Next-Gen Leaders: Gen Z’s Influence on Modern Leadership

Those who are just entering the workforce today are influencing the future of work and redefining leadership requirements. While employees who are already established in the workforce today have many commonalities, the upbringing of Generation Z (often called Gen Z) has distinctly shaped their experiences and expectations of work and leadership.

Gen Z has come of age amid divisive politics and economic instability. They attended school or began their careers during a global pandemic, navigating virtual classrooms and online graduations. They are fluent technology users from a young age, having grown up with smartphones, YouTube, and other social media at their fingertips. They know that work needs to get done but also know it can get done in a virtual or hybrid role. They seek purpose in their work but don’t feel the need to forego a personal life, a sense of balance, or mental wellness to find it.

Their expectations of their leaders are also shaped by the excitement and anticipation for the future—a future in which:

• The way work gets done will continue to evolve
• Cross-industry collaboration will increase
• Ongoing sustainability efforts will be the norm
• Yet-to-be-invented technologies will play a significant role
• Inclusivity is a given.

Against this backdrop and in anticipation of what’s to come, leadership styles are becoming less formal and more normal. Employees respect their leaders but don’t feel a need to revere them. They appreciate enthusiasm but don’t want to be cheerleaders. They crave constructive feedback but don’t want to be told what to do. Inclusivity is important, but not as part of a check-box mindset. Motivation should be genuine, not shallow or saccharine.

What’s required of leaders of the future is both complex and surprisingly simple.

New Leadership Requirements from a New Generation

Trust and Authenticity

Living in economic uncertainty, social upheaval, and an increasingly polarized world has made employees highly value trust and integrity. To make sense of what’s happening around them, more employees rely on their community—particularly their online community.

These are consumers of digital content, and they rely on social media for everything from pop culture to politics—even as they recognize the power of social media to both inform and deceive. This combination of technical savvy and skepticism makes them critical consumers of what they see and, in part, drives their focus on authenticity.

So these employees want what many have always wanted: leaders they can trust to treat them well, communicate transparently, and act honestly. They seek genuine leaders who are consistent in their words and actions and stand for something meaningful.

In an era of bot accounts, deep fakes, and artificial intelligence, employees desire authentic leaders who show up as real human beings who celebrate accomplishments and acknowledge struggles.

This means that leaders who connect in authentic, vulnerable, and meaningful ways foster trust.

Support and Encouragement

Technology has empowered employees to be more self-sufficient, enabling remote work with the kind of flexibility that was unavailable in the past. Consequently, this generation doesn’t feel the need to be in the office as much as previous generations did. But while they don’t need to be physically close to their leaders all the time, they still need to hear from their leaders.

Even in a predominantly remote or hybrid work environment, employees still yearn for a connection with their colleagues and their leaders. They seek feedback and want to know how they are performing.

Ongoing communication that lets employees know how they are doing helps lower the anxiety that creeps in when they don’t hear from—let alone see—their leader. This communication and support further enhance a relationship of trust.

Gen Z also wants what so many have wanted from their leaders for years: acknowledgment of their successes and motivation to keep moving forward. Amidst uncertainty and distance, words of encouragement hold even greater significance. They don’t need a “like” button with every contribution, but expressions of appreciation are welcomed.

Showing gratitude boosts engagement and fosters loyalty, making employees feel valued. Providing feedback on performance and areas for improvement demonstrates care and recognition. In a virtual world that can create disconnection and anonymity, support and encouragement are powerful tools of leadership connection.

Compassion and Inclusivity

For this new segment of the workforce, diversity has been present not on the fringes but as an increasingly embedded part of the world around them. They grew up amidst movements and protests, both online and in person. This experience has shown them that their voices on societal issues—including those on racial, gender, and sexual diversity—matter.

Events like COVID also boosted collective empathy and further reduced the artificial boundaries between work and life. As daily news feeds on issues ebb-and-flow, it’s easy to see compassion and inclusivity as yesterday’s priorities. But leaders who succeed are those who continue to emphasize both.

Leaders must practice compassion with respect to where and how people work and be flexible about how they achieve their goals. Leaders must also be respectful in all interactions and collaborations with others in a way that shows they value everyone’s unique contributions.

Inclusivity cannot simply be an add-on but must be a natural part of a leader’s mindset. Inclusion and diversity of thought and identity should be evident and occur naturally within a team rather than mandated.

Charisma and Energy

In a time that has spawned the “online influencer,” having a digital presence is something employees take note of. Gen Z—and Millennials in particular—are taking throwback concepts, such as charisma, and reinventing them in relevant and nuanced ways.

While the term charisma once conjured a sense of smarminess often associated with a handful of more shallow traits, employees are using the term to describe someone who makes an impression in meaningful ways. An individual with charisma knows how to communicate using appropriate online and texting etiquette, including appropriate use of emojis and DMs.

These employees define charisma by using an old term, reinvented, to describe something both very current and timeless: emotional intelligence. It’s about reading the room and recognizing the subtleties of human interaction and communication. When employees look for a leader who is both confident and humble, they are searching for someone who is emotionally intelligent. When they value a leader’s ability to actively listen, demonstrate curiosity in conversations, and appropriately read the room, they are valuing empathy. It’s complex yet surprisingly simple.

The following chart details further shifts in Gen Z’s language and perspective on leadership and the workplace:

Leadership Rebranded: The Power of Authentic Human Connection

Leadership is being rebranded. Despite the explosion of technology and continued economic and political uncertainty, people are not looking for a robot or a hero. They are looking for someone relatable, someone who cares about them as a human being. They want a leader with whom they can both collaborate and connect and a working relationship that involves mutual respect, trust, and authenticity.

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