How Gen Z Leaders Will Transform the Workplace
This article is a part of the monthly June edition of Leadership &. View full version below.
This past weekend, my 18-year-old neighbor Jimmy knocked on my door with a
If we look forward to 2030, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the workforce is undergoing a profound transformation, driven in large part by its newest members.
Gen Z is bringing fresh perspectives, unique skills, and different expectations that are reshaping how we think about work, leadership, and success.
For the first time in history, five generations are working side by side in the workplace. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2034, a full 80% of the workforce in advanced economies will comprise Millennials, Gen Z, and the first Gen Alphas to become adults.
"Gen Z is like a gravitational force pulling all other generations into its orbit," notes a recent World Economic Forum report.
Their values—community, a global mindset, access over ownership, side hustles, and authenticity over polish, are increasingly driving workplace culture across all generations. This multigenerational dynamic creates both challenges and opportunities. The age spread of today's workforce has never been wider, and the experiences characterizing each generation have never been so different.
Think about it: the paper-record environment familiar to anyone entering the workforce before 1990 would be utterly foreign to a Gen Z worker who has grown up with the internet in the palm of their hand.
Yet it's precisely this diversity of experience and perspective that offers tremendous potential for innovation, if organizations can effectively harness it.
Perhaps one of the most striking findings from Deloitte's 2025 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey is that only 6% of Gen Zers say their primary career goal is to reach a senior leadership position. This doesn't mean they lack ambition. Far from it, rather it signals a fundamental shift in how this generation defines success.
"It's not that Gen Zs lack drive; rather, their definition of success is evolving," explains Elizabeth Faber, Deloitte Global Chief People & Purpose Officer. "Many are prioritizing learning opportunities, mental well-being, and work-life balance over climbing the corporate ladder."
When asked about their strongest reasons for choosing their current employer, learning and development ranks in the top three for Gen Z. This generation is ambitious, but their ambition takes different forms than previous generations.
This shift is already reshaping how organizations approach leadership development. The traditional career ladder is giving way to more flexible, personalized paths that allow for growth without sacrificing well-being or purpose. Organizations that recognize this shift and adapt their leadership development accordingly will have a significant advantage in attracting and retaining top Gen Z talent.
"To foster future leaders, organizations need to remove the perceived trade-offs between leadership and personal fulfillment," stresses Faber. "That means reshaping leadership paths to be more flexible and purpose-driven."