July 22, 2025 • 22 mins
What Gen X Gets Right About Leadership
Episode Summary
Gen X leaders don’t always get the spotlight—but they’ve been holding organizations together with grit, practicality, and quiet confidence for decades. In this episode of Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris breaks down the six distinct leadership strengths Gen X brings to the table—and why today’s teams need them more than ever.
From solving real problems under pressure to earning respect through action (not just title), Gen X has been tested, refined, and built to lead in chaos. But many of these leaders are undervalued or underestimated—until now.
If you’ve ever felt overlooked in the leadership conversation, this episode will remind you exactly why your experience, resilience, and no-nonsense leadership style still matter.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why Gen X leads with earned authority, not entitlement
- The power of practical, fast problem-solving (and why it's a Gen X superpower)
- How Gen X mastered accountability without cruelty
- The unique “translator” role Gen X plays across generations
- Real-world stories of Gen X resilience through crisis after crisis
- Why quiet confidence is one of the most undervalued traits in modern leadership
Whether you’re a Gen Xer leading from the middle or the top—or someone who wants to understand and support them better—this episode will give you a whole new lens on what makes this generation’s leadership so effective.
Resources & References
- Visit nxtstepadvisors.com for leadership tools, workshops, and coaching
- Connect with Colby on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/colbymorris
- Subscribe to the podcast and share this episode with a Gen X leader who needs to hear it
Your Next Step
Write down three examples of how your Gen X leadership has made a difference—and pick one way to adapt your style to meet your current team’s needs.
Because building others...
That’s what leaders do.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Picture this it's 1999.
You're sitting in a graycubicle under fluorescent lights
that hum just loud enough todrive you crazy.
Your manager let's call himDave just dropped a bomb on you
and it's Monday morning.
The client moved the deadlineup by two weeks.
(00:21):
No, there's no additionalbudget.
Yes, you'll probably need towork some weekends.
Any questions you don't ask ifthis is fair.
You don't request a wellnesscheck-in.
You don't even think about it,you just nod, grab another cup
of coffee from the break roomwith the flickering light and
(00:42):
you get to work.
Fast forward 20 years.
Now you're Dave.
You're the one in the corneroffice, the tough decisions and
a team looking to you fordirection.
But here's what's different.
You remember what it felt liketo be on the other side of that
conversation and that memory.
(01:02):
It shaped everything about howyou lead.
Hello leaders and welcome backto the TLD podcast.
I'm Colby Morris and todaywe're talking about something
that doesn't get nearly enoughattention in the leadership
world what Gen X gets absolutelyright about leadership?
You've been overlooked in mostleadership conversations.
(01:23):
The business world talks aboutboomer wisdom and millennial
innovation, but somehow justskips right over the generation
that's been quietly holdingeverything together.
Well, not today.
Today, we're recognizing whatyou bring to the leadership that
no one else can and why teamsdesperately need more.
(01:48):
Let's dive in.
Let's start with strengthnumber one you lead with earned
authority, not assumedentitlement.
Here's what Gen X leadersunderstand, that others often
miss.
A title does not make you aleader.
Competence, consistency andshowing up when things get tough
(02:10):
that's what makes you a leader.
Earned authority isfundamentally different from
assumed entitlement.
When you assume authority, youexpect people to follow you
because of your position.
When you earn authority, peoplechoose to follow you because of
your position.
When you earn authority, peoplechoose to follow you because of
your actions.
So what does earned authorityactually look like in practice?
(02:34):
First, you lead by doing, notjust directing.
You're willing to roll up yoursleeves and handle the work
you're asking others to do.
You don't ask your team to staylate on a project while you
head home at 5 pm.
You don't delegate difficultconversations and keep the easy
wins for yourself.
Second, you prove yourcompetence before you exercise
(02:57):
your authority.
You learn the business.
You understand the challengesyour team faces and demonstrate
that you can add value, not justoversight.
You ask questions like what'sslowing you down and how can I
help remove obstacles before youstart making changes.
Third, you build trust throughconsistent actions.
(03:20):
Over time, you'll do what yousay you'll do.
That's a hidden art, aforgotten art.
When you commit to supportingsomeone, you follow through.
When you promise to address anissue, you actually address it.
(03:43):
Your team learns that they cancount on you because you've
proven it repeatedly.
And fourth, you admit what youdon't know, but you learn
quickly.
You don't pretend to have allthe answers.
