Commandant 4: Thou Shall Not Compare Eras
Gen Z is not you. And that’s the point. The statement “Back in our day” is irrelevant in an age of NFTs, AI, creator economies, and remote realities. You were raised to survive. They were born to thrive in disruption.

Let’s settle it now; this is not your time. You didn’t have ChatGPT in 1995 or 2005 when you started your career. You weren’t juggling remote internships, digital disruption, climate anxiety, and three side hustles while navigating a pandemic by age 22. So please, stop expecting Gen Z to work like your generation.

The industrial-age leadership model is expired. “Back in my day” has no bearing in a hyper-connected, AI-driven, cause-led world.

When you compare Gen Z’s behavior to your own youthful days, you’re not mentoring; you’re invalidating. And invalidation shuts down potential faster than any resignation letter.

Instead of judging them for the tools they were born into, engage them with curiosity. Learn the rhythm of their reality. What excites them? What offends them? What drives them? You don’t have to agree with everything as they’re not asking for clones. They are asking for respectful collaboration.

I once trained a Senior Manager that used to grumble that a particular Gen Z designer “lacks work ethic” because she didn’t respond to emails at 7am like he did. When I asked him to share a bit more about this lady, we discovered that this same designer had single-handedly built a campaign that went viral on TikTok, earned a telecom brand contract, and raised the firm’s visibility. The real issue? The manager was stuck in outdated benchmarks of what productivity “should” look like, instead of valuing results over routine.

When he eventually took time to understand her workflow, he realized she was working smarter, not lazier. The shift in his mindset unlocked better team synergy and reduced internal friction by 50%.

Leaders, you must avoid the temptation to force your past into the future of GenZs. I honor the wisdom of your journey, but you must trust the genius of GenZs. True leadership adapts, it doesn’t antagonize a new reality.

Commandment 5: Thou Shall Co-Create Culture
Culture is no longer a top-down transmission. It’s tribal, organic, evolving and a living, breathing ecosystem. In the Gen Z economy, culture is not what you announce on your website—it’s what your youngest team members experience, whisper, and share on TikTok or Glassdoor.

Gen Z don’t just want to adapt to your workplace culture; they want to shape it, own it, and infuse it with relevance. They don’t want company-branded slogans; they want values they can feel, challenge, and contribute to. If your culture doesn’t invite their voice, they will check out or call you out.

A Nigerian bank struggling with disengaged Gen Z employees once engaged us in CHAMP GLC to advise them on managing the attrition rate. We worked with the leadership to introduce Work & Vibe Fridays. But this wasn’t just a DJ and snacks gimmick. It was co-designed by a cross-generational team. Gen Z staff introduced mini tech demo corners, mental wellness check-ins, and a peer spotlight program. Senior managers started showing up in sneakers, listening more, and laughing louder.
This led to improved collaboration, fewer sick days, and an influx of job applications from Gen Z talent through word-of-mouth.

The shift didn’t come from perks. It came from permission—permission to belong, express, and shape the atmosphere they work in.
Let GenZs help design the place they want to belong. When people feel seen in a culture, they start to serve that culture with pride. Empower them to be co-architects of your workplace soul.

Commandment 6: Thou Shall Offer Purpose, Not Just Pay
You can’t buy loyalty with salary slips anymore. Gen Z wants meaning, not just money.
They want to know What impact are we making? Whose life are we changing? If you can’t answer that, don’t be shocked when they bounce.

You can’t bribe Gen Z into brilliance. You can only invite them into meaning. This is the generation that will quit a job that pays well if it’s boring, toxic, or has no visible impact. They’re not driven by salary alone they want significance.
Purpose isn’t just a CSR strategy or a nice phrase on your mission wall. It must be woven into the very DNA of how tasks are assigned, how projects are celebrated, and how feedback is given. Purpose should live in your operations—not just in your “About Us” page.

Pay gets you attention. Purpose gets you devotion.
Show them who they’re helping—not just what they’re doing. Purpose is not a perk. It’s the pulse that keeps talent alive. Align your performance metrics to impact markers. Let employees track how their work advances community development, environmental change, or customer transformation.

Next Steps
If you need help implementing a capacity developing bootcamp tailored to Gen Z learning styles, contact us on +2347026668008 or [email protected]
Let’s work with you to unleash the GenZ power in your organization.
We will continue with the with Commandment #7 next week.