Gen Z workers are consciously avoiding taking on leadership roles, according to research. How can organisations build satisfying development paths for younger employees that don’t necessarily involve management, or if they do, offer a better work-life balance? Bruce Watt looks at the trend.
Leadership is more stressful than ever. DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2025 recently uncovered that 71% of leaders are experiencing significant stress in their roles, and only 30% feel they have enough time to fulfil their responsibilities properly.
It is a situation that has not escaped the attention of Generation Z. There is growing evidence that this group, which encompasses people born between 1997 and 2010, is opting out of traditional leadership roles and taking a less linear approach to advancement in the workplace.
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It is a trend, which some professionals have named ‘conscious unbossing’ that is starting to cause alarm among business organisations.
Our survey also found that as many as 80% of HR professionals lacked confidence in their leadership pipelines.
The trend of Gen Z backing away from leadership opportunities is supported by data uncovered in our leadership survey.
We found, for example, that Gen Z is 1.7 times more likely than previous generations to step away from leadership positions to protect their wellbeing.
The challenge for businesses is to understand the reasons underpinning conscious unbossing and then recalibrate their leadership strategies in a way that aligns with the values and expectations of younger employees.
What is conscious unbossing?
Previous generations have more often followed a linear path to leadership roles, working their way up the corporate ladder and accepting more responsibility along the way.
While leadership roles are undeniably more challenging, individuals are compensated with higher salaries, attractive benefits and the enhanced status that accompanies executive positions.
Conscious unbossing is a rejection of this long-trodden career path. It is a deliberate decision to avoid leadership roles and favour alternative routes.
In the workplace it can mean individuals opting against promotions and prioritising individual contribution paths (often as a specialist).
What is genuinely concerning for business leaders is that those who have chosen the path cite the stress levels and unequal work-life balance of their managers as the reason for their decision.
Gen Z employees also appear to prefer flatter organisational structures, collaborative, peer-driven work environments and purpose-driven roles.
The post-Covid rise of remote and hybrid work models has normalised self-directed, flexible work, where employees have control over their schedules and workflows. For many younger workers, this is all they have known.
Flexible options
When return-to-office mandates and rigid structures reemerged, they naturally questioned the necessity of traditional leadership. If work is getting done effectively, why does it matter how, when, or where it happens?
Gen Z has options too. The gig economy and creator platforms have made independent work more viable than ever.
Many young professionals are diversifying their income streams, reducing their dependence on a single employer, and, in turn, their willingness to climb a traditional corporate ladder.
But this means companies need to undertake a major rethink of their leadership strategies. They need to reimagine leadership in ways that align with the values and work styles of the Gen Z employees.
Companies must offer personalised, flexible development programmes that match employees’ values and career goals.”
The hesitation to step into leadership is not necessarily about avoiding responsibility, it is about rejecting the unsustainable version of leadership they perceive as the norm.
Here are a few ways companies can recalibrate their leadership paths to counter conscious unbossing:
1. Help team members find their purpose
Gen Z sees having a sense of purpose as a priority. Leaders need to become ‘purpose ambassadors’ to help their team find meaning within their work – which in turn makes them more likely to be interested in leadership growth.
Leaders should be supported in how to communicate a clear sense of purpose, as well as developing emotional intelligence so they can have meaningful conversations about the values, sense of fulfilment and impact of the Gen Z employees.
This is key to making employees feel aligned to the company mission and making leadership roles more attractive.
2. Support wellbeing and sustainable leadership
If leadership continues to be synonymous with burnout, young employees will continue to reject it.
Organisations must support their leaders’ wellbeing by creating sustainable leadership models that support both the personal and professional needs. One example is to encourage healthy work habits, such as limiting after-hours emails and setting realistic deadlines.
Behaviours like these combined with a work environment built on vulnerability and psychological safety sets a tone that an organisation values wellbeing, not just results.
When leaders feel safe and supported, they are more likely to stay in and be happy in their roles – and inspire the next generation to do the same.
3. Rethink development
The Gen Z workforce prioritises personal growth over career advancement – requiring a shift in how organisations develop their emerging and high-potential talent.
Companies must offer personalised, flexible development programmes that match employees’ values and career goals.
These programmes should include stretch assignments, simulations and collaborative experiences alongside more formal learning and skill building, framed within real-word scenarios that resonate with the younger workforce.
The conscious-unbossing generation are not saying no to growth – they are asking for better ways to learn that feel the most relevant and personal to them. By providing this, companies can turn changing attitudes into an opportunity for their leadership pipeline.
4. Create a culture of autonomy
Leadership structures must evolve to support Gen Z’s preference for autonomy. This can include training managers in effective delegation, so that their teams feel empowered to make their own decisions and stretch their skills.
Embracing flexible work environments that balance independence with team collaboration is also key, as is building a culture where failing through calculated risk is seen as part of innovation, as opposed to a career setback.
Creating settings without potential leaders should also be encouraged to innovate, allowing them to lead in informal ways before assuming formal leadership roles.
When employees feel empowered to take ownership of their work, leadership feels like a natural progression rather than an unwanted burden.
Leadership is changing
Conscious unbossing has shone a light on the opportunity to make leadership better for the next generation.
By focusing on purpose, wellbeing, development and autonomy, organisations can attract and retain the next generation of leaders, in a way that fits their values and preferences.
The companies that adapt will not only secure their leadership pipelines but also build a workforce that is more engaged, innovative, and future-ready.
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