I can count myself among those people who believe that age/generation influences, contributes and has a decisive impact on the way a leader communicates. Obviously, a good leader will learn to transcend these influences, but they are still part of who he is and how he relates/communicates with his team. During a conversation with my uncle who made his fortune in coaching and consulting with companies, he used the sender-receiver model discussed in the Module 6 reading (Lussier & Achua, 2010, para. 4) to illustrate how communication can be influenced by gender, age and values. His example was that he is an older male, recently retired, Vietnam veteran communicating with a younger female, entrepreneur and feedback is needed to ensure what was said had the same intention/interpretation when received. (W. Rose, personal communication, April 12, 2011) An experience during my time as a customer service manager provides another example of how age/generation can impact a leader. My department was under a lot of stress, 24/7 support, and fully staffed with a younger generation. I recognized their energy, enthusiasm and desire to play when they weren't on the phone solving a merchant's problems. Needless to say, our department was loud, full of laughter and toys but it was also one of the most cohesive groups in the company. Most of the other department heads were of a much older generation and placed a high value on silence and solemnity. When our company moved to a larger building, my department was given an area completely isolated from the other quieter departments and we continued to enjoy our youthful (but very productive) ways while the others remained undisturbed. One of the most interesting related articles...... middle of paper ......get there and continue to develop a cohesive and productive team. Generational communications are just one of the challenges leaders will encounter during their team building.Works CitedDuke University, (n.d.). Intergenerational communication [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.duke.edu/web/equity/div_genera~ppt%20III.pptLeibovich, M. (2008). McCain the analog candidate. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/weekinreview/03leibovich.htmlLussier, R., & Achua, C. (2010) Leadership: Theory, Application, and Skill Development (4th ed.) Mason , OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.Phelps, D. & Yee, C., (April 1, 2011). Do you want a job? “Text generation” communication skills are not so gr8 [web blog]. Retrieved from http://blog.nwjobs.com/careercenter/u_want_a_job_communication_skills_of_ generation _text_arent_so_gr8_.html