[You thought I was going to swear. You know this recovering Sailor is trying to quit!]
Let’s finish that sentence differently.
Is Gen Z’s attention problem real — or are they simply full of excuses?
Is ADHD over-diagnosed?
Are younger employees less resilient?
We have all seen those workers - the ones checking their phones, losing interest in repetitive work, questioning instructions, and resisting long meetings.
The diagnosis seems obvious -
They're distracted.
Undisciplined.
Unwilling to focus.
But what if we are confusing attention with temperament?
David Keirsey describes four distinct temperaments, each with unique motivations and approaches to solving problems.
- A Guardian disengages when expectations are unclear.
- An Artisan struggles without movement or variety.
- An Idealist checks out mentally when the work lacks purpose.
- A Rational pushes back against processes that seem inefficient.
None of these is a diagnosis.
Temperament shapes what captures our attention, what drains it, and what allows someone to perform at their best.
Neurodivergence adds another layer influencing attention, sensory processing, communication, learning, and emotional regulation.
Now place all that inside a generation raised by algorithms designed to interrupt them.
Suddenly, the answer becomes less comfortable.
Sometimes Gen Z is making excuses.
Sometimes a neurodivergent employee genuinely needs a different pathway to succeed.
And sometimes leaders mistake different thinking for poor performance because they've never learned how people are wired.
The challenge isn't deciding who's right. It's recognizing that one leadership style cannot unlock every employee's potential.
We can't understand four temperaments, countless neurological differences, and an entirely new generation with one outdated operating manual.
Becoming an Architect means cultivating environments where different minds and temperaments accomplish the same mission.
Perhaps the better question isn't whether Gen Z's ADD is real.
It's whether you're ready to cultivate a workforce that thinks differently than the generations before it.
Join me for my upcoming live webinar.
You may disagree with me.
Good.
Curiosity begins where certainty ends.
Live Webinar: Distracted, Different, or Done With Us?
Is Gen Z struggling to focus — or refusing to invest attention in systems that no longer make sense? We’ll examine generational conditioning, neurodivergence, and the four temperaments to help leaders distinguish inability, misalignment, and disengagement.
This will be a recorded webinar. If you are unable to attend live, please register so you can still access it and learn more.
Join us at APCO as we present:
Are you able to answer the single most powerful brand question of our time: Why? Why were you forged for this moment?
Many of the strengths that make us effective public safety leaders were built in moments that required us to survive, adapt, and protect others. But the same patterns that helped us succeed can quietly become the habits that limit our impact.
Join us tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. in room 217 A-B and give yourself one hour to completely reset the way you see the journey that brought you here.
If AI feels overwhelming, this sponsor, Superhuman, was designed to meet you where you are and discover all the possibilities you can create, allowing your best work to be discovered. They reached out to us because they support our public safety community. Take 30 seconds to check them out!
www.pathfinderresilience.com
