Matthew Bennett (Willow Ethos) explores how leaders can integrate Gen Z into high-pressure environments by replacing unspoken norms with clarity, results, and sustainable intensity.
We've all seen the many articles about how AI is replacing entry-level jobs, or that hiring out of university is the lowest it has been in years, but for those Gen Z-ers who are lucky enough to find employment in the future, they face another problem when entering the workplace and it's an entirely new leadership challenge: How do we integrate Generation Z into high-pressure, customer-driven teams? These are environments built on speed, reactivity and endurance. Gen Z, by contrast, come with more steadfast expectations about boundaries, well-being, and control over their time than any group of employees before them.
The result is a generational conflict.
In fact, it is better understood as a clash of perceptions about what commitment looks like at work. Senior leaders matured into professional systems where working long hours was not only normal, but meaningful. Visibility equaled credibility and saying “yes” immediately signaled ambition. The intersection of visibility and intensity was the proving ground through which credibility was earned. Many leaders who now run teams have internalized these norms so deeply that they feel self-evident.
Gen Z don't reject effort or ambition, but they do question the design of work that depends on permanent immediacy and inherent availability. Gen Z aren't lazy – they want successful business results just like previous generations. But the balance of how this is achieved and what 'success' means has changed. Research consistently shows that Gen Z prioritizes well-being, growth and, importantly, a sense of purpose along with pay, and are far more willing than previous generations to opt out of environments that feel unsustainably consuming. This is not because they care less about work, but because they care more about the totality of their life as a person and have grown up seeing burnout play out in real time among older coworkers. Gen Their creative experiences are unique and the result is a tension that we must understand if we are to allow them and our organizations to excel.
Counseling increases this stress. Customer demands are real. Deadlines are immovable. Peaks are inevitable. Yet much of the stress experienced by young professionals comes not from intensity, but from unpredictability, ambiguity, and unspoken rules. When everything seems urgent, nothing seems urgent. When expectations are implicit, people default to over-delivering for the sake of security.
This is where the role of leadership has changed.
The question for leaders is no longer whether Gen Z “should be tough” or whether mentoring should be “soft.” The question is whether companies are willing to intentionally move from endurance cultures to performance systems.
The strongest leaders are already doing this in subtle but powerful ways.
First, they are clarifying the performance contract. Instead of relying on inherited norms (“that's 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 really sit. This clarity reduces anxiety and prevents over-interpretation.
Second, they are moving from hours as evidence to results as evidence. The result as proof removes the pressure of looking present just for the sake of appearing present. Gen Z responds well to clear deliverables, milestones, and standards. When success is defined by quality and impact rather than mere visibility, leaders get more, not less, from performance.
Third, effective leaders design predictable intensity. Consulting will always involve ups and downs, but unpredictability breeds trust. Planned rotations, recovery time after periods of crisis, and agreed “quiet hours” indicate professionalism rather than indulgence. Where late nights are required, having an honest name builds credibility.
Fourth, they train for boundaries as a professional ability, not as a personal choice. Teaching juniors to manage client expectations, detect risks early, lead intelligently and communicate proactively redefines boundaries as a delivery skill that protects both people and results.
Ultimately, leaders recognize that culture is learned through behavior, not policy. When senior leaders send midnight emails, celebrating heroism and rewarding constant availability, those signals override any well-being statements. In contrast, when leaders model focus, prioritization, and disciplined growth, Gen Z adapts quickly as the rules appear.
This moment is not about accommodating a “difficult generation.” It's about updating leadership to click in a world where work has expanded beyond its old shores. Companies that succeed will not abandon high standards; They will run intensely, not accidentally but intentionally.
And in doing so, they may feel that Gen Z is not a threat to consulting's performance culture; Their place can be a catalyst in making it sustainable.
Matthew Bennett | Willow Ethos – Founding Partner of Willow Ethos
With extensive experience in the consulting industry, Matthew Bennett is recognized as a seasoned operator and co-founder of Culture Driven Consulting. The consultancy promotes growth by combining leadership development with data-driven insights, ensuring a strong alignment between organizational culture and employees.
As the founder of Willow Ethos, Matthew Bennett has achieved remarkable success in enhancing organizational performance. Through executive coaching and the application of behavior-based blueprints, he supports his clients in achieving sustainable growth and long-term impact.
Read more:
Leading across a generational fault line: Mentoring, Gen Z, and the redefinition of commitment.