What Gen Z can teach us about commanding respect in the workplace

Gen Z founders may not have spent as much time in the workplace when they started their companies as some older founders. But in some ways, that gives them unique insight that can be valuable for leaders. For Katie Diasti and Anam Lakhani, a disconnect from the work they were doing as interns has helped to shape their leadership style. Specifically, those experiences inspired them to ensure that all of their team members feel a sense of both ownership and impact for the work they’re doing. “I remember interning and creating a whole deck and making a whole presentation, but never being allowed to be in the room that the presentation was in,” recalled Diasti, founder and CEO of Viv Period Care, speaking at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. “Now, as we have team members creating something, I want them to see the holistic approach—I want them to see every metric of the business and the goal, because that actually motivates them to feel that ownership and that trust.” Lakhani, meanwhile, was