How do you prepare Gen Z to thrive when they reject the old pathways to success?

The Leadership Shift No One Can Ignore

A growing number of emerging leaders are openly rejecting traditional pathways to success - long hours, climbing rigid hierarchies, and accepting middle‑management roles that offer increasing responsibility but minimal support. This trend continues to rise, especially among young professionals who question whether the sacrifice is worth it.

Many share the same concerns: more work, more pressure, more stress… but only marginal compensation and limited training or mentorship. When the math doesn’t add up, talented individuals understandably walk away.

As a coach and mentor, I see this shift not as a crisis — but as a call to redefine what leadership development must look like in this new era.

For decades, middle management was viewed as a necessary proving ground. But today’s rising leaders see something different:

• High stress with little support

• Limited autonomy

• Shrinking teams

• unclear growth pathways

• Skills that are expected, but rarely taught

Our research and client experiences highlight the same pattern: leaders feel unprepared, unsupported, and unsure whether the trade‑off is worth it.

The result? Many reject the promotion altogether - or a rise into leadership without learning foundational skills.

While the concerns are valid, there is tremendous value in stepping into leadership positions early — but only if the right support structures exist.

Middle‑tier roles help emerging leaders build essential skills such as:

• Building relationships across teams and functions

• Deep people and talent management abilities

• Strategic decision‑making in a relatively safe environment

• The resilience and adaptability required to lead

• Influence — how to develop it and use it authentically

Without learning these skills, stepping into more senior roles becomes significantly harder and can lead to poor outcomes.

If traditional pathways no longer appeal to rising leaders, we must redesign how leadership skills are taught, practiced, and supported.

Our coaching focus, and the heart of this post, highlights what needs to change:

1. Leadership must be taught, not assumed: Emerging leaders need structured spaces to practice decision‑making, influence, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration - without fear of failure.

2. Support must be built in, not offered as an afterthought: Lack of mentorship, unclear expectations, and limited psychological safety create disengagement long before promotion discussions start.

3. Career growth must align with identity and values: When leaders feel that their personal values are misaligned with leadership expectations, they either burn out or walk away.

4. Leadership pathways must reflect the new world of work: The next generation wants purpose, autonomy, skill development, and meaningful impact, not outdated job descriptions.

When rising leaders reject old pathways, they aren’t rejecting leadership. They’re rejecting outdated systems. And they’re right to do so.

Your work ensures they gain the skills needed to lead with confidence, humanity, and impact, creating a healthier, more modern, more sustainable definition of success for the future of work.

#successmindset #risingleaders #worldofwork