My first corporate leadership role was quite the challenge; a division that was in 32nd place out of 32 and it required me to lead a group of individuals that were in their 40's, 50'sand 60's. What made this more challenging is I was only 28 years old. I learned very quickly that their values were different than mine and it was going to be important for me to have an understanding of what was important to themselves and their families.

I have told the story to some of you about purchasing my first home. I had found the perfect little 3 bedroom home in Kansas City, Kansas for my young family and I was set on buying it, however there was no way I could qualify for a loan at the time. I asked my realtor to take me in the home anyway and I took pictures of every room. I hung the pictures in my office for weeks as a reminder of what I was working towards. Buying this home was the thing that drove me and after a short time, with a lot of hard work I was able to purchase my first home.

Today there are 4 generations in the work place and keeping everyone "pumped up" brings about new challenges. The new generation, or Millennials consist of techno savvy youth that move at a lighting speed. They learn faster, have a great deal of creativity and get bored fast. The 4 generations are sometimes referred to as the following:

• The Silent Generation (61-78)
• The Boomers (43-60)
• The X-ers (22-42)
• The Millennials (13-21)

Every generation has a lot to offer, but it is important to understand their values and how to get the most out of them. Recognition of the diverse knowledge base and what might motivate your team to support your concepts are the first steps to cultivating growth. For example, an incentive program that may result in winning an i-pod may not be appropriate for the Silent Generation. In contrast the Silent Generation would most likely enjoy a fine dinning experience as a reward.

Each generation comes with a different set of beliefs and ideals. Making a true connection requires the ability to understand their music and the value of it. Consider the following questions:

What are their core values, because they probably differ from yours? What leadership and communication style works best? What are the best incentives for each generation to inspire performance?

The people within an organization are what make or break a business; therefore knowing how they think and what they believe will give you the edge you need to be successful. This lesson was essential to the division rising from the bottom of 32 teams, to the number 1 division in the country for 3 years.