5-Gen Leadership: Leading 5 Generations in Schools in the 2020s

An unprecedented leadership challenge for school administrators

Today’s leaders face the challenge of leading five generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and brand-new Generation Z teachers, along with Gen Alpha, today’s youngest students. Based on research and the author’s experience working with thousands of educators and students, 5-Gen Leadership addresses expectations implicit with leading each generation. Readers will find:

• Tactics for transitioning to 5-Gen Leadership and understanding distinct generations in teaching staff
• Tips for moving leadership styles from a managing to a coaching model
• Advice for creating a welcoming environment for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
• Suggestions for closing the digital gaps that emerged during COVID-19
• A glimpse into the future to imagine how new leaders will reshape schools by 2030

An unprecedented leadership challenge for school administrators

Today’s school leaders face the unprecedented challenge of leading five generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and brand-new Generation Z teachers, along with Gen Alpha, today’s youngest students. Based on extensive research and the author’s experience working with thousands of educators and students, 5-Gen Leadership addresses the nuances and expectations implicit with leading each generation. With an emphasis on developing a multi-generational lens through which to view school improvement, this book covers topics such as recruiting and retaining today’s young teachers, tailoring professional development for each generation, and helping each generation succeed in a complex, accelerating world. Readers will also find:

• Tactics for transitioning to 5-Gen Leadership and understanding the four distinct generations in the teaching staff
• Moving leadership styles from a managing model to a coaching model
• Advice for understanding and creating a welcoming environment for Gen Z and Gen Alpha
• Suggestions for closing the digital generation gaps that emerged during the COVID-19 school closures
• A glimpse into the future to imagine how new generations of leaders will help reshape schools by 2030

If we’re going to make the most of reforming our schools in the 2020s and keep up with the exponential rate of change in society we must understand today’s students and the four disparate generations in our staffs. This book is critical to help leaders bridge those gaps.

“How do we prepare today’s students for the rapidly changing workplace and society in which they will live, work, and interact in an education system designed for a century that has passed us by? In 5-Gen Leadership: Leading 5 Generations in Schools in the 2020s, Mark White clearly provides a well-lit path to assist educators to successfully make the necessary cultural, structural and instructional changes that are needed.”

-Bill Daggett, Founder
International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE)