As organizations race to adapt to the evolving workplace, one thing is clear: the old models of leadership no longer serve the expectations of today’s emerging workforce. Millennials (Generation Y) and Gen Z represent a fundamental shift in how leadership is defined.

In Championing Organization Wellness, Dr. Simmons offers a transformative framework for today’s leaders to refine their methodology. He sheds outdated hierarchies and adopts a coaching model that resonates with what these generations truly value:

• Authenticity
• Feedback
• Connection

Coaching Conversations as Co-Equals

One of the most powerful insights in the book is the concept of “coaching conversations of co-equals.” For Millennials, this approach is expected. They grew up in a culture that promotes continuous improvement and psychological safety. Offering feedback to a manager is viewed as collaboration. Leaders who embrace this dynamic build trust and high-performing teams.

Dr. Simmons encourages leaders to drop the top-down feedback model in favor of reciprocal conversations that foster mutual growth. Gen Y thrives when managers model a growth mindset, receiving feedback as gracefully as they give it. This shift can be uncomfortable for traditional leaders, but it’s essential for remaining credible in the eyes of younger employees.

Beyond Skills: Soft Skills as Strategic Assets

Both Gen Y and Z place a high value on emotional intelligence. They are not interested in “remedial” communication training. They seek transformative outcomes: development programs that teach empathy, trust-building, and authentic leadership. According to Dr. Simmons, communication is the starting point for organizational wellness. The ability to clearly express ideas, actively listen, and skillfully navigate conflict builds lasting credibility.

Rather than waiting for breakdowns in trust to offer these tools, Simmons urges organizations to proactively incorporate them into professional development.

Gen Z: Rethinking the Leadership Ladder

The COVID-era workforce, Gen Z, brings a fresh perspective that challenges traditional career trajectories. According to Deloitte, only 6% of Gen Z aspires to executive leadership under the traditional career ladder. The reasons are clear: burnout, bureaucracy, and fear of losing authenticity. As Robert Coleman of Dale Carnegie notes, we must redefine leadership to meet this generation where they are.

Gen Z wants purpose-driven work, continuous feedback, and room for personal growth, not just promotions. For them, leadership is a mindset. They’re more interested in being empowered to lead projects and ideas than climbing a rigid corporate ladder.

Feedback as a Way of Life

One recurring theme across both generations is their need for ongoing, informal feedback. Annual reviews feel disingenuous to them if something is important enough to be addressed, it should not wait 12 months. Leaders who delay feedback risk eroding trust and credibility. To increase feedback opportunities, in Chapter 8 of Championing Organization Wellness, Dr. Simmons introduces an Intermediate Performance Review to facilitate learning needs and inform timely performance adjustments.

In Championing Organization Wellness, Dr. Simmons explores how real-time coaching builds stronger teams and smoother transitions into leadership. When feedback is normalized as part of daily communication, it becomes a tool for empowerment rather than correction.

Final Thought

For today’s leaders, coaching Millennials and Gen Z requires transformation. Dr. Simmons delivers a roadmap to shift from command-and-control leadership to collaborative coaching that’s transparent, connected, and human-centered.

This is also good for business. Organizations that embrace this model can retain top talent, and unleash it.