Instead, you say things likeI'm not familiar with this
process yet.
Can you walk me through it?
Or maybe I want to understandthis better before we make
changes.
(04:04):
Here's the practical difference.
Assumed authority says I'm themanager, so we're doing this my
way.
Earned authority says based onwhat I've learned about our
challenges, here's what I thinkwill work.
What am I missing?
Assumed authority says I needyou to trust me because I'm in
charge.
Earned authority says I need toearn your trust through my
(04:28):
actions.
This approach takes longer, butit builds something more
valuable Genuine influence.
People don't just comply withyour decisions, they buy into
them.
They don't just follow yourlead.
They want to be a part of whatyou're building.
You've learned this becauseyou've seen what happens when
(04:52):
someone tries to lead theirposition alone.
You've worked for thosemanagers.
You've watched good people quitbecause they were managed by
title instead of led by example,and you've promised yourself I
will do it differently.
All right, strength number twoyou've mastered the art of
(05:16):
practical problem solving.
Look, gen X leaders, don't getstuck in analysis paralysis.
Don't get stuck in analysisparalysis.
You've lived through enoughcrisis to know that perfect
information is a luxury yourarely have and waiting for it
often makes problems worse.
Let me share a story thatperfectly illustrates this.
(05:36):
Last year I was consulting witha tech company facing a major
software glitch and it wasaffecting customer orders.
The bug appeared at 2 pm on aFriday afternoon.
Because why wouldn't it?
It's just the worst possibletiming.
The millennial product managerwanted to form a task force to
(05:58):
analyze the root cause anddevelop a comprehensive solution
strategy.
Doesn't sound bad.
But the timeline solutionstrategy Doesn't sound bad.
But the timeline.
They said we should have a planby Monday afternoon.
The Gen X operations lead, janet, said five words that changed
everything.
That's too late.
Move over.
In two hours she had identifieda workaround that would process
(06:23):
80% of stuck orders.
She set up a manual process forthe remaining 20% and
implemented a communicationsplan for affected customers.
Okay, she created a schedulefor weekend fixes.
Was it perfect?
No.
Was it comprehensive?
No, did it save the weekend forhundreds of customers and
(06:47):
prevent a PR nightmare?
Absolutely.
Monday morning they fixed theunderlying issue, but Janet's
quick thinking kept a smallproblem from becoming a
company-defining crisis.
That's Gen X leadership.
Company-defining crisis that'sGen X leadership.
(07:08):
You solve the immediate problemfirst, then you solve it right.
You understand that progressbeats perfection, especially
when people are counting on you.
You learn this because you'veworked in environments where
resources were scarce, timelineswere super aggressive, you've
developed the ability toseparate what's urgent from
what's important, and you learnto move fast with incomplete
(07:31):
information, all right.
Strength number three youunderstand accountability
without cruelty.
This might be your mostvaluable leadership trait, and
it's one that's desperatelyneeded right now.
Gen X leaders have a uniqueperspective on accountability
because you experienced theworst of it early in your career
(07:54):
.
Right, you had managers whoshame as a weapon, who confused
fear with respect, who thoughtthat breaking people down
somehow built them up, and youdecided you'd never be that kind
of leader.
But here's what makes youdifferent from some newer
(08:16):
leadership approaches you didn'tthrow accountability out the
window.
You just found a better way todeliver it.
Let me tell you about Kevin.
Kevin, a Gen X manufacturingsupervisor, and one of his team
members, josh, had beenconsistently missing safety
protocol checks.
That's a pretty serious issuein their environment.
(08:37):
Here's how Kevin handled it.
He sat him down and said Josh,I need to talk to you about the
safety checks.
I noticed you've missed thedocumentation on the last four
shifts.
This isn't like you, and I'mconcerned both about what's
causing it and what can happenif we don't fix it.
Help me understand what's goingon.
Josh explained that he'd beenrushing to finish his other task
(08:58):
and figured he could skip thepaperwork, since he was doing
the actual safety checks.
Kevin's response hey, I get it.
The paperwork feels redundantwhen you're actually doing the
work.
But here's why it matters.
If OSHA comes through and wecan't prove we're following
protocols, it's not just a fine.
It puts the whole facility atrisk and, more importantly, if
(09:21):
something did happen and wecouldn't prove we followed
procedure, you'd be the oneliable.
I care too much about you andthis team to let that happen.
They spent 10 minutesredesigning Josh's workflow to
make the documentation fasterand more efficient.
