--- title: Business Acumen Leadership across Generations description: As a business leader how are you managing different perceptions of business acumen and systems of business across generations? image: https://www.advantexe.com/hubfs/Blogs/business-acumen-generations.png --- [![logo-advantexe-150.png](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-advantexe-150.png?width=150&height=123&name=logo-advantexe-150.png "logo-advantexe-150.png")](https://www.advantexe.com) ![blog-banner-2022](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-banner-2022.png?width=973&name=blog-banner-2022.png "blog-banner-2022") ### The Advantexe Advisor Blog - providing a deep and applicable understanding of the system of business. # Business Acumen Leadership across Generations By Robert Brodo | Apr 19, 2016 8:23:10 AM | [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Business%20Acumen%20Leadership%20across%20Generations) [![Share on Pinterest](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/pinterest-24x24.png)](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dpinterest&media=) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.advantexe.com%2Fblog%2Fbusiness-acumen-leadership-across-generations%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) In today’s complex business world, business leaders are faced with many challenges and are provided![business-acumen-generations.png](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/business-acumen-generations.png?width=200&height=200&name=business-acumen-generations.png "business-acumen-generations.png") with even more opportunities for success.  I recently conducted a [business acumen](https://www.advantexe.com/business-acumen) session with a group of leaders who were discussing the challenge of creating alignment and leading across generations.  The conversation specifically included the challenges faced by leaders who are trying to balance the execution of strategy and how to effectively communicate and work with both different functions and levels of experience. The session got me thinking about this interesting situation and I came up with the following graphic that illustrates the current business landscape:  ![BA-by-generation.png](https://www.advantexe.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blogs/BA-by-generation.png?width=724&height=482&name=BA-by-generation.png "BA-by-generation.png") Along the left side are six elements of business acumen and across the top are my perceptions of how different levels of experience deal with the different elements.  Take for example the concept of Understanding the company’s strategy and the way different levels of experience absorb the information. Boomers go to the meeting live, GenXers will read the email, and Millennials will read the highlights in a Tweet. The chart makes for interesting (and amusing) reading, but more importantly there are specific impacts that a leader of different levels of experience should think about.  Clearly, the hardest challenge is having [a leadership skill](https://www.advantexe.com/fundamentals-of-business-leadership-simulation-v20)set of leading all of these different approaches at the same time.  Here are a few idea on how to do this: **Know Business Acumen** The most important thing to do to solve this challenge is to know and fully understand business acumen.  That means having a strong a deep understanding of the system of business and how a business really makes money. Once you have a strong foundation of business acumen, you must then apply it to the needs and drivers of the people you are leading. **Boomers** Boomers tend to be “old school” and have more traditional needs and desires.  They want to take “ownership” and “accountability.” They tend to think more hieratically about systems and the way that work gets done. **Generation Xers** Generation Xers think of themselves as more “evolved” and systemic. Being influenced and influencing the system of business is much more important to this group.  They tend to think about things such as “Horizontal Leadership” and making things happen across the organization by thinking outside of the box and being a good team player. **Millennials** Millennials want to be connected and drive results through the optimization of the connections.  The system of business is driven by engagement. Achievement of results is an output of a great and systemic network.  Work is more mobile and fluid and therefore leading Millennials must also be more mobile and fluid. [![Why Business Acumen Matters ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1153922/ef562d5a-acb6-45df-86ae-098c09e7fcc0.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1153922/ef562d5a-acb6-45df-86ae-098c09e7fcc0) ![Robert Brodo](https://www.advantexe.com/hubfs/Blogs/rob-brodo-author.png) **About The Author** Robert Brodo is co-founder of Advantexe. He has more than 20 years of training and business simulation experience. 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