OLDER generations often complain that Gen Z is hard to manage. They're too outspoken. Too sensitive. Too easily offended. Or not committed enough. But what if those labels miss the point entirely?
What makes Gen Z truly different is not their fashion, their screen time, or their TikTok fluency. It's the fact that they’ve entered the workplace without an existential fear of losing their jobs. And that shifts everything.
Boomers and Gen X grew up in a world where job security was paramount. You kept your head down, paid your dues, and hoped the system rewarded loyalty. Millennials challenged some of that logic but still absorbed enough of it to crave approval and hang on to security.
Gen Z? Not so much.They’ve come of age in a world where businesses rise and fall overnight, side hustles can pay the rent, and the idea of a ‘career ladder’ feels like a relic from their parents’ bookshelves. They are not irrationally rebellious. They’re just not beholden. And that creates a new kind of dynamic at work.
You can’t manage Gen Z with vague promises or hollow perks. They want clarity, not platitudes. Purpose, not posters. Progress, not patience. They aren’t afraid to ask “Why?” - not out of defiance, but out of expectation. They’ve grown up with access to infinite information and instant feedback loops. If something doesn’t make sense, they will say so. And they expect to be heard.
This creates discomfort for managers who are accustomed to silent compliance. But it also creates opportunity. Because once you earn Gen Z’s trust, once they believe in the work, the team, and the impact, they bring energy, creativity, and moral courage that’s hard to match. They care. They want to do work that matters. And they’re not afraid to leave if it doesn’t.
That’s not entitlement. That’s agency. And it’s a signal to every leader to up their game.
So instead of resenting Gen Z for what they aren’t, maybe we should try respecting them for what they are: the first truly fearless generation at work. Not fearless in the sense of invincible, but fearless in the sense that they know their value, and they won't settle for less.
That’s a challenge. But it’s also a gift. Because when we stop managing from fear, we start leading from purpose. And that’s a change every generation can get behind.
Chris Harrison leads The Brand Inside.
www.thebrandinside.com