Josh never missed anothersafety check.
(09:42):
That's Gen X accountability,clear expectations, direct
communication, problem-solvingfocus and genuine care for the
person.
You're not afraid to have hardconversations, but you have them
with the goal of making peoplebetter, not making them feel
smaller.
All right, strength number fouryou're the master translator of
(10:07):
the workplace.
Here's a scenario that playsout in companies everywhere.
A boomer executive and a Gen Zemployee are in a meeting and
they might as well be speakingdifferent languages.
The Boomer says I need you totake ownership of this project
and really drive results.
The Gen Z employee hears worklong hours and don't ask for
(10:29):
help.
The Gen Z employee says I wantto make sure this aligns with my
values and growth objectives.
Employee says I want to makesure this aligns with my values
and growth objectives.
The boomer hears I'm highmaintenance and not committed to
this work.
And who steps in to translate?
You do.
To the boomer, you say Sarah'sasking great questions about how
(10:49):
this project fits into herdevelopment plan.
Let's talk about how we canframe this as a growth
opportunity, that plan.
Let's talk about how we canframe this as a growth
opportunity.
To Sarah you say look, jim'sreally invested in seeing you
succeed when he talks aboutownership.
He means he trusts you to runwith this and will back you up
when you need resources.
(11:10):
See, this isn't just diplomacy,it's essential leadership.
You've worked closely with bothgenerations.
You understand theirmotivations, their communication
styles and their blind spots.
You remember when face-to-facemeetings were the only option,
but you've also adapted to Zoomcalls and Slack channels.
(11:31):
You can shift between let'sgrab coffee and hash this out
and can you send me a quickmessage, depending on who you're
working with.
This makes you invaluable intoday's multi-generational
workplace.
While others are gettingfrustrated with generational
differences, you're the onebuilding bridges.
All right, strength number fiveYou've developed resilience
(11:56):
through repeated adaptation.
Let's be honest about what Gen Xhas lived through in your
careers.
You started working during thedot-com boom, watched it crash
and you adapted.
You learned new technologieswhen the internet transformed
business you adapted.
You weathered 9-11 and itseconomic aftermath you adapted.
(12:17):
You weathered 9-11 and itseconomic aftermath you adapted.
You survived the 2008 financialcrisis and massive layoffs and
adapted.
You figured out social mediawhen it changed how we
communicate, you adapted.
You led teams through theglobal pandemic and remote work
and, yes, you adapted.
(12:38):
Now you're navigating AI'sdisruption and guess what?
You're adapting again.
Each time, you didn't justsurvive, you learned something
that made you better.
You develop what I call adaptiveleadership the ability to stay
calm when everything around youis changing.
(12:59):
This adaptability isn't just anice to have trait.
It's exactly what organizationsneed in today's rapidly
changing business environment.
So how do you leverage thisadaptive leadership practically?
First, focus on what you cancontrol when everything else is
(13:19):
uncertain, instead of gettingoverwhelmed by all the unknowns.
Identify the fundamentals thatremain constant your people's
core strengths, your customers'essential needs and your
organization's primary valueproposition.
And then, second, move quicklywith imperfect information.
Yes, I said that Move quicklywith imperfect information.
(13:43):
You've learned that waiting forcomplete certainty often means
missing the window to acteffectively.
Make the best decision you canwith available information.
Then adjust as you learn more.
Third, separate temporaryadjustments from permanent
(14:03):
changes.
When disruption hits, askyourself what do we need to
modify right now to keep movingVersus what fundamental changes
do we need to make for the longterm?
This prevents you from makingpermanent decisions based on
temporary circumstances.
And fourth, communicate the whybehind the changes clearly and
(14:27):
frequently.
Your team needs to understandnot just what's changing, but
why it's necessary and how itconnects to the bigger picture.
This reduces resistance andincreases buy-in.
Then, fifth, build flexibilityinto your systems and processes.
Instead of creating rigidstructures, design workflows
(14:48):
that can bend without breaking.
Okay, this means having backupplans, cross-trained team
members and processes that canscale up or down as needed.
Your adaptive leadership isn'tjust about surviving change.
It's about using a change as acompetitive advantage.
While others are still figuringout what happened, you're
(15:09):
already three steps into solvingit.
All right, strength number sixyou lead with quiet confidence.
Gen X leaders don't need to bethe loudest voice in the room.
