Bridging the Generational Divide in Healthcare: New Book Makes the Business Case for This Leadership Skillset
Genfluence by Dan Collard and Katherine A Meese, PhD provides a practical framework for leading and leveraging a diverse workforce amid industry transformation.
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, January 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For the first time in history, four different generations are working side by side in healthcare. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z all bring unique strengths, but also clashing values, communication styles, and expectations about professionalism, work/life balance, authority, and more. At first this seems like a daunting challenge—left unchecked, these generational differences can fuel burnout, mistrust, and turnover. But Dan Collard says the truth is far more encouraging.“When leaders learn how to dispel myths and fix generational issues, they can improve communication, foster innovation, create belonging, and ultimately create better patient care,” says Collard, coauthor along with Katherine A. Meese, PhD, of the new book Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce (ACHE Learn, 2026, ISBN: 978-1-6405562-9-4, $30.00). “All of this creates a culture where people want to stay—very good news at a time when our industry is struggling with workforce shortages, retention issues, and burnout.”
Collard says that right now we’re facing a “perfect storm” of factors that make it harder for employees from different generations to understand, trust, and collaborate with one another. He counts off a few of them:
• People are living longer and retiring later, creating a wide span of age groups working together.
• Many older healthcare employees retired during COVID-19, leaving leadership roles to be filled by younger, less-experienced professionals. It’s common for younger leaders to manage older employees—a dynamic that can easily breed tension.
• Technology has transformed how Millennial and Gen Z “digital natives” experience and interact with the world, and with each other.
• Inaccurate stereotypes about other generations—often amplified by social media—exacerbate the communication breakdowns and mismatched expectations, eroding trust and creating friction.
“Healthcare settings uniquely heighten these challenges, thanks to the high-stakes, emotionally charged nature of the work and the interactions between so many different key players—board members, leaders, doctors, nurses, patients, and families,” notes Collard. “The good news is that a little training in this area goes a very long way.”
He says when leaders can learn how best to approach generational differences, and leverage the unique strengths each cohort brings to the table, they can get a “bounce” in various key metrics. Once the results start moving, it becomes easier to attract young people to the profession, retain staff, and motivate everyone to row in the same direction.
That’s where Genfluence comes in. It provides a new leadership paradigm for today’s multigenerational workplace. Collard and Meese explain how and why various age groups think and work differently, then introduce the concept of a “Genfluencer”: a workplace influencer who bridges divides, builds trust, and turns generational diversity into organizational strengths.
Readers will learn the seven cultural building blocks that foster trust, belonging, and accountability across all age groups, as well as an eight-step framework—Control + Alt + Lead—to help leaders reboot how they influence, coach, and inspire multigenerational teams.
“The future of healthcare depends on our ability to understand each other across age, role, and hierarchy,” Collard concludes. “And despite what clickbait headlines would have us believe, we are more alike than we think.
“We all chose this profession because we are called to help others,” he adds. “We accept the intense training, the long days, and the sleepless nights because we know our work makes a difference. If we can handle that responsibility, we can certainly shift our mindsets, break down generational siloes, and maximize the gifts of all age groups as we work side by side.”
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About the Authors:
Dr. Katherine A. Meese has fifteen years of experience in healthcare management, leadership, and research, and is an award-winning scholar and author in organizational behavior, well-being, and leadership. Most importantly, she is on a mission to use science to help healthcare leaders keep their people and keep them well. She is the author of five books including The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust with Quint Studer.
Dan Collard’s more than three decades in the industry include hospital and health system operations, technology start-up transactions, and consulting. He has been described as a “change agent, builder, mentor, and developer of others.” His lens-of-the-operator view continues to guide his leadership practice. Dan is the cofounder of Healthcare Plus Solutions Group® and the coauthor of Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired and Rewiring Leadership in Post-Acute Healthcare.
About the Book:
Genfluence: How to Lead a Multigenerational Workforce (ACHE Learn, 2026, ISBN: 978-1-6405562-9-4, $30.00) is available for order at ACHE and Amazon.
Dottie DeHart
DH&C
dottie@dehartandcompany.com
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