simply responding rationally to a world that changed underneath them?

💡 Key Takeaways

• Generational distrust is earned. Millennials and Gen Z watched institutions crumble so loyalty isn’t assumed, it’s earned.
• Security no longer makes sense. These generations don’t chase pensions—they chase alignment, autonomy, and joy.
• They will give you their best but only if it aligns with what matters to them.
• True leadership means meeting people where they are, not where you wish they were.

🧠 Concepts, Curves, and Frameworks

• “The Ground is Not Stable”: The mental model shaping Millennial and Gen Z risk-taking.
• Corporate Loyalty is Dead: Because people watched it die.
• The North Star Test: If you don’t know what really motivates them, you can’t lead them.
• Surfer vs. Farmer Mindset:
  • Boomers/X: Cultivate the land.
  • Millennials/Z: Read the waves.

🔁 Real-Life Reflections

• Erik shares his own decision to walk away from a high-paying, low-effort corporate role to coach soccer and be present for his daughters.
• From music festivals to side hustles, Erik sees deep intentionality where others see distraction.
• His challenge: Stop asking “What’s wrong with them?” and start asking, “What matters to them?”

🧰 Put This Into Practice

• Ask This First: “What are you optimizing your life for right now?”
• Reframe Career Conversations: Lead with values and autonomy.
• Build Incentives Around Life Goals: Help your people earn what they care about, not just more salary.
• Stop Managing, Start Surfing: Build systems that flex with volatility because that’s what they expect.
• Ditch the Judgment Lens: Curiosity and context always outperform critique.

🗣️ Favorite Quotes

“The problem isn’t that Gen Z is lazy. The problem is you don’t know what they’re optimizing for.”
“If you know what lights someone up, you can align their fire with your mission. That’s leadership.”
“Most of us aren’t disengaged. We’re just not going to kill ourselves for a system we don’t trust.”