You're comfortable leading fromthe middle, making other people
successful and getting thingsdone without fanfare.
This drives some people crazy.
(15:30):
They want you to be morevisible, more vocal, more
self-promoting.
Here's what they're missing.
Your quiet confidence isexactly what many teams need.
Here's how to leverage yourquiet confidence more
effectively.
First, understand that leadingfrom the middle is a strategic
(15:51):
advantage.
You're close enough to the workto understand real challenges,
but senior enough to influencedecisions.
Does that make sense?
Use this position to be thebridge between strategy and
execution.
Second, make sure your resultsare visible.
Even if you don't make yourselfvisible, you don't need to
(16:14):
self-promote, but you do need tocommunicate the impact your
team is having.
Okay, share success stories,highlight team achievements and
connect your work toorganizational goals.
Third, develop othersintentionally and we talk about
that a lot here.
Your quiet leadership stylecreates space for others to grow
(16:35):
.
Use this to build strongsuccessors and explain your
influence through the people youdevelop.
And fourth, speak up when itmatters most.
You may not be the loudestvoice in every meeting, but when
you do speak, make sure itcounts.
Your reputation for thoughtful,practical input means people
(16:55):
listen when you finally docontribute.
Then, fifth, document yourdecision-making process.
Since you tend to work behindthe scenes, others may not
understand how you achieve yourresults.
Sharing your thinking helpsothers learn and builds
confidence in your leadershipapproach, your quiet confidence.
(17:16):
That isn't a limitation.
It's a leadership style thatcreates stability.
It creates trust.
In chaotic environments, teamsgravitate towards leaders who
are calm, steady and focused onwhat actually matters.
All right, let's get to thisweek's reality check where Gen X
(17:37):
leaders can grow.
Let's be honest about the areaswhere Gen X leaders sometimes
struggle.
One, embracing feedback culture.
You're used to figuring thingsout on your own, but younger
team members often want moreregular feedback and guidance.
The no news is good newsapproach doesn't work for
(17:58):
everyone anymore.
Two, showing vulnerability.
Your strength is staying calmunder pressure, but sometimes
your team needs to see thatyou're human too.
It's okay to admit when you'relearning something new or when
you're uncertain about the bestpath forward.
And then three, investing inrecognition.
(18:18):
You don't need a lot of praiseto stay motivated, but many of
your team members do.
Okay, regular acknowledgementand celebration of wins isn't
like fluff.
It's fuel for sustainedperformance.
These aren't major flaws.
They're areas where yournatural strengths might need
some conscious adjustment toconnect with different working
(18:42):
styles.
So your challenge for this week?
I want you to do two things.
First, I want you to write downthree specific examples of
times your Gen X leadershiptraits made a real difference.
Maybe it was staying calmduring a crisis, or solving a
problem quickly, or building abridge between conflicting
(19:02):
perspectives.
Own these strengths.
And then, second, pick one areawhere you could adapt your
approach for your current team.
Maybe it's just providing moreregular feedback or being more
visible about celebrating winsor sharing more context about
your decision-making process.
(19:22):
The goal isn't to change who youare as a leader.
It's to leverage your strengthsmore and more intentionally and
fill those gaps where it'sneeded Gen X leaders.
Here's what I want you to knowthe business world needs more of
what you bring your practicalproblem solving, your earned
authority, your ability to holdpeople accountable with respect,
(19:44):
your skill at building bridgesacross differences, your quiet
confidence and adaptiveresilience.
These aren't old-fashionedleadership traits.
They're timeless ones.
While everyone else is debatingthe latest leadership trends,
you're doing the actual work ofleadership making people better,
solving real problems anddelivering results that matter.
(20:06):
You've been the steady hand onthe wheel through more change
than any generation before you.
You've learned to lead not fromtheory but from necessity, and
you've developed the leadershipstyle that works because it's
been tested in the real world,refined through experience and
proven under pressure.
(20:26):
So this week, lead withconfidence, trust your instincts
and remember that your approachto leadership practical,
resilient and focused on whatactually matters is exactly what
many organizations need more of.
If this episode resonated withyou, send it to a fellow Gen X
(20:47):
leader who needs this reminder.
Let's start the conversationabout the value we bring and how
to multiply it.
And if you're serious aboutbecoming the kind of leader who
builds people, systems andculture the right way, why don't
you head over to Next StepAdvisors that's NXT,
nextstepadvisorscom.
