Friday espresso: Labels Are 2D. Your People Are 3D.
Sep 18, 2026 1:58 am
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Labels Are 2D. Your People Are 3D.
We spend a lot of time trying to understand people through labels.
Gen X. Gen Y. Gen Z. High-D. High-I. High S, High C.
Labels can be useful. They give us a starting point. But they can also become shortcuts that stop us from seeing the person behind the behaviour.
A recent panel discussion with Siva, a DISC Master Trainer, and Naddia, an organisational behaviourist, brought me back to a lesson a young man once taught me in one of my training rooms: before we try to understand others, we need to pause and look again.
Check out the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd0fiylNQ_Y
WHY Do We So Easily Reach for Labels?
🏷️ Because labels make people easier to understand. When we are leading different generations, it is tempting to say, “That’s just Gen Z,” or “That’s just how Gen X is.” It gives us a quick explanation. But a quick explanation is not always an accurate one
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🔍 Because behaviour is only what we can see. What sits underneath someone’s behaviour are their experiences, values, motivations and fears. Two people from the same generation can behave completely differently because their stories are completely different.
🪞 Because our own lens shapes what we see. Sometimes what we call a “generational problem” is actually a seeing problem. We are responding not to the person in front of us, but to the story we have already created about them.
WHAT Am I Beginning to See More Clearly?
👤 A person is always more than a profile. DISC, MBTI and other personality tools can help us understand behavioural patterns. But a profile should give us more choices, not become another label we put on someone.
⏸️ The move from 2D to 3D begins with a pause. When friction happens, we often react from our own preferences. The pause gives us a moment to step back and ask: Am I responding to this person, or to the label I’ve given them?
🎯 The bar can stay high while our approach changes. Siva reminded me that we shouldn’t lower the bar simply because someone is from a different generation. I agree. But how we hold that bar matters. We can challenge someone while still taking the time to understand what will help them grow.
HOW Can We Lead Across Generations More Intentionally?
🧠 Pause before you interpret. When someone’s behaviour frustrates you, take a few seconds to zoom out. What else could be happening here? What am I assuming? What might I be missing?
🤝 Get curious about the person behind the behaviour. Instead of asking, “Why are they like this?”, ask, “What has shaped the way they see this?” Curiosity opens a door that assumptions tend to close.
🌱 Change yourself first. The pause isn’t about waiting for someone else to change. It is about looking at our own lens, our own reactions, and our own choices. Sometimes the leadership move is not asking them to adapt first, it is having the courage to adapt ourselves
I think this is what leading across generations really asks of us.
The label can be useful. But it is never the whole person.
Your people are 3D.
So perhaps before we react, we need to pause, zoom out, and see the person behind the label.
Because that pause may be where the real leadership begins.
See the person, not the label. Take the pause. Change yourself first, the rest follows.
This is the work I most want to keep doing - helping people lead change in themselves, in their teams, in their organisations. Conference keynotes. Company townhalls. Leadership offsites. Or a more personal setting, through Leadership Coaching.
Moments where people need to be present, ready, and moving toward what's ahead - not merely along for the ride.
Get in touch to explore how I can support your next event, contact us at
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +60 12-773 1692
That's the espresso, keep the momentum! ☕😌
Stay caffeinated & curious!
Koo Lily
l Founder of mq Training Coaching Consulting l
Leadership Coach l Change Facilitator l Speaker l
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