You won’t hear them shouting about it on social media.
They’re not often doing podcasts about generational leadership.
They’re just here. Showing up every day. Managing meetings of team members. Delivering the project. Solving the problem.
And sometimes, they feel invisible while they do it.
Gen X makes up more than 30% of the workforce and more than half of today’s leadership roles. Yet somehow, members of the generation feel they're still treated like the “in-between generation.” Not quite legacy, not quite emerging.
They’ve watched workplace culture shift from email to Slack, from suits to hoodies, from “put your head down” to “bring your whole self.” Through it all, they’ve stayed grounded, often absorbing the tension, smoothing the transitions, and keeping the wheels turning.
But just because Gen X doesn’t demand attention doesn’t mean they don’t want to be understood.
In fact, as a generation that prides itself on independence and reliability, the idea of being misread can quietly erode morale. When you're the one holding it all together, it can feel risky to say:
“Actually, I need a little more clarity.”
“Actually, I’m burned out.”
“Actually, I’d like to feel heard.”
That’s where Birkman becomes more than a team tool, it becomes a mirror. Not for performance reviews or personality scores, but for the subtler dynamics that so often go unspoken:
What do I need to lead well?
What do I assume about how others work?
What do I keep to myself because I think it’s “not the time”?
Birkman helps surface these questions in a way that feels productive, not performative. It gives Gen X leaders a framework to articulate what they’ve always intuited, but they’ve never had language for.
If you want a place to start today, try this:
Before your next 1:1 or team meeting, write down the assumption you’re making about how someone is receiving your communication. Then ask them what they prefer.
“I’m assuming you’re good with the direction I gave. Am I right?”
“I sense you’re quiet because you agree. Is that true?”
“Is there anything you need from me that I’m missing?”
These small check-ins shift the burden from interpreting silence to creating clarity without putting anyone on the spot. That is the kind of perceptual gap Birkman helps you see more clearly and more often.
Because here is the thing about Gen X: they have been reading the room for decades. They are perceptive. They know how to adapt.
But adaptation is different from alignment. When your team’s needs, styles, and motivations are uncoordinated, no amount of experience can fill the gap. Insight can.
So, if you are part of Gen X and quietly wondering, “Is anyone else feeling this?” The answer is yes.
And there is a way to name it without overexplaining, oversharing, or overshooting your comfort zone. That is what Birkman is here for.