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Leading a Multigenerational Workforce:
The Gentelligence® Book
The Revolutionary Approach to Turning Age Diversity Into Your Strategic Advantage
In today’s workplace, five generations are working side-by-side for the first time in history. While many view this dynamic as a recipe for tension, Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce reframes age diversity into an innovation superpower.
Authored by pioneering generational expert Megan W. Gerhardt, PhD, alongside co-authors Josephine Nachemson-Ekwall and Brandon Fogel, this definitive book moves leaders beyond lazy generational clichés and equips them with evidence-based strategies for leading a multigenerational workforce.
Praise from Industry & Critics
“Every war has casualties. In the case of generational conflict, the loss is one of talent potential. Informative and instructive, the strategies here will be invaluable to business leaders.”
Publishers Weekly
“Vital for any organization with multigenerational staffs, and for marketers, public relations professionals, HRD managers, or executives.”
Library Journal (Starred Review)
Named a
Harvard Business Review Big Idea and selected for HBR’s 10 Must Reads for 2024.
Why Leading a Multigenerational Workforce Requires Gentelligence®
Traditional workplace training often relies on rigid generational generalizations (e.g., claiming Millennials only seek praise or Boomers resist technology). Gentelligence® rejects stereotypes, demonstrating that generational friction stems from unexamined assumptions and misaligned communication rather than real value gaps.
The book introduces an operational framework to help organizations transition from managing generational conflict to leveraging generational intelligence:
Key Multi Generational Workforce Benefits Explored in the Book
- Accelerated Innovation: Discover how blending early-career digital fluency (Gen Z) with the institutional wisdom of seasoned leaders (Boomers and Gen X) fuels creative problem-solving.
- Higher Employee Retention: Learn how psychological safety and mutual respect across age cohorts significantly lower turnover across all career stages.
- Smarter Knowledge Transfer: Implement bi-directional (two-way) mentoring to ensure mission-critical skills and fresh market perspectives flow seamlessly across age groups.
- Stronger Organizational Agility: Build teams that adapt faster to market shifts by utilizing diverse cognitive styles and technological fluencies.
The 4 Core Gentelligence® Practices
The book provides a step-by-step roadmap built upon four actionable practices designed to transform team collaboration:
- Resist Assumptions: Replace unexamined generational biases and stereotypes with intentional curiosity and open inquiry.
- Adjust the Lens: Look at workplace challenges through the lived generational experiences of your colleagues to uncover common ground.
- Strengthen Trust: Foster a culture of psychological safety where employees of all ages feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute.
- Expand the Pie: Stop treating generational influence as a zero-sum game; proactively collaborate so every generation achieves a win-win outcome.
How to Manage Gen Z Employees & Emerging Leaders
A central focus of the book addresses one of modern leadership's most urgent challenges: learning how to manage Gen Z employees alongside older generations.
The book provides concrete frameworks for:
- Shifting from Directives to Context: Helping Gen Z employees thrive by explaining the “why” behind business decisions and connecting daily tasks to overarching goals.
- Navigating the Unwritten Norms of Work: Bridging expectations around feedback, workplace communication, and career progression.
- Cross-Generational Synergy: Pairing emerging professionals with veteran mentors for mutual growth.
Bring Gentelligence® to your Team
Download the Free Gentelligence® Book Club Guide
Designed for HR leaders, internal book clubs, and executive teams, this companion guide provides chapter-by-chapter discussion prompts, team activities, and case studies to spark meaningful workplace dialogues.
Download the Guide
Pick a Format
- Includes direction for 1 meeting or 4 meeting formats!
Featured In
Keynotes & Corporate Workshops with Megan W. Gerhardt, PhD
Take the book’s principles off the page and into your organization. Book Dr. Megan Gerhardt for keynotes, executive summits, or tailored training workshops.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the book Gentelligence about?
Gentelligence: The Revolutionary Approach to Leading an Intergenerational Workforce is an evidence-based management book by Megan W. Gerhardt, PhD, Josephine Nachemson-Ekwall, and Brandon Fogel. It provides business leaders with practical frameworks to end generational friction and turn age diversity into a strategic competitive advantage.
Who is generational expert Megan W. Gerhardt?
Megan W. Gerhardt, PhD, is the founder of Gentelligence®, a Professor of Management and Leadership at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business, and an internationally recognized keynote speaker. Her research was named a Harvard Business Review Big Idea and selected for HBR’s 10 Must Reads for 2024.
How does the Gentelligence book help managers lead a multigenerational workforce?
The book outlines four core management practices—Resist Assumptions, Adjust the Lens, Strengthen Trust, and Expand the Pie—that equip managers to bridge communication gaps, manage Gen Z employees, retain veteran talent, and foster mutual cross-generational learning.