Whether you're building yourleadership pipeline, coaching
(21:08):
emerging leaders or trying toevolve your own leadership style
, you'll find the tools,strategies and support to do it
with intention.
And if you haven't yet, connectwith me on LinkedIn.
It's where I share even moreleadership insights, video clips
from the show andbehind-the-scenes context you
won't find anywhere else.
That link is also in the shownotes.
(21:30):
And, hey, before you go, makesure to follow or subscribe
wherever you're listening.
That's how we keep buildingbetter leaders, one episode at a
time, because building leadersis important and it's also what
leaders do.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do.
If you're looking for more tipson how to be a better leader,
be sure to subscribe to thepodcast and listen to next
week's episode.
Until next time, keep workingon being a better leader by
doing the things that leaders do.
Picture this it's 1999.
You're sitting in a graycubicle under fluorescent lights
that hum just loud enough todrive you crazy.
Your manager let's call himDave just dropped a bomb on you
and it's Monday morning.
The client moved the deadlineup by two weeks.
(00:21):
No, there's no additionalbudget.
Yes, you'll probably need towork some weekends.
Any questions you don't ask ifthis is fair.
You don't request a wellnesscheck-in.
You don't even think about it,you just nod, grab another cup
of coffee from the break roomwith the flickering light and
(00:42):
you get to work.
Fast forward 20 years.
Now you're Dave.
You're the one in the corneroffice, the tough decisions and
a team looking to you fordirection.
But here's what's different.
You remember what it felt liketo be on the other side of that
conversation and that memory.
(01:02):
It shaped everything about howyou lead.
Hello leaders and welcome backto the TLD podcast.
I'm Colby Morris and todaywe're talking about something
that doesn't get nearly enoughattention in the leadership
world what Gen X gets absolutelyright about leadership?
You've been overlooked in mostleadership conversations.
(01:23):
The business world talks aboutboomer wisdom and millennial
innovation, but somehow justskips right over the generation
that's been quietly holdingeverything together.
Well, not today.
Today, we're recognizing whatyou bring to the leadership that
no one else can and why teamsdesperately need more.
(01:48):
Let's dive in.
Let's start with strengthnumber one you lead with earned
authority, not assumedentitlement.
Here's what Gen X leadersunderstand, that others often
miss.
A title does not make you aleader.
Competence, consistency andshowing up when things get tough
(02:10):
that's what makes you a leader.
Earned authority isfundamentally different from
assumed entitlement.
When you assume authority, youexpect people to follow you
because of your position.
When you earn authority, peoplechoose to follow you because of
your position.
When you earn authority, peoplechoose to follow you because of
your actions.
So what does earned authorityactually look like in practice?
(02:34):
First, you lead by doing, notjust directing.
You're willing to roll up yoursleeves and handle the work
you're asking others to do.
You don't ask your team to staylate on a project while you
head home at 5 pm.
You don't delegate difficultconversations and keep the easy
wins for yourself.
Second, you prove yourcompetence before you exercise
(02:57):
your authority.
You learn the business.
You understand the challengesyour team faces and demonstrate
that you can add value, not justoversight.
You ask questions like what'sslowing you down and how can I
help remove obstacles before youstart making changes.
Third, you build trust throughconsistent actions.
(03:20):
Over time, you'll do what yousay you'll do.
That's a hidden art, aforgotten art.
When you commit to supportingsomeone, you follow through.
When you promise to address anissue, you actually address it.
(03:43):
Your team learns that they cancount on you because you've
proven it repeatedly.
And fourth, you admit what youdon't know, but you learn
quickly.
You don't pretend to have allthe answers.
Instead, you say things likeI'm not familiar with this
process yet.
Can you walk me through it?
Or maybe I want to understandthis better before we make
changes.
(04:04):
Here's the practical difference.
Assumed authority says I'm themanager, so we're doing this my
way.
Earned authority says based onwhat I've learned about our
challenges, here's what I thinkwill work.
What am I missing?
Assumed authority says I needyou to trust me because I'm in
charge.
Earned authority says I need toearn your trust through my
(04:28):
actions.
This approach takes longer, butit builds something more
valuable Genuine influence.
People don't just comply withyour decisions, they buy into
them.
They don't just follow yourlead.
They want to be a part of whatyou're building.
You've learned this becauseyou've seen what happens when
(04:52):
someone tries to lead theirposition alone.
You've worked for thosemanagers.
