Gen X Isn’t Being Replaced — We’re Built for This

Earlier this year, I wrote about why Generation X leaders are uniquely positioned to guide distribution through the rise of AI — not despite our experience, but because of it. Since then, that idea hasn’t just held up — it’s gained traction. This follow-up dives deeper: how experience translates into action, what real AI implementation looks like on the ground, and why Gen X still has the mindset distribution needs most right no

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about AI shaking up white-collar jobs — especially for Gen X leaders. Some say automation will quietly push us out of the middle, or that we won’t be able to keep up with the pace of new tech.

I don’t buy it.

And it’s not just because I’m Gen X — it’s because I’ve seen this story before. Every major tech shift — from early ERP systems to e-commerce to the rise of the cloud — came with predictions of disruption. And yet, Gen X leaders made it all work. We figured out how to apply those tools in the real world and turn substantial changes into steady progress.

AI is no different. It’s not here to replace experience — it’s here to amplify it. When you combine the deep industry instincts we’ve built over the years with the speed and scale of today’s tools, you don’t get obsolescence — you get acceleration.

For those of us who came up through the trenches, this isn’t a threat. It’s an opportunity.

From Clipboards to Algorithms

I started out in a Grainger branch on the south side of Chicago — back when warehouses ran on clipboards, carbon paper, and manual bin checks. I’ve watched that same company grow into one of the most tech-forward distributors out there.

That transformation didn’t happen just because of new systems. It happened because people who understood the operations made those systems useful.

In 2019, I helped launch one of the first AI-powered order recommendation engines in our space — a system that studied customer buying patterns and suggested the next logical item to order. It didn’t eliminate jobs. It didn’t make reps obsolete. What it did was give them better data — sharper insights — so they could make smarter recommendations, faster.

It turned guesswork into real conversations. That’s the kind of progress AI should deliver.

Now, when I look at what today’s AI can do — natural language reasoning, real-time analysis, adaptive decision-making — I’m not surprised. We’ve been heading this way for years. The difference is, now it’s real.

Why Doesn’t Feel New — Just Familiar

For Gen X leaders, this AI wave doesn’t feel disruptive. It feels familiar. We’ve already lived through major technological shifts — and led through them.

We were the ones rolling out ERPs when everyone said it couldn’t be done. We were putting catalogs online when most customers still wanted to phone in orders. We made the jump to the cloud when IT departments were still debating whether SaaS was secure.

In each case, success didn’t come from the technology itself — it came from leaders who could connect the dots between tools and outcomes.

That’s what makes this moment so similar. We know how to do this. We’ve done it before.

Gen X Gets the Big Picture — and the Day-to-Day

What sets Gen X apart isn’t just experience — it’s the kind of experience we have.

We understand how distribution works — how orders flow, how customers make decisions, and how systems talk to each other. And we’ve spent years bridging the gap between old processes and new tools.

We ask the right questions — not just “what can this tool do?” but “what problem is it solving?” and “how will this change someone’s job on Monday morning?”

That’s the mindset AI needs right now. Not hype. Not fear. Just clarity, pragmatism, and a focus on outcomes.

AI Doesn’t Replace People — At least not yet

There’s a lot of worries that AI will make people irrelevant. But at least in the near term, what it really replaces is inefficiency.

Picture a pricing manager with two decades of experience, now paired with an AI model that can scan millions of transactions in seconds. Or a sales team that gets notified—automatically—about customers who are likely to reorder but haven’t yet. That’s not job loss. That’s the firepower.

When we rolled out that order recommendation engine in 2019, we didn’t cut headcount. We grew. Our CSRs got smarter, and we offered products customers cared about. We made suggestions based on why they were buying, not just what marketing said to “push.”

Here’s the reality: AI isn’t here to take everyone’s job today. It’s here to make the work better, faster, and more data driven. But let’s not kid ourselves—over time, those efficiency gains will add up. As processes get smarter and decision-making gets automated, some of the work people used to do will be absorbed by machines. That’s progress, not failure.

The Gen X way to manage it is the same way we handle every other wave of change: keep it real, keep it practical, and manage it deliberately. Don’t start with cuts; start with reinvestment. Use the early gains to upskill your teams, build new capabilities, and strengthen customer experience. Because eventually, yes, productivity will flow to the bottom line—but the companies that win will be the ones that make AI work with their people before it inevitably replaces some of what those people used to do.

The Real Gap Isn’t Tech — It’s Leadership

Research from Distribution Strategy Group shows that 93% of distributors expect to use more AI — but only 16% have a formal plan.

That gap isn’t about tools or data. It’s about leadership.

AI can already help with pricing, order management, and customer targeting. What it needs is someone to tie it all together and drive results.

That’s where Gen X comes in. We know that tech projects don’t succeed because of algorithms — they succeed because of people, process, and clear priorities. That’s what we bring to the table.

Three Things You Can Do Right Now

1. Start Small — But Start Now
   You don’t need a huge AI strategy. Just pick one process you know inside and out — like quoting or forecasting — and trying something simple with AI.
2. Automate Tasks, Not People
   Use AI to remove friction, not headcount. Let it handle reports, reorder alerts, or meeting recaps. Free your team up to do more valuable work.
3. Build Confidence First
   Your team doesn’t need to understand how AI works — they need to see that it does work. Show small wins. Make it tangible. Let trust grow from there.

Bottom Line: Experience + AI = Real Advantage

AI isn’t the end of human expertise. It’s the accelerator.

For those of us who’ve lived through paper tickets, legacy systems, and every tech buzzword of the last 30 years — this isn’t scary. It’s exciting. It’s a chance to take all that operational knowledge we’ve built and turn it into something even more powerful.

Gen X isn’t being replaced. We’re being amplified.

A Quick Note to Gen X Leaders

If you’re a Gen X leader in distribution, this is your moment. You don’t have to rebuild your entire business — just rethink how you combine your expertise with the new tools at hand.

Pick one process that drives you nuts — and try using AI to smooth it out.

Because if anyone knows how to bridge the past and the future, it’s us. We’ve done it before — and this time, we’ve got even better tools to do it faster.