Gen-Z workers are eager to lead. Is the modern workplace built to support that ambition? Deloitte’s recent “ Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2026 ” found that 76% of Gen-Zers and 67% of Millennials say they want to reach senior or executive leadership someday. Yet only 6% consider career advancement a primary career goal right now, largely because burnout, excessive responsibility, and poor work-life balance make leadership feel like too high a cost.

Their fears aren’t unfounded. According to Development Dimensions International's “ Global Leadership Forecast 2025 ” report, 71% of leaders across all levels experienced a significant increase in stress since taking on their current role, up from 63% in 2022. Of that 71%, 54% worry about burnout, and 40% considered stepping away from leadership roles. Notably, only 30% of all leaders surveyed believe they have sufficient time to complete their responsibilities with the depth and diligence needed.

For many young workers, the desire to lead is there. It’s the current version of leadership that gives them pause.

What Gen-Z Workers Are Up Against

Other pressures Gen-Z workers are currently facing may also be factoring into their reluctance to pursue career advancement. For instance, many Gen-Z workers are navigating the pressure of building financial security in an uncertain economy . According to Fiverr’s “ Next Gen of Work survey ”, nearly half of Gen-Z respondents say their biggest career fear is not earning enough to live comfortably. Deloitte’s research reinforces this, finding cost of living among the top concerns for young workers, and roughly 33% experience anxiety or stress most of the time, caused largely by financial pressure and long working hours.

Further, Fiverr’s research found that 67% of young workers view multiple income streams as necessary for financial security, and 38% have turned to freelancing, or plan to, as a way to supplement their earnings. Additionally, Deloitte found that over half of Gen-Z and Millennial respondents have delayed major life decisions, including marriage, starting a family, launching a business, or furthering their education, because of their financial situation.

Many young workers are juggling financial pressure and competing life and career aspirations, all while managing multiple jobs and work-related stress. Simply put, young workers are stretched thin as it is. Burnout and overwork brought on by leadership responsibilities threaten to add another layer to that. Left unaddressed, this reality has consequences that reach beyond individual workers and into the leadership pipelines companies are counting on to carry them forward.

Prioritizing Today’s Young Workers to Develop Tomorrow's Leaders

According to data from Forrester, Gen-Z and Millennial workers will make up 74% of the workforce by 2030, and as Deloitte’s research points out, a growing share of young workers today will need to fill leadership positions as older generations retire. To cultivate the next generation of leaders, companies must first acknowledge what’s holding young workers back (from external financial pressures to burnout and long working hours), and then build environments designed to support their growth.

For companies with the resources to do so, competitive pay is one direct way to ease the financial pressures weighing on young workers. According to Fiverr's Next Gen of Work survey, 28% of Gen-Z workers cite competitive salary and benefits as a top workplace priority.

Compensation becomes even more crucial when it comes to career advancement. Deloitte found that over half of Gen-Z and Millennial employees identify higher compensation as a key motivator for increasing their interest in leadership positions. And compensation can extend beyond salary. Deloitte notes that companies offering additional financial support, such as housing or relocation assistance and student debt relief, "may be better positioned to attract and retain talent." And beyond hiring and retention benefits, competitive compensation and need-based financial incentives could give young workers the financial stability to focus on growing within their current role rather than looking elsewhere for additional income.

Companies can also manage long working hours by prioritizing results over hours worked and moving toward a results-oriented culture that gives young workers more autonomy over how and when they work. In fact, a study titled “ Working hours and productivity ” from the Labour Economics journal found that, from a sample of call center agents, productivity declined as worker hours increased. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology titled “ Autonomy Raises Productivity ” further linked an increase in employees' perceived autonomy to measurable gains in productivity. Not only could prioritizing results over hours improve well-being among younger workers, but it could also boost productivity.

Remote work, hybrid arrangements, and flexible hours are other ways companies can give Gen-Z and Millennial workers greater autonomy and work-life balance. Fiverr's research found that 42% of Gen-Z workers want flexible working hours, reflecting a broader desire for ownership over how and when they work. What’s more, research published in Frontiers in Psychology found that flexible work arrangements can foster employee innovation while reducing work-related conflict and stress.

While the benefits of flexible work are evident, how these options are implemented matters just as much as whether they’re offered at all, particularly for younger workers. As previously reported , fully remote work can set back young employees who rely on in-person feedback, mentorship, and collaboration to grow in their careers. When determining flexible work policies, companies should consider the individual needs of each employee and strike a balance that supports both their autonomy and their long-term development.

Competitive pay and flexibility matter, but the opportunity for companies goes further. Per Deloitte's findings, “treating well-being as part of how work is designed and managed” is key to developing the next generation of leaders. This includes keeping workloads manageable, providing clarity on priorities, and ensuring employees feel recognized before burnout takes hold. This extends to leadership roles themselves. The opportunity, as Deloitte frames it, is to “redesign leadership roles so they are well supported and focused on enabling others—sharing responsibility, building capability, and creating clarity—rather than absorbing endless demands.” When leadership is designed to enable rather than overwhelm, it becomes a role young workers want to step into.

The next generation of leaders is already in the workforce, and the conditions companies create today will shape how that talent grows and whether the people leading tomorrow’s business are adequately prepared to do so. For many young workers, the desire to lead is there. What often stands in the way is a version of leadership that feels unsustainable before it even begins. Companies that take the time to understand what young workers are up against and build environments that reflect that understanding are better positioned to develop the leaders they need. Gen-Z is ready to rise into leadership. The workplace just needs to catch up in order to be ready for them.