You've watched good people quitbecause they were managed by
title instead of led by example,and you've promised yourself I
will do it differently.
All right, strength number twoyou've mastered the art of
(05:16):
practical problem solving.
Look, gen X leaders, don't getstuck in analysis paralysis.
Don't get stuck in analysisparalysis.
You've lived through enoughcrisis to know that perfect
information is a luxury yourarely have and waiting for it
often makes problems worse.
Let me share a story thatperfectly illustrates this.
(05:36):
Last year I was consulting witha tech company facing a major
software glitch and it wasaffecting customer orders.
The bug appeared at 2 pm on aFriday afternoon.
Because why wouldn't it?
It's just the worst possibletiming.
The millennial product managerwanted to form a task force to
(05:58):
analyze the root cause anddevelop a comprehensive solution
strategy.
Doesn't sound bad.
But the timeline solutionstrategy Doesn't sound bad.
But the timeline.
They said we should have a planby Monday afternoon.
The Gen X operations lead, janet, said five words that changed
everything.
That's too late.
Move over.
In two hours she had identifieda workaround that would process
(06:23):
80% of stuck orders.
She set up a manual process forthe remaining 20% and
implemented a communicationsplan for affected customers.
Okay, she created a schedulefor weekend fixes.
Was it perfect?
No.
Was it comprehensive?
No, did it save the weekend forhundreds of customers and
(06:47):
prevent a PR nightmare?
Absolutely.
Monday morning they fixed theunderlying issue, but Janet's
quick thinking kept a smallproblem from becoming a
company-defining crisis.
That's Gen X leadership.
Company-defining crisis that'sGen X leadership.
(07:08):
You solve the immediate problemfirst, then you solve it right.
You understand that progressbeats perfection, especially
when people are counting on you.
You learn this because you'veworked in environments where
resources were scarce, timelineswere super aggressive, you've
developed the ability toseparate what's urgent from
what's important, and you learnto move fast with incomplete
(07:31):
information, all right.
Strength number three youunderstand accountability
without cruelty.
This might be your mostvaluable leadership trait, and
it's one that's desperatelyneeded right now.
Gen X leaders have a uniqueperspective on accountability
because you experienced theworst of it early in your career
(07:54):
.
Right, you had managers whoshame as a weapon, who confused
fear with respect, who thoughtthat breaking people down
somehow built them up, and youdecided you'd never be that kind
of leader.
But here's what makes youdifferent from some newer
(08:16):
leadership approaches you didn'tthrow accountability out the
window.
You just found a better way todeliver it.
Let me tell you about Kevin.
Kevin, a Gen X manufacturingsupervisor, and one of his team
members, josh, had beenconsistently missing safety
protocol checks.
That's a pretty serious issuein their environment.
(08:37):
Here's how Kevin handled it.
He sat him down and said Josh,I need to talk to you about the
safety checks.
I noticed you've missed thedocumentation on the last four
shifts.
This isn't like you, and I'mconcerned both about what's
causing it and what can happenif we don't fix it.
Help me understand what's goingon.
Josh explained that he'd beenrushing to finish his other task
(08:58):
and figured he could skip thepaperwork, since he was doing
the actual safety checks.
Kevin's response hey, I get it.
The paperwork feels redundantwhen you're actually doing the
work.
But here's why it matters.
If OSHA comes through and wecan't prove we're following
protocols, it's not just a fine.
It puts the whole facility atrisk and, more importantly, if
(09:21):
something did happen and wecouldn't prove we followed
procedure, you'd be the oneliable.
I care too much about you andthis team to let that happen.
They spent 10 minutesredesigning Josh's workflow to
make the documentation fasterand more efficient.
Josh never missed anothersafety check.
(09:42):
That's Gen X accountability,clear expectations, direct
communication, problem-solvingfocus and genuine care for the
person.
You're not afraid to have hardconversations, but you have them
with the goal of making peoplebetter, not making them feel
smaller.
All right, strength number fouryou're the master translator of
(10:07):
the workplace.
Here's a scenario that playsout in companies everywhere.
A boomer executive and a Gen Zemployee are in a meeting and
they might as well be speakingdifferent languages.
The Boomer says I need you totake ownership of this project
and really drive results.
The Gen Z employee hears worklong hours and don't ask for
(10:29):
help.
The Gen Z employee says I wantto make sure this aligns with my
values and growth objectives.
Employee says I want to makesure this aligns with my values
and growth objectives.
