Younger generation seeks future leadership positions

A common belief among executives is that Gen Z doesn’t want leadership roles, but that conclusion comes from a statistic that tells only half the story. Deloitte’s 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey polled more than 22,500 young workers across 44 countries and asked them about their specific career goals.

Only 6 percent of Gen Z and millennials ranked a leadership position as the top choice. However, when that same survey posed a slightly different question, they got a completely different answer.

Those surveyed were asked whether they wanted to reach senior or executive leadership eventually, and 76 percent of Gen Z said yes. This suggests that the generation has not checked out, but rather, they’re just not interested in sacrificing everything to attain leadership roles this year.

They’ve highly considered executive leadership roles, but they’re pacing themselves on the journey. They’re interested in career advancement, but they’d rather be the tortoise than the hare.

In fact, 44 percent of Gen Z employees prefer the steady climb, while only 25 percent want the fast track. This generation is delaying advancement due to concerns about stress, burnout, and work-life balance.

According to Deloitte, of those who aren’t pursuing leadership at this moment, half of Gen Z point to stress and burnout, while half say the level of responsibility isn’t worth it at this stage in their career. More than 40 percent cite concerns about the lack of work-life balance.

These employees are not apathetic, they’re self-aware. They’ve watched previous generations suffer and seen the cost that leadership roles have taken on their older counterparts. Instead of rushing to the finish line, they’re pacing themselves.

To identify future leaders who aren’t chasing the title yet, companies should start by looking for signals such as actions more than words, consistency, and a desire to learn. Asking a worker what they’d love to learn, where they enjoy working, and which project was most memorable can provide an in-depth response and understand their leadership capability.

Creating a path for them that staves off burnout is also essential. If the only route to leadership at a company is being thrown into 60-hour work weeks, never-ending responsibility, and no boundaries, then companies will lose incredible candidates before they even begin.

Work-life balance is essential for this generation, so leadership roles need to encompass that. The companies that still have high-caliber leaders in five years are the ones who invested in their employees, asked them about their goals, and created a healthy pathway to executive positions.

The companies should be going after the 76 percent who are already on the payroll and looking for ways to move forward with the company. By understanding their long-term ambitions and creating a supportive environment, companies can tap into the potential of Gen Z and develop future leaders.