The biggest downside of remote work isn't lost productivity, but the elimination of serendipity. It removes the chance encounters that lead to friendships, mentorship, and cross-pollination of ideas. For those needing to build a network, the convenience of working from home comes at the high cost of isolation and stunted growth.

Due to demographic shifts and a post-pandemic re-evaluation of work, employees now hold more power. This requires a fundamental leadership mindset shift: from managing people and processes to enabling their success. High turnover and disengagement are no longer employee problems but leadership failures. A leader's success now depends entirely on the success of their team, meaning 'you work for them'.

Beyond productivity, the physical office plays a vital societal role. Gensler's survey data shows it's a primary venue where people form relationships with those outside their immediate demographic (race, age, religion). This makes the workplace a critical tool for fostering social cohesion in an increasingly polarized world.

Requiring inside sales reps to be in the office is a talent filtering strategy. Those willing to make the sacrifice of a commute for the benefit of accelerated learning and career development are the driven, exceptional individuals you want to build a winning team with.

Unlike previous generations who respected positional authority, Gen Z grants influence based on connection and trust. They believe the best idea should win, regardless of who it comes from. To lead them effectively, managers must shift from exercising control to building connection, acting as mentors rather than gatekeepers.

Contrary to the remote-first trend, Crisp.ai's founder advises against a fully distributed model for initial product development. He argues for gathering the core team in one physical location to harness the energy and efficiency of in-person collaboration. Distributed teams are better suited for iterating on an already established product.

Instead of mandating a return to office, create an appealing environment people *want* to be part of. Use "carrots" like a beautiful office, high-value summits, and flexible coworking budgets. The soft pressure comes from sharing photos and creating a sense of a vibrant, connected in-person culture (FOMO).

Gen Z employees often possess innate authority in modern domains like AI and social media, yet they may lack basic professional maturity and emotional skills, partly due to the pandemic's impact on their development. This paradox requires leaders to coach them on fundamentals while simultaneously leveraging their unique, future-focused insights. Leaders must listen more and coach more.

Leaders complaining about Gen Z's lack of social skills are missing the point. This generation lost two critical years of in-person social development due to the pandemic. The responsibility falls on leaders to coach these skills, not punish employees for a gap the company didn't create.