Nonprofit Leadership Podcast · Dr. Rob Harter

What Gen Z Can Bring to Your Social Impact Organization

·45 min·2 clips

Tim Elmore says Gen Z is "the sandpaper on my leadership" that leaders did not know they needed.

Rob Harder opens by asking what it takes to be an effective nonprofit leader today. He ties that question to changing challenges, shifting obstacles, and the pressure to fundraise in an economy that is constantly changing. He says the show exists to help listeners hear not only what effective nonprofit leadership looks like, but also from leaders who are successfully making a positive impact in their communities. From there, he introduces a conversation about Gen Z that stays focused on practical ideas and solutions rather than background for its own sake. Tim Elmore joins as the founder of Growing Leaders. Harder describes the discussion as data-driven and useful for anyone trying to attract and keep Gen Zers. Elmore says leaders have to rethink how long Gen Z staff may stay. He says accepting that mobility is normal helps shift the attitude around turnover. He then introduces reverse mentoring. In that model, an older and a younger colleague meet as equals and begin by swapping stories. Elmore says that shared storytelling often reveals common ground. After that, established leaders can step out of the mentor role and invite a younger colleague to teach them in return. He points to practical areas where younger staff may have useful insight, including how to use new apps or think about AI. He argues that this gives both people dignity because each one is both giving and receiving. He says that kind of exchange can help a Gen Zer want to stick around. He also tells the story of Colin Webb as one of the early stories in his book. Webb is a smart student who graduates from high school, goes to MIT, and later takes a job at General Motors. Elmore uses that story to show how talented young people bring mobility and specific skills into established organizations. The conversation keeps its focus on practical leadership adaptation rather than theory for theory's sake. It leaves nonprofit leaders with a simple challenge: learn from Gen Z instead of only trying to manage them.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how mission-driven teams can attract and keep Gen Z.

The episode keeps its focus on a real problem for nonprofit teams: how to bring in Gen Z without turning the discussion into a slogan. Rob Harder frames it around leadership, fundraising, and hiring in a tougher economy, while Tim Elmore keeps pulling the conversation back to…

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A practical nonprofit leadership conversation about attracting and retaining Gen Z.

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