The youth of today... (they're awesome!)

Lazy. Soft. Entitled. Glued to their phones.

Not like us. Not like back then.

You’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it. Usually mumbled with a pint in hand and a slight shake of the head – by someone who hasn’t actually spent time leading or working alongside a young person in years.

As a soldier, I heard it constantly:

“They’re not tough enough these days.”

“They wouldn’t last five minutes on a proper op.”

“You can’t tell them what to do.”

No-cap boomer delulu.

Some of the best soldiers I worked with were barely out of school – resourceful, sharp, physically tough, and utterly committed to each other. Sure, they didn’t tolerate nonsense or poor leadership – but who should?

They brought initiative, curiosity, and adaptability too – the kind of mindset you need in modern warfare, where you’re facing rapidly evolving technology, digital complexity, and asymmetric threats.

You don’t win that kind of fight by waiting to be told what to do. You win it with disciplined independence – and that’s something I saw in spades in 'the youth' (and much less so in the old-school).

And now, in sailing, I'm seeing it again – from the waterline up.

This week’s been about upskilling, side by side with young and old. At the start of the week, experience ruled. A few of us old hands had our boats dialled in, and we looked good. Sure, we learned a little – wave tactics for me, from a GB Team Instructor some 30 years younger.

Fast forward to Regatta Day… lessons learned, muscles aching, and the wind a notch or two higher than before.

The fleet launched... And I got schooled into next week by a couple of those damned 'youth'.

They’d watched, listened, learned... and by the time the tougher conditions hit – 20 knots plus across the course – they were loving it. Fit, brave, confident, on top of their game. While I was in damage control mode (thankfully the tiller extension gave out before I did), they were – low-key – bussin’.

Retiring, soaked but smiling, I watched them carve from wave to wave, wringing every ounce from their new found knowledge and skills, experience building every race.

It was a reaffirming moment.

The raw material is there in every generation. What changes is how we shape it. Nature, nurture – always a bit of both. But in the field, on the water, or in the workplace, it’s our responsibility to lead well, share what we know, and be prepared – humbly – to learn in return.

Because the youth of today? They’re more robust than you might think – in every way as far as I can tell.

And if we get this right, they’ll be better than we ever were.

P.S. If my kids are reading this – it’s Gen X, not Boomer, you little buggers…