The boomer hears I'm highmaintenance and not committed to
this work.
And who steps in to translate?
You do.
To the boomer, you say Sarah'sasking great questions about how
(10:49):
this project fits into herdevelopment plan.
Let's talk about how we canframe this as a growth
opportunity, that plan.
Let's talk about how we canframe this as a growth
opportunity.
To Sarah you say look, jim'sreally invested in seeing you
succeed when he talks aboutownership.
He means he trusts you to runwith this and will back you up
when you need resources.
(11:10):
See, this isn't just diplomacy,it's essential leadership.
You've worked closely with bothgenerations.
You understand theirmotivations, their communication
styles and their blind spots.
You remember when face-to-facemeetings were the only option,
but you've also adapted to Zoomcalls and Slack channels.
(11:31):
You can shift between let'sgrab coffee and hash this out
and can you send me a quickmessage, depending on who you're
working with.
This makes you invaluable intoday's multi-generational
workplace.
While others are gettingfrustrated with generational
differences, you're the onebuilding bridges.
All right, strength number fiveYou've developed resilience
(11:56):
through repeated adaptation.
Let's be honest about what Gen Xhas lived through in your
careers.
You started working during thedot-com boom, watched it crash
and you adapted.
You learned new technologieswhen the internet transformed
business you adapted.
You weathered 9-11 and itseconomic aftermath you adapted.
(12:17):
You weathered 9-11 and itseconomic aftermath you adapted.
You survived the 2008 financialcrisis and massive layoffs and
adapted.
You figured out social mediawhen it changed how we
communicate, you adapted.
You led teams through theglobal pandemic and remote work
and, yes, you adapted.
(12:38):
Now you're navigating AI'sdisruption and guess what?
You're adapting again.
Each time, you didn't justsurvive, you learned something
that made you better.
You develop what I call adaptiveleadership the ability to stay
calm when everything around youis changing.
(12:59):
This adaptability isn't just anice to have trait.
It's exactly what organizationsneed in today's rapidly
changing business environment.
So how do you leverage thisadaptive leadership practically?
First, focus on what you cancontrol when everything else is
(13:19):
uncertain, instead of gettingoverwhelmed by all the unknowns.
Identify the fundamentals thatremain constant your people's
core strengths, your customers'essential needs and your
organization's primary valueproposition.
And then, second, move quicklywith imperfect information.
Yes, I said that Move quicklywith imperfect information.
(13:43):
You've learned that waiting forcomplete certainty often means
missing the window to acteffectively.
Make the best decision you canwith available information.
Then adjust as you learn more.
Third, separate temporaryadjustments from permanent
(14:03):
changes.
When disruption hits, askyourself what do we need to
modify right now to keep movingVersus what fundamental changes
do we need to make for the longterm?
This prevents you from makingpermanent decisions based on
temporary circumstances.
And fourth, communicate the whybehind the changes clearly and
(14:27):
frequently.
Your team needs to understandnot just what's changing, but
why it's necessary and how itconnects to the bigger picture.
This reduces resistance andincreases buy-in.
Then, fifth, build flexibilityinto your systems and processes.
Instead of creating rigidstructures, design workflows
(14:48):
that can bend without breaking.
Okay, this means having backupplans, cross-trained team
members and processes that canscale up or down as needed.
Your adaptive leadership isn'tjust about surviving change.
It's about using a change as acompetitive advantage.
While others are still figuringout what happened, you're
(15:09):
already three steps into solvingit.
All right, strength number sixyou lead with quiet confidence.
Gen X leaders don't need to bethe loudest voice in the room.
You're comfortable leading fromthe middle, making other people
successful and getting thingsdone without fanfare.
This drives some people crazy.
(15:30):
They want you to be morevisible, more vocal, more
self-promoting.
Here's what they're missing.
Your quiet confidence isexactly what many teams need.
Here's how to leverage yourquiet confidence more
effectively.
First, understand that leadingfrom the middle is a strategic
(15:51):
advantage.
You're close enough to the workto understand real challenges,
but senior enough to influencedecisions.
Does that make sense?
Use this position to be thebridge between strategy and
execution.
Second, make sure your resultsare visible.
Even if you don't make yourselfvisible, you don't need to
(16:14):
self-promote, but you do need tocommunicate the impact your
team is having.
Okay, share success stories,highlight team achievements and
connect your work toorganizational goals.
