206: Gen Z Isn’t the Problem

Before you blame the next generation, look in the mirror. Meet Robert. After 25 years in hospital leadership, he’s frustrated. Younger nurses seem distracted, overwhelmed, and resistant to feedback. His usual leadership strategies aren’t working, and turnover keeps rising. For years, Robert blamed the next generation. Now he’s wondering if he’s the one who needs to adapt. In this episode, Jay sits down with Tim Elmore, bestselling author, leadership expert, and founder of Growing Leaders. Together, they explore how leaders can replace generational stereotypes with curiosity, connect with Gen Z, and develop younger employees instead of simply judging them. **Notable Quotes** “They want work to feel fun, but be challenging.” — Tim Elmore “Don’t think control, think connect.” — Tim Elmore “Don’t think tell, think ask.” — Tim Elmore “If we can combine high expectation and high belief, we now have a magical formula that will work with this next gen.” — Tim Elmore **About Our Guest** Tim Elmore is a bestselling author, leadership expert, and founder of Growing Leaders. For decades, he has studied generational trends and helped leaders better understand, connect with, and develop emerging generations. Tim has written more than 40 books and spoken to hundreds of thousands of people around the world. His work helps organizations bridge generational gaps, strengthen leadership, and prepare younger people to thrive in their careers and lives. **Resources & Links** **Tim Elmore** Website – https://www.timelmore.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyelmore/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/drtimelmore Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tim\_elmore Threads – https://www.threads.com/ X – https://x.com/timelmore YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@TimElmoreInc **Jay Abbasi** Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi\_/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast **Join Us Next Time** On Friday, Jay tackles what to do when you’ve tried to connect, listen, coach, and support an employee, but nothing seems to work. He shares an eye-opening exercise from his learning and development days and explores how to be both kind and honest when someone continues to show a lack of motivation. You’ll learn how to have the conversation that may finally help someone respond, without becoming overly harsh or overly accommodating.