Dr. Cara argues Gen Z employees aren't disengaged—managers are using outdated leadership styles. Deloitte and Gallup data show Gen Z prioritizes purpose and growth over titles and pay. She outlines three shifts: practice presence over authority, focus one-on-ones on growth, and explain the why before the what.
You ever get in the car after work and think, "I don't know what to do with these Gen Z employees. They're not bad. They're smart. They get their work done, but it just feels like they don't care." Maybe you thought they don't have the same work ethic, but that's not actually the problem. I'm Dr. Cara. I sit across a lot of leaders who are doing everything right on paper and still can't figure out why their younger team members feel so far away. Here's what I learned. You are leading them in the way that you were led, and that is exactly why they're pulling away. This is not a Gen Z problem. It's a leadership translation problem. And by the end of this video, you will know exactly where the breakdown is happening and what to do instead. Let me share 3 numbers. Deloitte just finished their biggest survey yet. 23,000 Gen Z and millennial workers, 44 countries. And here's what stood out. Only 6% said their number 1 career goal is to reach a leadership position. 6%, and almost 9 out of 10 said a sense of purpose is essential to their job satisfaction and their well-being. Now add Gallup's research. This places where Gen Z engagement is dropping fastest are not about the pay. They feel less cared about at work, less connected to the mission. They're not having growth conversations with their managers, and they do not feel like their opinions count. Put that together, here's the picture. You have a generation who is not chasing the title. They're chasing the feeling of mattering. And the playbook most of us were handed was built for the opposite person. Quick note before we keep going: if you want something that helps you think through your own team in real time, I built a tool called Dr. Cara's Virtual Mind. The link is in the description. It's trained on the same framework that I'm about to walk you through. Bring it the exact conversation you're stuck on and get a thinking partner there with you. Okay, back to it. Here's the part most leaders miss. The leaders who trained you were rewarded for control and consistency. You learn to lead the way they led you, but the person in front of you is not you at their age. They are not looking up to you the way that you looked up to your first boss. They're looking across at you, and if you keep trying to lead them from above, they will quietly step back. So what do you actually do? I'm going to share 3 shifts, real ones, and you should try them this week. Shift 1: Stop performing authority and start practicing presence. You don't need to prove that you are in charge. They already know that. What they are watching for is whether you can sit with hard things without shutting them down. If someone raises a concern and your face tightens, oh, they notice. If they share an idea and you immediately pivot to what's wrong with it, they learn to stop sharing. Presence is the pause before you respond. It is the look that says, "I'm actually hearing you." Shift 2: Trade managing performance for growing people. They want to grow. They want someone who notices. That doesn't mean that you have to be everyone's career coach. It means once a month you sit down with each of your direct reports and ask one question: What did you learn this month, and where do you want to grow next? Then you actually listen. That 5-minute conversation will do more for your attention than a raise. Shift 3: Explain the why before the what. The generation that trained us has taught us to follow orders. This generation was taught to ask why. You can call that entitlement, or you can call that useful. Either way, it is where they're at. So when you assign a project, take 30 extra seconds to tell them why it matters, where it fits in the bigger picture. You're not dumbing it down, you're letting them in, and that is connection. Here's what I want you to notice. None of this is actually about Gen Z. It's about you, the way you receive what they're telling you, the way you perceive what they actually need, and the way you respond when it's inconvenient. That is the work of leading anyone. It just shows up the sharpest right now with this generation because they are the first group who grew up assuming that they had a voice, and they are not going to pretend that they do not. Before your next one-on-one, do not go in hoping it goes better. If you want help thinking through that conversation, what you're noticing, what you may actually have going on, and how to respond differently, go to my virtual mind and bring in a real situation from your team. Get a clear, grounded way to move forward. Click the link in the description and try it for free. You lead well. Now lead as yourself. I'm Dr. Cara. Connect to yourself first and then elevate and expand for those you lead.
