What Brené Brown Gets Right About Generational Leadership
Thirteen years after The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown is still reminding us that leadership is, at its core, human work.
In her new book Strong Ground and a recent interview in The New York Times, she names what I believe will define this next era of organizational transformation: Generational Leadership.
As a cultural architect, Brown has spent her career helping us see the human side of systems — how courage, empathy, and vulnerability shape our workplaces. Now she’s adding something new to that conversation: the complexity of leading across generations.
Why It Matters
Because no matter how advanced our technology becomes, the success of our organizations still depends on people who can work courageously across differences — including age, experience, and perspective.
Brown points out that while we’re adapting to AI and navigating cultural upheaval, generational complexity has quietly become one of the biggest challenges of our time. She’s right.
In my work with teams, I see it everywhere — not as open conflict, but as quiet tension:
A senior leader sends an important update by email that younger employees never read.
A new Gen Z hire shows up in summer shorts, unaware that “business casual” still matters.
A younger manager worries about holding an older colleague accountable.
A seasoned employee hesitates to ask for help with a new digital tool.
None of these are failures of character. They’re gaps in skill — the ability to interpret and navigate difference before it turns into disconnection.
The Problem We’re Facing
Brown said, “Without the right skills, task conflict becomes emotional conflict.”
That line hit home.
Generational conflict isn’t the problem. Unskilled conflict is.
You can see it in a single meeting — a younger manager pitching a new idea, a senior team member frowning, both walking away feeling unheard.
Most of us assume we know how to bridge differences because we’ve been working beside other generations for years. But in reality, generational leadership skills aren’t intuitive — they’re learned.
Sociologists call this chronocentrism — our instinct to see our own era’s way of working as the “right” one. It’s why we think, “We had a stronger work ethic,” or “They don’t respect experience.”
At the same time, a younger team member might roll their eyes when a senior colleague asks questions about a new process — assuming resistance instead of recognizing that thoughtful inquiry is part of how experience protects quality.
When leaders respond to those tensions with judgment instead of curiosity, trust erodes and innovation stalls.
The Cost of Ignoring It
When we dismiss these tensions, we lose more than morale — we lose momentum. Projects stall, collaboration suffers, and valuable experience walks out the door before it can be passed on.
I’ve seen brilliant young professionals hesitate to lead because they don’t want to seem disrespectful. And I’ve seen seasoned experts withdraw because they feel invisible or obsolete. Both are preventable losses — and both are costly.
The Tools for Solving It
The good news? These skills can be learned through practice, not personality.
Generational leadership starts with curiosity, communication, and the courage to stay in the hard conversations long enough to find shared meaning. When we build these muscles, tension becomes creativity, and difference becomes fuel for innovation.
I learned that lesson years ago when my Millennial students first asked “Why?” — Why does this matter? Why are we doing it this way? Why should we care?
At first, I felt challenged. Then I realized they weren’t questioning my authority — they were asking for purpose. That moment changed everything about how I teach, and it’s the same shift leaders need to make today: from control to curiosity, from reaction to reflection.
How I Can Help
At Generation IQ, I help organizations build these generational leadership skills through interactive keynotes, workshops, and our monthly Roundtable Series.
This month’s session — Building Generational Skills for Courageous Leadership — will focus on how leaders can pause amid the churn, create space for understanding, and lead with clarity and confidence across generations.
Because as Brown reminds us, “A brave life is fifteen hard conversations a day.”
I’d add: A brave workplace is one where courage sounds like curiosity.
With hope,
Mary