From Imposter Syndrome to Authentic Ambition: Owning Your Gen Z Seat at the Table

By Lilli Lo Russo , Content Strategy Director, Hogarth Australia ?

I can vividly remember my first boardroom meeting. I was bright-eyed, pumped with adrenaline and (slightly uncalled for) confidence. We were chatting about an upcoming digital marketing campaign for a local college when the topic of when their EDM was scheduled came up.??

“EDM. Electronic Dance Music. Sick!” I blurted out - to a table of mixed faces (some shocked, some embarrassed, but mostly sympathetic for me). Turns out it meant Electronic Direct Mail. Oops.??

And if you thought it couldn’t get even worse, about 10 minutes later they mentioned Seth Godin (author of 18 books, a member of the Marketing Hall of Fame, an entrepreneur, dotcom business executive, prolific writer, and one of the world's most sought-after speakers) who I corrected them with: “It’s actually Seth Rogan” (Canadian actor - best known for ‘Superbad’ and other creative masterpieces like ‘Knocked up’).?

Safe to say I completely out-GenZ’d myself. And it wasn’t too long after that meeting that I adopted a mentality of I’ll work hard but definitely conceal the younger parts of myself and avoid any question about my age. I operated with a ‘I’m 19 but to everyone else I must seem 29’. And reflecting on this 6 years later, taking a slightly more conservative approach was perhaps not a bad idea.??

So as a Gen Z entering the workforce, safe to say imposter syndrome hit hard. And according to a 2023 study by Deloitte , 82% of Gen Z workers reported experiencing imposter syndrome at work. That's a lot of us feeling like we’re sometimes on another planet.?

But here's the thing: while we were busy doubting ourselves, the world was changing.?

?A 2024 report from McKinsey & Company highlighted that by 2025, Gen Z will make up 27% of the workforce in OECD countries. And beyond this, as TikTok exploded onto the scene, we were the ones who mastered 15-second storytelling, turned trends into cultural phenomena, and made algorithm-friendly content an art form. Suddenly, our scrolling addiction became a marketable and sought after skill.?

So, how did I go from feeling like a kid at the adults' table to embracing my Gen Z-ness and building a career in it? It's simple: I realised that being young isn't a bug, it's a feature.??

One of my favourite leadership quotes is “follow me, I’m right behind you”. I really try my best to embrace this philosophy and style for any of the teams I lead or work in. Part of the reason I love it so much is because I realised that owning your authentic ambition will make you a better worker, colleague and manager anyway. So, you need to apply the same thinking to how you approach your team.??

So, here’s my greatest takeaways for any Gen-Z that has felt, does feel or will feel the same:??

1. Embrace Your Digital Nativity: We grew up with smartphones as extensions of our hands. Use this to your advantage - but don’t forget knowledge is power. Share, grow and lift your team around you. Maybe something feels super fluent to you - but someone else is in the boardroom thinking they're the ones on a different planet. If you help them, you help the business.?
2. Be a Trend Translator: I’ve been badgering on lately about how cultural relevancy is the new brand currency. Gen Z live, breathe and talk in trends. But if Gen Z can act as your team’s key plug to content that moves at the speed of culture?- overall brand storytelling lifts. A 2024 Pew Research Center report noted that Gen Z is more likely to discover new products through social media than any other generation. You're not just scrolling; you're market researching (duh).?
3. Champion Work-Life Integration: Gen Z prioritises mental health and work-life balance more than previous generations. A 2023 Gallup poll found that 54% of Gen Z workers consider work-life balance "very important." In fact, Medibank’s recent trial of the 4-day working week saw a more proactive/high quality output. Don’t take the mickey here and abuse it. But go ahead, bring up flexible working hours. You're not being entitled; you're being a wellness pioneer.??
4. Embrace Continuous Learning: Good news! As Gen Z, we're hardwired for this. Our ability to quickly adapt and learn new skills is our superpower. According to LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning Report , Gen Z spends 12% more time learning soft skills than the average employee. ?And part of this is learning from the wealth of experience from our older colleagues around us. It’s also embracing how lucky we are that access to software, design, AI and more has become so democratised. Don’t let that get lost on you.??
5. Leverage your fresh perspective: No other working generation has experienced the same empowerment that we have - this is something that’s also not lost on me. But I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve kept my mouth shut because my approach felt ‘too simple’. Just because someone has told you ‘But we’ve always done it this way’, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. I always think of my idol Melanie Perkins - who despite Canva being initially turned down by over 100 investors, now over 60 million global users are on it literally because of its simplicity. Champion your new thinking and bring your builds to every arena.??

Some of the most brilliant people I have ever known and worked with are Gen Z. But they’re also Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. And it’s not to say the above skills are mutually exclusive to those born after 1997 (My 50-year-old CEO is arguably more across TikTok trends than me). But my point is that we all deserve a place at the table, and when we integrate these perspectives, magic can happen.??

I’m pretty lucky at Hogarth - because when I look around at the table, I see that day-one bright-eyed eagerness will never leave if you’re passionate about what you do. That’s probably the central reason why I’m loving working here - Hogarth backs me 100%. And they look, listen and appreciate my Gen Z insights into the social world to help our offering stay on the cutting-edge. Slayyy Hogarth!?

Owning your seat as a Gen Z isn't about fitting in; it's about standing out. Your youth, your digital aptitude, and your fresh perspective are your strengths. The table isn't just ready for you; it's been waiting for you.?

Just maybe keep your intrusive thoughts to yourself in your first boardroom meeting (lol).?