Third, develop othersintentionally and we talk about
that a lot here.
Your quiet leadership stylecreates space for others to grow
(16:35):
.
Use this to build strongsuccessors and explain your
influence through the people youdevelop.
And fourth, speak up when itmatters most.
You may not be the loudestvoice in every meeting, but when
you do speak, make sure itcounts.
Your reputation for thoughtful,practical input means people
(16:55):
listen when you finally docontribute.
Then, fifth, document yourdecision-making process.
Since you tend to work behindthe scenes, others may not
understand how you achieve yourresults.
Sharing your thinking helpsothers learn and builds
confidence in your leadershipapproach, your quiet confidence.
(17:16):
That isn't a limitation.
It's a leadership style thatcreates stability.
It creates trust.
In chaotic environments, teamsgravitate towards leaders who
are calm, steady and focused onwhat actually matters.
All right, let's get to thisweek's reality check where Gen X
(17:37):
leaders can grow.
Let's be honest about the areaswhere Gen X leaders sometimes
struggle.
One, embracing feedback culture.
You're used to figuring thingsout on your own, but younger
team members often want moreregular feedback and guidance.
The no news is good newsapproach doesn't work for
(17:58):
everyone anymore.
Two, showing vulnerability.
Your strength is staying calmunder pressure, but sometimes
your team needs to see thatyou're human too.
It's okay to admit when you'relearning something new or when
you're uncertain about the bestpath forward.
And then three, investing inrecognition.
(18:18):
You don't need a lot of praiseto stay motivated, but many of
your team members do.
Okay, regular acknowledgementand celebration of wins isn't
like fluff.
It's fuel for sustainedperformance.
These aren't major flaws.
They're areas where yournatural strengths might need
some conscious adjustment toconnect with different working
(18:42):
styles.
So your challenge for this week?
I want you to do two things.
First, I want you to write downthree specific examples of
times your Gen X leadershiptraits made a real difference.
Maybe it was staying calmduring a crisis, or solving a
problem quickly, or building abridge between conflicting
(19:02):
perspectives.
Own these strengths.
And then, second, pick one areawhere you could adapt your
approach for your current team.
Maybe it's just providing moreregular feedback or being more
visible about celebrating winsor sharing more context about
your decision-making process.
(19:22):
The goal isn't to change who youare as a leader.
It's to leverage your strengthsmore and more intentionally and
fill those gaps where it'sneeded Gen X leaders.
Here's what I want you to knowthe business world needs more of
what you bring your practicalproblem solving, your earned
authority, your ability to holdpeople accountable with respect,
(19:44):
your skill at building bridgesacross differences, your quiet
confidence and adaptiveresilience.
These aren't old-fashionedleadership traits.
They're timeless ones.
While everyone else is debatingthe latest leadership trends,
you're doing the actual work ofleadership making people better,
solving real problems anddelivering results that matter.
(20:06):
You've been the steady hand onthe wheel through more change
than any generation before you.
You've learned to lead not fromtheory but from necessity, and
you've developed the leadershipstyle that works because it's
been tested in the real world,refined through experience and
proven under pressure.
(20:26):
So this week, lead withconfidence, trust your instincts
and remember that your approachto leadership practical,
resilient and focused on whatactually matters is exactly what
many organizations need more of.
If this episode resonated withyou, send it to a fellow Gen X
(20:47):
leader who needs this reminder.
Let's start the conversationabout the value we bring and how
to multiply it.
And if you're serious aboutbecoming the kind of leader who
builds people, systems andculture the right way, why don't
you head over to Next StepAdvisors that's NXT,
nextstepadvisorscom.
Whether you're building yourleadership pipeline, coaching
(21:08):
emerging leaders or trying toevolve your own leadership style
, you'll find the tools,strategies and support to do it
with intention.
And if you haven't yet, connectwith me on LinkedIn.
It's where I share even moreleadership insights, video clips
from the show andbehind-the-scenes context you
won't find anywhere else.
That link is also in the shownotes.
(21:30):
And, hey, before you go, makesure to follow or subscribe
wherever you're listening.
That's how we keep buildingbetter leaders, one episode at a
time, because building leadersis important and it's also what
leaders do.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Thank you for listening to Things Leaders Do.
If you're looking for more tipson how to be a better leader,
be sure to subscribe to thepodcast and listen to next
week's episode.
Until next time, keep workingon being a better leader by
doing the things that leaders do.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.