it's a mess
Hiii,
We’ve made it to the halfway mark for the week! 🎉
Even just surviving is an accomplishment some weeks, so if that’s you, then hang in there!
I’m still in Florida, being a conference girly and running my social battery all the way down, but it’s still a good time so far, so a win is a win.
This week, we're getting into why the talent pipeline is broken in a very specific and very preventable way, why a new generation is finally calling out the leadership playbook that never worked for most of us anyway, and why the grads landing in your onboarding sessions right now are carrying more frustration than their welcome emails are prepared for.
It's a lot, but that's why you're here, and that's why I'm here. 💪
Let the discussion begin!
🗞️ Here’s the Tea:Copy anchor linkCopied
🔍 Employers say they struggle to find workers with the right AI skillset
The TL;DR: 53% of employers can't find graduates with solid AI skills, but 78% of universities think they're totally nailing it. Only 14% of grads actually feel proficient using AI in a professional setting, so the gap between "we teach AI" and "they can use AI at work" is massive, to say the least.
My POV: Yeah, so clearly no one knows how to measure AI skills and we're not speaking the same language??? We're getting candidates now who potentially have been using AI but in DIFFERENT ways than we need them to use it at work.
Meanwhile, the pressure is coming from both directions: leadership wants an AI-ready workforce yesterday, and the schools are saying HERE we're giving you a pipeline!!
Moral of the story: We're struggling.
My pro-tip is to figure out how to measure AI proficiency at YOUR organization. What does it look like in potential candidates? How are your measuring growth internally? Those type of questions will help you better assess your candidates and future employees.
🎙️ Mic Drop Moment:Copy anchor linkCopied
“The way that we did things yesterday does not have to be the way we do them tomorrow.”Copy anchor linkCopied
On the mic this week: Amanda Litman is the co-founder of Run for Something and the author of When We’re In Charge, where she explores how the next generation is reshaping leadership. She’s spent years studying how millennials and Gen Z build power, challenge institutions, and lead differently, without sugarcoating any of it!
Pin this:
- Younger generations are rejecting the idea that work should be your entire identity, and they’re building boundaries around it.
- Trust is shifting from institutions to individuals, which changes how leaders show up and build credibility.
- Flexibility is no longer just a competitive perk. Now, it’s a requirement if companies want people to stay.
- Clear expectations and honest communication matter more than performative culture efforts.
My H*ly Sh*t Moment: We’ve spent DECADES building workplaces around systems that were never designed for most of us, and now we’re shocked that people are finally refusing to play along. It’s about time, TBH!
▶️ Press Play
📊 Data Is My Love Language:Copy anchor linkCopied
Stat: 1 in 5 recent grads say they’re overqualified for their roles
My spiral: The entry-level job market is sooo competitive right now that grads are deliberately applying below their level just to get in the door! 😬
You're inheriting a workforce that arrived already managing down their expectations, and already one bad manager away from quiet quitting.
If your onboarding and growth conversations aren't accounting for that tension on day one, retention is going to be a problem before the 90-day mark.
🗣️ UNMUTE YOURSELF
Naturally, we talk a lot about developing our people and creating cultures where growth is expected, but I feel like we rarely turn that lens on ourselves with the same rigor we'd apply to a struggling direct report.
So, with that in mind:
“What part of your leadership style is evolving, and what's resisting the change?”
🛠️ TRY THIS TOMORROW:
Unfortunately, some HR people are great at creating feedback channels, but terrible at making people feel safe enough to actually use them. 🫣
The most honest intel you'll ever get is in a convo where someone finally believes you won't make it weird! Try asking a direct report:
"What's one thing you wish you could say to leadership, anonymously?"
👂 OVERHEARD IN SAFE SPACE
The "I've been here 20 years" crowd is somehow always the least coachable and the most protected… 🙃
Read what members had to say here.
See ya on Friday!
