Jonah sent a message to Herbert Hainer Chief Executive Officer of Adidas AG email address that said:
Dear Mr. Hainer,
My name is Jonah and I am 16 years old.
I am writing a book about my generation, Gen Z (1995-2012) that is being published by HarperCollins in early 2017.
Everyone is so focused on the Millennials that they don't realize my generation is different and already in our 20s.
As part of this project, a group of my peers have voted on who we feel the top influential leaders are today. You were voted on this list. Our generation LOVES your brand.
We want you to submit one question you are interested in knowing about Gen Zâs workplace attitudes.
We will then conduct a national survey with the Institute for Corporate Productivity and send you the results to your question.
This survey of top leaders will be featured in my book.
We have had great questions (see samples below) from Mark Cuban, Arianna Huffington, Jeff Weiner, Katie Couric, Blake Mycoskie, Tony Hsieh, Coach Pete Carroll (can send more).
We know you are so busy, but it would mean a lot if you could submit one question.
We would need it by April 1st.
Thank you for your consideration.
Jonah
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Arianna: How do you define success?
Her Majesty Queen Noor: To what extent do you think that your ultimate success or failure is inevitably interrelated with the welfare, aspirations, and priorities of other communities around the world?
Katie Couric: What kind of boss are you hoping to have and how committed are you to sticking around a company if your roles continues to grow?
Mark Cuban: How are you different than Millennials?
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan: What are you planning to do to change the world?
Christiane Amanpour, Chief International Correspondent CNN: Are you prepared to start at the bottom of the ladder and painstakingly work your way up?
Marlee Matlin: What do you need from the older generations to be successful at work?
Blake Mycoskie (Founder of Toms Shoes): What would you change about work today?
Jeff Weiner (CEO of LikedIn): 20-30 years from now, looking back on your career, what would you like to say you accomplished?
Paul Polman (CEO of Unilever): What are the values that drive you and how are you going to leverage them personally to create a better world for all?
Ed Norton: If you were envisioning your perfect working balance, what percentage of your working time would you want to be left alone to work on your own and what percentage of time would you want to be working collaboratively with others, in group effort?
Roger Goodell (Commissioner of the NFL): What is the most important quality you will look for in your future boss?
Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos): Whats the one thing you believe to be absolutely true, that all the prior generations donât?
Jimmy John Liautaud (Founder and CEO, Jimmy Johns): Are you willing to work longer hours and harder than your fellow Gen Z rockstars to reach your goals?
Martin Luther King lll: Do you think there is a difference between management and leadership?
