45 CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP AND FINDING MEANING AND PURPOSE busyness and pressure of the work dance floor and move to a “balcony” view with a broader lens of observation rather than just participation in the daily grind.68 The leader can then return to the daily dance floor after periods of contemplation and a strategic perspective. A Christian leader may also supplement these “balcony moments” with prayer, reflection, Bible study, and seeking God’s agenda and the leader’s higher call and purpose within their leadership context.69 In 2023, individuals aged 45 and older held 54% of all management occupations in the United States workforce; this indicated a transfer of more than half of management positions to younger generations in the next one to two decades.70 This transition of leadership responsibilities requires a proactive, intentional knowledge transfer approach. By 2030, 74% of the workforce will be comprised of Millennial and Generation Z workers.71 Deloitte’s 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey connected with more than 22,800 respondents in 44 countries to explore their attitudes about work and the world around them. According to this report the majority of Gen Zs (86%) and millennials (89%) say having a sense of purpose is important to their overall job satisfaction and well-being.72 The employees are increasingly willing to reject organizations or assignments that don’t align with their values. When employers take that feedback and respond positively, employee loyalty tends to be higher. According to Lindsay Hastings, Hannah Sunderman, and Nick Knopik, leadership development experiences “that develop generativity will become increasingly imperative in preparing a young workforce to shoulder the burden of a substantial leadership transfer in the wake of Baby Boomer retirements.”73 Preparing the next generation of leaders to carry this burden of leadership responsibility transfer will require leadership development experiences that promote generativity. Unfortunately, fewer than “16% of youth have exposure to a meaningful leadership development program by age 25.”74 Educational and marketplace leadership practitioners are well positioned to influence strategic direction of leadership development programs to encourage the inclusion and establishment of the concept of generativity. A leadership development program could establish specific generative outcomes that involve “mentoring, coaching, and/or advising.”75
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