Gen Z Doesn’t Want Perks. They Want Power.

I keep hearing people talk about Gen Z like they are a trend to follow or a challenge to manage. But the truth is much simpler. They are not asking for more noise. They are asking to be heard.
This generation is not confused or complicated. They are clear. They are bold. And they are not here to collect keychains and pizza coupons. They are here to participate. To build. To question. To care.
They do not want to be entertained at work. They want to be taken seriously.
And maybe it is time we started doing exactly that.

They’re Not Difficult. They’re Done Playing Along.

Here’s what I’ve realised after leading teams and raising two strong daughters—Gen Z is not trying to be difficult. They’re just choosing not to play along.
Most of us were taught to wait, to agree, to speak only when spoken to. We sat through decisions we didn’t fully agree with, and we called it professionalism. But this generation is showing up with a different script. They ask why. They ask how. And they ask it with a level of clarity I wish I had at their age.
At home, my daughters question things that never crossed my mind growing up. And they’re right to do so. At work, I’ve had young employees bring up ideas I never would have thought of.This is because they are not afraid to say what they see.
It takes confidence to speak up when no one else is. It takes even more to stay in a room that wasn’t designed with you in mind.
And that’s what Gen Z is doing. They are not being disruptive. They are being present. Fully, honestly, and without apology.

This Generation Isn’t Waiting for Their Turn. And Why Should They?

If you think Gen Z is excited by pizza Fridays or wellness vouchers, you might be missing what they’re really looking for.
 They want a voice in the room.
 They want context, not just instructions.
 They want to understand the ‘why’ before they’re handed the ‘how’.
And they’re willing to show up with energy if they feel like that energy means something.
In every conversation I’ve had with younger team members, the pattern is the same. They are not chasing promotions for status. They are looking for work that feels aligned. They are ready to contribute. But only if they’re treated as contributors, not placeholders.
And it is not about giving them special treatment. It is about giving them space. When they feel seen, they show up with more insight, more creativity, and more accountability than you expect.
They do not need to be motivated. They need to be trusted.

Leadership Is Changing. And That’s a Good Thing.

There was a time I believed leaders needed to always have it together. A clear plan. The right answers. A steady voice in the room. And for a while, I carried that with me everywhere. But over the years, something shifted.
The more I worked with younger teams, the more I realised how much I learned by not leading from the front. By pausing. By letting someone else speak first. By noticing when the best idea came from someone who had only been in the room for a few weeks.
It is easy to think experience is about control. But I have found that it is actually about knowing when to let go of it. Listening well. Asking better questions. Holding space for people to think differently.
The strongest teams I’ve seen are the ones where everyone feels like they’re building something — not just following instructions.
That is what I want leadership to look like now. Less direction, more trust. Less performing, more participating. And a lot more honest conversation in between.

This Isn’t About Gen Z. It’s About All of Us.

When people feel like they are part of something, they show up differently. I have seen it again and again. It is not about job titles or years of experience. It is about being invited into the room early enough to make a difference.
 We do not need new slogans.
 We need better ways of working together.
 We need to listen before we explain.
 We need to ask more often, “What do you think?”
 And we need to act on the answers we hear.
I have led programs where teams sat in silence until one person—often the youngest—asked the exact question that moved the whole room forward. That is the moment I keep in mind when I design anything now. The question is never, “How do we manage people better?”
It is, “How do we trust them more?”
We are all trying to build places where people want to stay. Where they feel safe to speak. And where they can see the impact of their voice.

If that is what you are trying to build too, we’re here.

At Inspire, we design employee engagement programs that open up space for participation, not pressure. We work with teams who are ready to listen better, include deeper, and grow stronger.
You do not need a hundred ideas.
You need a culture where one good idea is allowed to rise.
Let’s build that together.