The Future Begins with Z: Nine Strategies to Lead Generation Z as They Disrupt the Workplace
by Tim Elmore
2025/HarperCollins Leadership
$29.99/352 pages
Growing Leaders CEO Tim Elmore says he’s noticed that younger workers are struggling, and employers are struggling with them. They have strong ideas about how work is done, they’re not afraid to speak up, and they’re willing to quit a job for their mental health.
Employing and accommodating them, he says, will mean big changes in business. For example, as internet natives who’ve always lived in a 24/7 world and who thrive on instant-media-as-news, Gen Z has enjoyed a wider exposure to information than their older coworkers. That alone makes them great assets.
Elmore says that listening is essential. Coach them and give them mentors. Recognize that they’ve endured unique pressures and events that you may never understand, but don’t buy into the myths about them. Learn to appreciate the best of what they’ll bring to the workplace.
And strive to improve your own style of leadership. The end result, says Elmore, is worth it. The old way of working isn’t working anymore, Gen Z isn’t going anywhere, and they may be your next competitor, according to Elmore.
Gen Z, he says, love being entrepreneurs. That’s just one of the things you’ll learn inside “The Future Begins with Z,” a book that’s useful right from the beginning, as Elmore starts with empathy and zero blame-laying. He continues by making his methods easy to understand and to launch. Bonus: quick chapter take-aways that you can refer to often, so stock up on your sticky flags.
