The Real Reason Young People Don't Have 'The Hunger' for Work (And What Leaders Need to Hear) with Generations Expert Dr. Eliza Filby
A Bit of Optimism
Mastery Still Needs Human Relationships
Simon Sinek and Eliza Filby discuss how AI may cut grunt work but also disrupt learning, making trust, judgment, and human skill development more important.
Admit it, you've complained about at least one other generation. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z—somehow, they all end up with reputations built around what's wrong with them.
Dr. Eliza Filby has a different suggestion: stop asking what's wrong with them. And start questioning what world they were handed.
Eliza is a contemporary historian, generations expert, and the author of Sunday Times bestseller: Inheritocracy. And with more generations in the workplace than at any point in history, she is precisely the person we need to show us a new way to win… together.
In this conversation, Eliza makes connections about how generational change is reshaping work, wealth, and modern life that I’d never thought to connect. She might just change how you see the world (and people) around you.
In this episode you'll learn:
➡️ Why calling Gen Z "entitled" is the wrong diagnosis (and what's really driving the behavior leaders complain about most)
➡️ How retirement planning and eldercare became the new midlife crisis
➡️ How the economy changed after 2008 + quietly rewrote the rulebook for every generation that followed
➡️ Why belonging is becoming increasingly rare (even though we need it)
➡️ Why Millennials + Gen Z are more likely become homeowners by being loyal to their parents than by being loyal to their jobs
➡️ 3 things no AI will replace in the workplace…
➡️ What’s driving hyper-individualism + how do we fix it
We all may have strong opinions about one another, but it’s time to focus on building greater understanding. This conversation is a good place to start.
This… is A Bit of Optimism.
+ + +
To buy a copy of Dr. Eliza Filby’s bestselling book Inheritocracy: It’s Time to Talk About the Bank of Mum and Dad, head to: https://www.elizafilby.com/books
Want to hear more from Eliza? Check out her It’s All Relative Newsletter: https://www.elizafilby.com/newsletter
+ + +
Chapters
- 00:00:00 Rethinking the Generational Divide at Work
- 00:01:35 How Dr. Filby Became a Generations Expert
- 00:04:33 Defining Generations: Why They're Getting Shorter
- 00:08:42 The Fragmentation of Shared Experience
- 00:14:29 Conspiracy Culture Infiltrates the Workplace
- 00:16:16 The End of Job Security and the Rise of the Solopreneur
- 00:18:02 What Leaders Must Offer in the Age of Uncertainty
- 00:20:31 The Bank of Mom and Dad: Living in an Inheritocracy
- 00:28:23 Why Young People Don't Have 'The Hunger' for Work
- 00:31:35 The Changing Life Cycle: Delayed Adulthood and Pressured Midlife
- 00:41:45 Rising Individualism and the Loss of 'We' at Work
- 00:47:02 Gen AI: The Next Generation in the Workplace
- 00:50:44 The Solution: Let Humans Do What Can't Be Counted
- 01:00:42 Disrupting the Path to Mastery and Nurturing Human Skills
- 01:03:02 How the Generations Can Come Together
+ + +
Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.
Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do.
Simon is the author of multiple best-selling books including Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, Together is Better, and The Infinite Game.
+ + +
Website: http://simonsinek.com/
Live Online Classes: https://simonsinek.com/classes/
Podcast: http://apple.co/simonsinek
Instagram: https://instagram.com/simonsinek/
Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/simonsinek/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonsinek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simonsinek
The AI-powered Podcast Player
