The Culture Gap: What the Next Generation of Leaders Needs—and Most Workplaces Still Don’t Offer

Walk into almost any company today and you’ll feel it:

A quiet tension between how things have always worked—and how they need to work now.

It’s not always obvious.
It’s not a rebellion.
But something is shifting. Especially in the people stepping into leadership.

Millennials are now the largest generation in the workforce.
They’re managers, team leads, business owners, culture carriers.
Gen Z is right behind them, bringing new energy, sharper questions, and less tolerance for systems that don’t make sense.
And Gen Alpha is already watching—forming their values by observing how we treat people now.

What these generations are asking for isn’t dramatic.
It’s deeply human.
And it’s different from what came before.

And most workplaces haven’t caught up.

A Different Set of Rules

Here’s what we’re seeing more of:

• A deep need for flexibility, not as a perk—but as a sign of trust.

• A desire for purpose, not as a slogan—but as a reason to care.

• A craving for honest feedback, not performance reviews written in code.

• A demand for mental health and inclusion, not as checkboxes—but as lived realities.

This isn’t idealism.
It’s how the next generation defines a culture worth committing to.

And if leaders aren’t listening, the cost isn’t just disengagement.
It’s departure.

The Debate That Misses the Point

We’re hearing loud opinions from all corners.

Some CEOs are saying, “Get your ass back to work.”
Others respond, “We’re never going back.”

But here’s what often gets missed:
This isn’t just about place.
It’s about trust, values, voice, and vision.

The new generation isn’t choosing between office and remote.
They’re choosing whether they can bring their whole self to work.
Whether they’ll be heard.
Whether their time and talent will go toward something that matters.

I’ve Seen This Before

It reminds me of something I felt in the late ’90s.

I was standing in the middle of a fish market in Seattle—not expecting to find anything profound—and yet, there it was.

A group of people laughing, working, throwing fish, lifting each other up.
They weren’t just doing a job.
They were choosing to show up with life.

That moment became a film.
Then a book.
Then workshops and guides.

And those ideas became something more—
A shared language for people suffering together in poor culture:
Missed goals. Heavy environments. Disconnected teams.

But it didn’t start as a movement.
It started as a moment.
A small, true feeling:

This is different. We should pull this out and let others see it.

And maybe we’re in one of those moments again.

What the New Generation Might Be Asking

They may not say it directly, but here’s what we’re hearing between the lines:

• Can I lead in a way that aligns with who I am?

• Will I be trusted to build culture instead of inherit it?

• Do I have to pretend to be fine to be seen as capable?

• Is there room here for creativity, care, and humanity?

These aren’t unreasonable questions.
They’re the blueprint for modern leadership.

The Invitation

The next generation isn’t looking for more rules.
They’re looking for more real.

They want to bring energy, innovation, and connection to their teams—but they need a culture that supports that, not one that stifles it.

They don’t need us to reinvent everything.
But they do need us to notice what’s no longer working—and be brave enough to change it.

The fish market taught me that culture isn’t a program—it’s a choice.
One you make every day, in how you show up and how you treat people.

If you’re leading today, you’re shaping tomorrow’s norms.
Not with your words—but with your presence.
Not by holding on—but by handing forward a better way to work.

It starts by paying attention.
Not to trends.
But to people.

A Note From Me

As I write this, we are into our 25th year of FISH!
And we’re still going strong.

In those decades, I’ve seen a lot—how leaders rise, how teams falter, how culture can crack under pressure or come alive with just the smallest spark.

But there’s something about how culture feels now that’s… different.

A shift.
A wind direction.
Something you don’t always see—but you can feel if you stop and pay attention.

And what I’m feeling is that people want something better.
Not louder. Not faster. Not flashier.
Better.

They want connection.
They want to be proud of where they work.
They want to laugh again.
To trust again.
To play again.

And maybe—just maybe—that means we’re heading somewhere good.

—John