Generations at Work 016: Cultivating a "Whatever It Takes" Team Culture Across Generations
Aug 26, 2025
Dr. Tim Elmore, a generational leadership expert and bestselling author, discusses how to foster a 'whatever it takes' team culture across diverse age groups. He delves into how generational upbringing influences work attitudes and debunks myths surrounding Gen Z's work ethic. Tim emphasizes that Gen Z values loyalty to leaders over institutions, especially after pandemic layoffs. He shares practical strategies for leaders to build trust and offers inspiring metaphors like the 'second mile' to motivate teams to go above and beyond.
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Generational Mindsets Are Culturally Rooted
- Each generation's work attitude is shaped by the culture they grew up in and reacts to previous generations.
- Early life foundations (first 20–25 years) strongly influence how people view work into adulthood.
Early Role Model: John Maxwell's Work Ethic
- Tim Elmore describes John Maxwell as a classic baby boomer who modeled extreme commitment to work by arriving before 5 a.m.
- That modeling influenced Tim's own early career expectations about loyalty to the organization.
Profit Doctrine Shaped Older Generations
- The Friedman Doctrine (1970) taught many leaders that a business's social responsibility is to increase profits.
- That profit-first mindset helps explain why older generations prioritized organizational loyalty and revenue.
