By: Aaron Butler
In their 1992 book Generations: The History of America’s Future 1584-2069, William Strauss and Neil Howe suggest that each generation experiences a secular crisis or a spiritual awakening. Generation Z is experiencing a spiritual awakening that will reverberate for generations to come. As they enter the workforce, the way organizational leaders interact with them will be influenced by that spiritual awakening. The catalyst was not started because of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict that has been smoldering since the end of WWII. Its genesis can be traced back to Valentine’s Day, 2018.
In 2018, when many of these young Americans were still in high school, in what Strauss and Howe referred to as rising adulthood, there was a tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School. The event sparked the rise of the March for Our Lives movement. The teens and preteens addressed the lack of leadership from the older generations when it came to Gun Control. Alex Wind, 17, of Parkland, Florida, speaks to this at the rally, “People believe that the youth of this country are insignificant. People believe that the youth have no voice. I say that we were the only people who could have made this movement possible.” [1]
Speaker after speaker walked up to the lectern and implored the youth to use their voice to shape their future. Rebecca Schneid, then 16, declared, ‘This march is just the beginning of a movement that will last a very long time. We understand that this is a marathon and that we’ll be fighting for years. We’re just getting started, now we have to use our rights as voters to make things change. Politicians will see that we aren’t going away.’ [2] Ms. Schneid, now a journalist, has since written for publications like the Texas Tribune, LA Times, and Elle Magazine. She tackles stories that are important to her. A glimpse at her X (formerly Twitter) feed reveals the causes she finds worth fighting for. It is a collection of everyone’s favorite left-leaning causes: LGBTQ+, union representation, gun control, and Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
The drastic actions of students at universities across the country, including my Alma mater, Binghamton University, are directly related to our society’s lack of Servant Leaders and leadership development. Students are taking over buildings, quads, and offices because they are still fighting for their voices to be heard and for leaders to address their concerns. They have been summarily ignored.
They have transitioned from high schools to universities; their next destination is your organization and industry. Are you ready to lead this generation who believes they must lead themselves to fill a leadership void? In a survey conducted by the American Survey Center, seventy percent of Generation Z adults express concern about finding a meaningful job or career. Organizations must be more just, more caring, and provide individuals with the opportunities to grow if they want to be an attractive destination for this generational cohort. Leaders at American institutions must demonstrate empathy, understanding, and awareness if they’re going to assist these young Americans in reaching their full potential. Leveraging their skills and abilities is crucial in maintaining the perpetual growth that every for-profit institution aspires to achieve.
Organizations witnessed the influence of younger generations during the summer of 2020. Amid a pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, institutions worldwide initiated DEI initiatives, attempting to appease a vocal population. Leadership and leadership development are more crucial than ever because Generation Z will not retreat. They will not surrender; they are advocating for what they hold dear. As leaders, if you fail to harness that passion, instead of working with you, they will be working against you.
If you or your organization wants to develop leaders with the skills to help your team reach their full potential, contact CarterConnection here.
[1] 7 Quotes From March For Our Lives On The Power of Youth Voice | by The XQ Team | XQ Institute | Medium. https://medium.com/xqamerica/7-quotes-from-march-for-our-lives-on-the-power-of-youth-voice-ffaa11d5a91b
[2] March For Our Lives: The Shouts Heard Around the World | Pulitzer Center. https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/march-our-lives-shouts-heard-around-world
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