Why Gen Z Won’t Settle for Fake Leadership

The next generation of professionals is changing leadership in ways we can no longer ignore. Gen Z has grown up in an era of constant information, digital connection, and heightened social awareness. They have watched institutions rise and fall, witnessed leaders called out for hypocrisy, and experienced firsthand the power of transparency. As a result, their expectations for leadership are fundamentally different. They do not respond to image management or corporate platitudes. They expect truth, consistency, and realness.

Many organizations still operate as if leadership is about image, managing perception, and protecting the brand. But for Gen Z, authenticity is the new currency of trust. This generation is finely tuned to notice when words do not align with actions. They do not simply want to know what a leader stands for; they want to see it lived out daily.

A Generation Shaped by Transparency 🌱

Gen Z grew up with access to nearly limitless information. Every claim can be fact-checked within seconds. Every inconsistency can go viral overnight. This environment has trained them to spot inauthenticity faster than any previous generation. When leaders speak about values but make decisions that contradict them, Gen Z notices.

In Positive Leadership, authenticity is not a performance but an alignment. It is the state in which one’s purpose, words, and actions reinforce one another. This is precisely what younger generations are calling for: integrity that is visible, consistent, and trustworthy. When alignment is missing, it produces contrast, the tension and dissonance that erode trust.

For older models of leadership, image management was often a form of self-protection. But for Gen Z, it signals a lack of courage. They expect leaders to acknowledge mistakes, to engage in honest dialogue, and to demonstrate a willingness to learn. Vulnerability, once viewed as a weakness, is now seen as a sign of strength.

Authenticity as Engagement 🤝🏻

In the Positive Leadership framework, engagement is about pledging and applying your resources (time, energy, relationships, and focus) to what matters most. For Gen Z, engagement begins with authenticity. They are more likely to invest themselves in organizations that demonstrate alignment between stated values and lived behavior.

When leaders fail to show this alignment, engagement drops. Gen Z employees quickly disengage when they perceive that their contributions support systems or practices that contradict their principles. Conversely, when leaders model honesty and transparency, engagement rises. Teams become more open, collaboration deepens, and trust grows.

The modern workplace is filled with opportunities for leaders to demonstrate engagement through authenticity. Listening to feedback rather than defending status, being transparent about organizational challenges, and sharing the reasoning behind key decisions are all acts of engagement that build trust. This is what Gen Z expects: leadership that acts like it means what it says.

The Courage to Lead Authentically 🦁

Authentic leadership requires courage. It is far easier to maintain appearances than to admit uncertainty. Yet courage is one of the defining traits that Gen Z expects in their leaders—the courage to tell the truth even when it is uncomfortable, to admit mistakes rather than cover them, and to lead with humanity instead of perfection.

Positive Leadership teaches that perfection is never possible, but progression is always possible. Leaders who demonstrate progression rather than perfection embody authenticity in action. They model growth, learning, and humility. When leaders say, “We are still learning how to do this better,” they are not weakening their credibility; they are strengthening it.

This courage also requires emotional intelligence. Leaders must be attuned to how their decisions and communication affect others. They must be willing to invite dissenting voices and listen without defensiveness. Gen Z values dialogue over directives. They are less impressed by authority and more inspired by accountability.

Alignment Over Optics 🔭

The call for authentic leadership is really a call for alignment. When leaders’ actions, values, and purpose are in harmony, they create thriving environments where people can trust that what they see is what they get. Alignment is the antidote to performative leadership, which thrives on optics but fails to build trust.

Many leaders still underestimate the damage caused by contrast. When employees sense a gap between what leaders say and what they do, it creates emotional and cultural friction. That contrast drains engagement, just as misalignment in systems or strategy drains performance. In today’s workplace, where information spreads quickly and scrutiny is constant, even small contrasts can erode credibility.

Gen Z’s demand for authenticity is not a generational fad; it is a cultural correction. It is a shift toward leadership that prioritizes consistency, transparency, and shared purpose. As they rise into influence, they are pushing all of us to become better leaders—more honest, more aligned, and more human.

Thriving Through Authenticity 🪞

Thriving, in Positive Leadership terms, means growing and developing toward a state of excellence, health, and integrity. For leaders, thriving begins with alignment and engagement. For organizations, it starts with culture. When a culture rewards honesty, encourages reflection, and values consistency, authenticity becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Gen Z is not rejecting leadership; they are redefining it. They are asking leaders to be whole—to integrate their purpose, outcomes, and methods into something coherent and real. They are demanding that leadership stop performing and start engaging.

Their message is clear: lead with truth, lead with consistency, and lead with courage because the next generation will not follow anything less than the real thing.