Matthew Bennett (Willow Ethos) explores how leaders can integrate Generation Z into high-pressure environments by replacing unspoken norms with clarity, results and sustained intensity.
We’ve all seen the many articles about how AI is replacing entry-level jobs or that university recruitment is at its lowest level in years, but for those Gen Z’s lucky enough to find employment in the future, there’s another issue as they enter the workplace that has created a whole new leadership challenge: How do we integrate Gen Z into high-pressure, customer-focused teams? These are environments based on speed, responsiveness and endurance. In contrast, Generation Z has higher expectations for boundaries, well-being and control over their time than any other employee cohort before them.
The result is a generational conflict.
In reality, it is better understood as a collision of assumptions about what engagement looks like in the workplace. High-level managers came of age in professional systems in which long working hours were not only normal but sensible. Visibility was synonymous with reliability and a “yes” quickly signaled ambition. The intersection of visibility and intensity was the testing ground through which credibility was gained. Many leaders who lead teams today have internalized these norms so deeply that they feel like they are taken for granted.
Generation Z does not reject effort or ambition, but questions the design of work based on constant urgency and implicit availability. Generation Z is NOT lazy – they strive for successful business results just like the generations before them. But the balance between how this is achieved and what “success” means has shifted. Research consistently shows that, in addition to pay, Generation Z also prioritizes well-being, development and, above all, a sense of purpose and purpose, and is far more willing than previous generations to move away from environments that create the impression of unsustainable consumption. This isn’t because they care less about work, it’s because they care about life as a whole as a person and have grown up watching burnout in older colleagues in real time. Gen Z is the COVID generation that was forced to stay home during their most formative years and was somehow tasked with finding the motivation to take online classes without having the fun of hanging out with their friends, a generation for whom screen time and social media have become a way of life. Their formative experiences are unique and the result is a tension that we must understand if we are to enable them and our organizations to achieve excellence.
Advice reinforces this tension. Customer requirements are real. Deadlines are immovable. Spikes are inevitable. But much of the stress faced by younger professionals comes not from intensity itself, but from unpredictability, ambiguity, and unspoken rules. When everything feels urgent, nothing feels limited. When expectations are implicit, people default to belief for safety.
The leadership task has changed here.
For managers, the question is no longer whether Generation Z should become “tougher” or whether advice should become “softer”. The question is whether companies are ready to move from endurance cultures to performance-oriented systems.
The strongest leaders already do this in subtle but powerful ways.
First, they make the performance contract explicit. Instead of relying on outdated norms (“That’s just how it works”), they articulate what excellence looks like in their teams: when flexibility is expected, how peaks are handled, what good availability means and where the limits actually lie. This clarity reduces fears and prevents over-interpretation.
Second, they are shifting from hours as evidence to results as evidence. Outcomes-as-Proof removes the pressure to appear present just for the sake of appearing present. Generation Z responds well to clear outcomes, milestones and standards. When success is defined by quality and impact, not just visibility, leaders gain more, not less, influence over performance.
Third, effective leaders design predictable intensity. There are always spikes in advice, but unpredictability undermines trust. Planned rotations, recovery times after crises and agreed “rest times” signal professionalism rather than leniency. When late nights are required, honestly mentioning these names builds credibility.
Fourth, they view boundaries as a professional skill rather than a personal preference. When you teach junior talent how to manage customer expectations, identify risks early, escalate intelligently, and communicate proactively, boundaries become an execution skill that protects both people and results.
Finally, leaders recognize that culture is learned through behavior, not politics. When senior leaders send midnight emails, celebrate heroics, and reward constant availability, these signals take precedence over any statement about well-being. On the other hand, when leaders model focus, prioritization and disciplined escalation, Generation Z adapts quickly because the rules are visible.
This moment is not about accommodating a “difficult generation”. It’s about updating leadership and ensuring a world where work has expanded beyond its old boundaries. Successful companies will not abandon high standards; You will do the intensity intentionally and not accidentally.
In doing so, they may find that Generation Z does not pose a threat to consulting’s performance culture. Your role can be that of a catalyst to make it sustainable.
Matthew Bennett | Willow Ethos – Founding Partner of Willow Ethos
Matthew Bennett has extensive experience in the consulting industry and is considered a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of a culture-focused consulting firm. The consulting firm drives growth by combining leadership development with data-driven insights, ensuring strong alignment between company culture and employees.
As founder of Willow Ethos, Matthew Bennett has achieved remarkable success in improving business performance. Through executive coaching and the application of behavioral blueprints, he helps his clients achieve sustainable growth and long-term impact.
Read more:
Leading Across a Generational Fault: Advice, Gen Z, and Redefining Engagement
