Building Better Workplaces: A Letter to Millennial and Gen Z Leaders

We stand at a crossroads in workplace history, where four generations collide with different visions of what work should be. The grinding friction isn't just philosophical. It's practical, daily, and increasingly unsustainable.

Think about it: the endless meetings that drain your energy, the feeling that your best ideas are lost in the hierarchy, the constant pressure to prioritize busyness over actual impact, the always-on mentality, and the inability to afford to live a sustainable lifestyle despite your best efforts and hard work. This isn't just how things are; it's a call for us to build something better.

Our collective generation faces a choice. We can abandon traditional workplaces in frustration, or we can stay and transform them from within. The easier path is leaving and never looking back. The necessary path is rebuilding.

Global Workforce Population Chart - Courtesy of McCrindle

By 2034, millennials, Gen Z, and the first Gen Alphas will make up 80% of the workforce in advanced economies, making our leadership approach not just relevant but dominant. We have nine years to undo what has become the toxic corporate culture we are running away from and build the kind of workplaces that we want ourselves and our children to work in. The question isn't whether change will happen. The question is whether we'll shape it deliberately or let it unfold chaotically.

The Workplace Divide We Must Bridge

The generational divide in workplace values isn't subtle. Boomers and Gen X often prioritize hierarchy, individualism, and traditional measures of success. Many built careers in systems that rewarded long hours and personal sacrifice.

We see work differently.

Millennials and Gen Z prioritize purpose, flexibility, and well-being alongside achievement. We question the assumption that productivity requires suffering. We believe human-centric workplaces aren't just more ethical but more effective. And yes, of course, we advocate for being paid wages that are commensurate with the cost of living, undoubtedly more than previous generations.

This isn't a matter of who's right. It's about recognizing that the future belongs to those who can build workplaces that honor humanity while delivering results. Research shows the most effective leaders in 2025 will be those who possess emotional intelligence—with human skills like empathy fostering connections that AI simply can't replicate.

In his new book, This is Strategy, one of my favorite authors and thought leaders, Seth Godin, said that effective strategy is about learning how to work within the systems that are in place, then working to effect change from within those systems. This is how we evolve the workplace.

The Power of Shared Voices and Collaboration

More than ever, our generation is taking to social platforms to share our experiences, our frustrations, and our vision for a better way of doing work. This isn't just venting; it's the sound of a movement finding its voice, and it's getting louder.

We must actively lean into these conversations, both online and offline. By amplifying these voices, by echoing the calls for change, and by fostering intentional collaboration, we can build the collective power needed to reshape corporate landscapes.

But amplifying our voices is only half the equation. We also need to cultivate an environment where those in positions of power, often from older generations, are willing to truly listen. This requires us to move beyond simply stating our demands and instead, to communicate in a way that resonates, builds understanding, and invites them into the conversation. How do we create that bridge of receptivity? That's the challenge we must address as we seek to transform workplace culture.

Why Diplomacy Outperforms Confrontation

The impulse to rage against outdated workplace cultures is understandable. But anger rarely builds anything lasting.

Transforming workplace culture requires diplomatic skill, not just moral certainty. We must acknowledge the valid aspects of traditional work ethics while clearly articulating why evolution is necessary and how to change it.

Older generations won't change their core beliefs about work. That's not—or should not be—our goal. Our goal is to create bridges of understanding that allow us to implement new approaches without triggering defensive reactions.

This isn't a compromise. It's strategic change leadership.

When we approach workplace transformation with curiosity instead of judgment, we create space for genuine and productive dialogue. We can honor the dedication of previous generations while still charting a different course. We believe that this is how we can effect real change.

Why Leaving Makes Things Worse

The Great Resignation taught us something crucial: leaving toxic workplaces feels liberating, and there's no question that it provided clarity and peace for many who have suffered for a long time. But it doesn't fix the system for those who remain and those to come. While understandable, it inadvertently widens the already chasmic leadership gap. True change requires those with a vision for a better future to step up and lead within these systems. Leaving the field doesn't close the leadership gap; it expands it, potentially leaving the future of workplace culture in the hands of those clinging to outdated models.

When the most progressive voices exit traditional workplaces, those environments become even more resistant to change. We leave the next generation to face the same battles, often with fewer allies.

The alternative requires courage. Staying in systems we find frustrating. Working within constraints while gradually expanding possibilities. Building coalitions across generational lines.

This is how lasting change happens.

By remaining in traditional workplaces, we can introduce new approaches gradually. We can demonstrate that collaborative leadership creates better results than command-and-control methods. We can prove that flexibility enhances productivity rather than undermining it.

Let's be clear: the often-cited "corporate way" isn't the only path to growth, scale, productivity, or profitability. Across industries, innovative companies are proving that prioritizing people, fostering genuine connection, and embracing flexibility can lead to even greater success. We don't have to accept the false dichotomy that humanity and high performance are mutually exclusive.

Taking Up The Mantle

Our two generations have a unique opportunity. We can be the bridge between industrial-era work models and something more humane and sustainable.

What does a human-centric workplace actually look and feel like? It's a space where empathy isn't a buzzword but a practice. Where flexibility isn't a perk but a recognition of individual lives. Where well-being isn't an afterthought but a foundation for sustainable productivity. Imagine walking into a workplace where you feel seen, heard, and valued not just for your output, but for your whole self.

This isn't about rejecting everything that came before. It's about evolution, not revolution. Taking what works, discarding what doesn't, and building something better.

The responsibility falls to us because we understand both worlds. We grew up with traditional expectations but entered adulthood during unprecedented technological and social transformation. We can translate between paradigms while looking to the future we want to create.

It isn't easy, and building human-centric workplaces requires practical steps:

1. Lead with empathy. Recognize that workplace behavior reflects deeper needs for security, meaning, and connection.

2. Start small. Transform your team's culture before trying to change the entire organization.

3. Collect evidence. Document how human-centric practices improve measurable outcomes.

4. Build coalitions. Find allies across generational lines who share your vision.

5. Be patient but persistent. Cultural transformation happens gradually, then suddenly.

   
   

The Turning Point Generation

History will judge our generation not by our complaints about broken systems but by what we built to replace them.

We have unprecedented access to information, tools for connection, and platforms for influence. We understand both traditional business fundamentals and emerging human needs.

This positions us uniquely to create workplaces where people thrive rather than merely survive. Where productivity flows from engagement rather than fear. Where leadership serves rather than dominates.

The path won't be easy. We'll face resistance, setbacks, and moments of doubt. Building anything worthwhile requires persistence through difficulty.

But we can be the generation that transforms work from a necessary burden into a source of meaning, connection, and sustainable value creation.

The workplace evolution won't come from those who created the current system. It can only come from us. Not through rejection, but through thoughtful reconstruction and collaboration.

We can be remembered as the "Lazy, Entitled, Difficult" generations, or we can collectively become the "Changemaker, Transformation, and Turning Point" generation. 

The future of work is in our hands. Let's choose to build it with intention.