Gen Z in the C-suite??
Yep. And it makes for a whole different kind of company.
Can you believe the Gen Z generation is already hitting the C-suites? Yep. Hard to believe, but it’s true. Topping out at the age of 27, it’s probably safe to say the ones who are in the C-suites are high achievers.
Interestingly, Gen Zers have overtaken, although by a slim margin, the Boomers in percentage of the workforce, 27% to 25%. Obviously, that’s going to trend upward from here on out.
As you can imagine, leadership styles are pretty far apart. For one, they’re getting rid of meetings and set work hours. And I don’t mean flexible hours between 7 am and 7 pm. I mean any type of set hours. Some employees prefer starting their work day in the late afternoon and working into the wee hours of the morning — and that’s ok with leadership.
Erifili Gounari, CEO, 24, who launched The Z Link says, “It all depends on the projects of the various teams as to the schedules individuals work.”
This generation has grown up with the Internet and all things digital — so they seem to function in environments much differently than others.
The texting generation, as they’re called, is more comfortable with meeting and communicating via technology versus in person. For example, Gounari says, “Meetings are a rare occasion around here.”
Instead of meetings, employees at The Z Link (a marketing agency) send voice memos or messages on Slack and collaborate on Google Docs to share feedback and problem-solve together.
Gounari says, “We have a knack for using technology to be as efficient as possible and embrace tools that will help our teams work faster and smarter. Meetings are only held at a client’s request, or if there’s an emergency.”
I’m going to assume any requested meetings come from gray-haired or bald Boomers (haha).
According to a 2023 Adobe report, Gen Z overwhelmingly prefers working flexible hours over a set work schedule and found that a quarter reported their productivity peaks between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m.?Just wait til they start having babies. haha.
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Gounari said in a CNBC interview, “You can’t rush creativity and you can’t force it, so trusting people to work during the time they’re at their most creative and productive has helped us produce the best work.”?
Sid Pandiya, a 24-year-old CEO and co-founder of Kona, says, “We’re open with our feelings and comfortable with each other.” Sid is so open that he includes therapy appointments on his work calendar — and prefers a GIF over an email.
It seems, according to Pandiya, that Gen Z is less concerned about professionalism than all previous generations — but instead values transparency at work, especially involving mental health.
“Vulnerability builds stronger connections,” Pandiya says. “And you can only have a vulnerability in the workplace if there’s open, safe space to talk about mental and emotional health, such as burnout and other challenges you might face in your job.”
Gen Zers talk about how it’s easier to feel comfortable and motivated at a job where you can 100% be yourself, be open about topics related to emotional health, and not have to guard against what’s happening on a personal level.
Obviously, it’s far too early to be certain if these leadership styles are isolated and situational or if they’re going to be a trend going forward, as Gen Zers move up the ranks.
One thing for certain, Gen Zers are more open and vulnerable in the workplace, want balance in their work/personal life, and prefer transparency from their leaders.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this unfolds, especially as they begin starting families.
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