Are we truly facing a leadership crisis?

There's a growing narrative that the modern workplace is on the brink of a leadership vacuum, an impending crisis that could destabilise even the most successful global businesses.

The story runs like this…

As Baby Boomers retire and senior Gen X professionals eye early exits, the stage is set for Gen Z (born 1997–2010) to follow Millennials into senior leadership roles. Yet instead of eagerly climbing the corporate ladder, many Gen Z employees are forging an entirely new path—one that doesn't always lead to the corner office.

In recent months, headlines have painted an interesting, multi-faceted profile of the Gen Z employee, one who typically: is hesitant to trust leadership teams, is less interested in chasing a leadership position, and is unafraid to take career breaks or early career switches. 

To the Gen Z employee, well-being, autonomy, and flexibility over rigid structures and long hours take priority over traditional leadership tracks. They are questioning the value of chasing titles at the expense of a fulfilling, meaningful life, and in doing so, consciously rejecting a system that, to them, seems broken. 

A common thread in many headlines and think pieces is that this generational divide could disrupt business or succession planning, or have adverse effects on Gen Z’s career trajectory. 

I think this narrative is interesting but ultimately flawed. We’ve also been here before, as similar thinkpieces and articles were once written about Millennials and the generations before them too.

I don’t believe that Gen Zs are turning their backs on leadership. Rather they are the catalysts in seeking to redefine leadership paths that are a relic from another era. They do seek leadership and deeper relationships with their managers – but one that is built on mutual trust, and commitment to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. 

The most successful companies will listen to Gen Z’s needs and respond accordingly.

It’s pivotal for companies to revisit how (and whether) they nurture potential leaders. Specifically, there are two key ways businesses can prepare the next generation for leadership. The first is to ensure that communication among generations is as smooth and as opaque as possible. 

The second is to recalibrate existing paths to leadership, re-tuning them to accommodate Gen Z’s passions and preferences.

Throughout my career, I’ve observed that workplace tensions primarily stem from miscommunication, not age gaps. To help bridge this gap we have a simple yet radical concept: every one on my team writes a “user manual” explaining their work style, communication preferences, and expectations. It’s not a corporate document, it’s a candid, personal tool to build trust and clarity.

The manual includes everything from details about personal life, preferred ways of giving and receiving feedback, preferred modes of working, work that energises them and expectations of how their teams should act. Team members then create their own and share them with peers and managers. This upfront transparency has significantly reduced misunderstandings and fostered a more inclusive, async-friendly culture.

For Gen Z employees, who value psychological safety, feedback loops, and managerial openness, this kind of clarity is essential. They just want to know how to effectively engage, and to know that it’s okay to show up as themselves. The user manual is one of our shortcuts to getting there.

Besides adopting transparent work practices, companies must fundamentally rethink their leadership strategies. This means refraining from squeezing Gen Z employees into existing structures and instead reimagining leadership in ways that align with their values and work styles.

The hesitation to step into leadership isn’t necessarily about avoiding responsibility, it’s about rejecting the unsustainable version of leadership they perceive as the norm. 

Gen Z wants their work to align with their values. Companies should position leadership as an opportunity to drive meaningful impact, not just a set of responsibilities. Storytelling, emotional intelligence, and authenticity are key to making leadership more attractive and fulfilling for younger employees.

Traditional leadership paths were often created many years ago, before an age of flexible working, or in some instances the arrival of digital technology. It is right that younger generations challenge long-established perspectives in the search for more effective, contemporary ways of running businesses. 

One obvious example is to encourage healthy work habits that work in a bespoke way for each individual employee. For some individuals a rigid daily schedule works with the understanding that they are not required to respond to emails or messages after a certain time works best for them. Yet not everybody. When my team members produce their manual I often discover that some employees prefer to have very flexible hours to accommodate child care or out of work arrangements. So they may work outside of traditional hours. It really doesn’t matter to me when people work. What matters is that the work gets done to the highest standards possible.

After hours messaging (email or Slack, for example) is something I do a lot as I am collecting kids during the day. So if I know a team member gets stressed by receiving an after hours email from me I let them know the reason I send emails at that time or do a scheduled send. It's about sharing what works for you and not being prescriptive about how "everyone" should work and within what limitations.   

Can we eliminate all stress from leadership? The answer is clearly no. Yet we can help our future leaders to be prepared to handle that stress and training, support and understanding well-being all play a crucial role in giving them the skills to not just cope, but thrive. 

Traditional leadership training no longer aligns with modern career paths. Companies should offer personalised, flexible development programmes that help employees gain self-insight into their leadership potential. These programmes should also explore leadership through stretch assignments and coaching rather than rigid training. And focus on helping employees develop skills relevant to modern business challenges, like digital transformation and remote team management.

Ultimately, companies need to prioritise learning over title progression, offering leadership experiences that feel like an opportunity rather than an obligation.

Most importantly, effective communication is essential among employees, irrespective of age, background, or skillset. The user manual concept is a simple idea, but one that has been highly effective.