The Manager Meltdown

Recap: Gallup says only 27% of managers are engaged. Half want out. Female and millennial managers are the most burned out.

Typical scene (probably in a reel or Tik-Tok): You’re a junior employee, your boss seems miserable, their Slack status is always “In a meeting,” and every 1:1 feels like a hostage negotiation.

Most managers today are millennials managing Gen Z, and to put in their terms, Gen Z is not feeling the vibes.

They don’t want your guidance. They don’t care about your title. And if they can get better feedback from ChatGPT in three seconds, why would they wait for your calendar to open next week?

That’s the shift. Millennial managers were sold a dream. “You’ll lead teams. You’ll grow people.” Now they’re often blockers. And middle managers are getting hit first, especially in high-IQ jobs, because everyone expects them to do more, build more, and mentor a generation that doesn’t even want mentoring. And when they silently quit, everyone acts shocked.

Advice:

If you’re a founder, go on offense. Middle managers can be your culture glue. Treat them like it. Make them lead the charge on everyone being AI-augmented. Give them actual authority. Coach them. Or lose them.

And if you're hiring globally, this is where LatAam wins. Managers here are still engaged. They still want to lead. They care. Their job is seen as a privilege, not a right.

I built Lupa around that truth, and every single one of our clients has said it: "My LatAm team works harder than my US team." Because they do.

Somehow clients are shocked when their US team that eats Oreos and anti-depressants for breakfast gets outworked by a bunch of latinos south of the border.

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