Article from CIMA Insights

Generation X ‘crowded out of leadership’

Author Tamara Erickson says generation X is in danger of being squeezed out of leadership positions by Baby Boomers and Gen Y. But chief executive of Skill Pill, Gerry Griffin, disagrees, saying younger professionals still have a lot to catch up on. By Camilla Berens, freelance journalist.

CIMA members who fall into the Generation X age bracket are in danger of being overshadowed when it comes to career development, according to American author Tamara Erickson. She said that professionals aged between 30 and 44 have to work harder at promoting their skills if they want to avoid being pushed aside by the generations either side of them.

In her book, ‘What’s next, Gen X?’, Erickson says there are two main reasons why Xers are at a disadvantage when it comes to securing senior positions. Firstly, Generation X is smaller in number and therefore less high profile than the older Baby Boomers and the younger Generation Y. A strong rapport between the other two generations also means that Generation Xers could be left out in the cold when it comes to promotion.

Boomers are staying in work for increasingly longer periods and determined to hold on to their senior positions. ‘The Boomers grew up in a time when the population was expanding. There were lots of young people and very few seats at school and in the workplace,’ Erickson explains.

‘For this reason, they have an ingrained notion that if you don’t fight hard, you won’t progress. In addition to this, Boomers have a natural chemistry with Yers because Generation Y is their children’s generation,’ she adds. ‘So Xers are a small generation that has less influence and that is sandwiched in between a love-fest between the other two generations.’

However, despite these obstacles, Erickson believes that Generation X is ideally suited to lead organisations through the difficult economic years ahead. ‘Generation X grew up during a time of social change,’ Erickson explains. ‘Women were entering the workforce and many Xers were latch-key kids – so they had a sense of having to look after themselves. There were also a lot of lay-offs in the workplace during this period, so the X generation grew up with the idea that you can’t trust institutions.’

Using the UK’s new prime minister, David Cameron, as an example, Erickson outlines some of the common traits of Generation X leaders:

• Early contact with the wider world has left Xers with a tendency to be both focussed and flexible. ‘You can see from Cameron that he’s tough, smart and resolved. Like a lot of Generation X, he has particularly strong survival skills and ability to handle change with resilience,’ she says.
• Generation X’s mistrust of authority is also displayed in Cameron’s political vision. ‘When Cameron talked about the “Big Society” the emphasis was on people looking to their community rather than government for help,’ Erickson adds.
• Pragmatism is another common trait of Xers – a typical member of Generation X is skeptical and tends not to take things at face value. ‘All these characteristics make them very good leaders, particularly in a situation like we have now where we are facing a great deal of change and uncertainty. One of the reasons for writing my book was to persuade the Boomers to see the merits of Generation X,’ Erickson concludes.

Lack of discipline
In response to Erickson’s book, business consultant and author, Gerry Griffin, says the Generation Y has some homework to do before it becomes a serious competitor with Xers. ‘Yers tend to lack the discipline to make sure all the loose ends tied up,’ he says. ‘Xers are good leaders because they tend to be more selfless and focussed on pushing the organisation forward. Yers tend to be more concerned with developing themselves rather than the company.’

Gerry Griffin is chief executive of Skill Pill M-Learning which provides educational information via handheld devices.

Based on his own experience, Griffin does not believe that Generation X will be held back from achieving leadership positions. ‘In some ways you could argue that Generation Y appears to be more dynamic because it’s better at grabbing the headlines. Often what they are doing appears funkier but it doesn’t mean they are necessarily more effective.’

Griffin uses the recent UK election as an example. ‘During the election everyone was focussing on the Twitter conversations but actually, old fashioned direct mail was the most effective medium in getting people to think about who they were going to vote for,’ he explains. ‘Generation Y is good at getting the headlines but it’s the duller stuff that has the longevity and Generation X is busy being effective behind the scenes. The bottom line is that people should be promoted on merit regardless of their age.’

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