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When I talk with business leaders about Gen Z, the same frustration often bubbles up: They wont stay. Its said with a kind of bewildered shrug, as if the younger generation has suddenly rewritten the rules out of thin air. I heard it again last week during a radio segment I did about generational dynamics at work. The host asked why Gen Z feels so comfortable moving on so quickly. Heres what Ive learned after a decade teaching them, coaching them, and watching them navigate the workplace: Gen Z doesnt think theyre doing anything unusual. And frankly, once you look at the data, its hard to argue with them. A new Youngstown State University study of 1,000 full-time U.S. professionals found that nearly half of Gen Z workers are already planning to leave their jobsnot for higher pay, but for better growth. That is the highest rate of all generations surveyed. Its not impulsiveness. Its not disloyalty. Its something far more reasonable. Its “growth hunting.” What Companies Assumeand Whats Actually Happening Theres a familiar script about young workers: Theyre too quick to leave, too impatient, too everything. That narrative has been around for so long that many leaders use it as the default explanation without thinking. But when nearly one out of two early-career workers say they cant picture a future where they are, that points to something systemicnot personal. Heres what the data actually shows. Eighty-six percent of Gen Z say they wont pursue upskilling unless their employer helps pay for it. Thats not a lack of drive. Thats the reality of trying to build a career while carrying historic student debt and paying rent that climbs faster than wages. Forty-three percent say theyre too burnt out to take on education outside of work. Thats not an excuse. Thats a sign that the modern workload has pushed people to their limit long before you ever ask them to add night classes. And seventy-six percent say the main thing blocking their advancement is costnot interest, not effort, not ambition. Cost. Taken together, the message is straightforward: This generation isnt avoiding responsibility. Theyre asking employers to share it. Why Growth Hunting Makes Sense Right Now Older generations built careers around staying put and climbing step by step. That path made sense when wages matched living costs and companies offered predictable ladders. Gen Z is coming of age in a completely different economy. Careers dont unfold in neat lines anymore. Skills expire quickly. Entire industries shift in a few years. And the price of staying competitive keeps climbing. So Gen Z does the logical thing: They move toward the places where they can grow. Theyre not chasing titles. Theyre chasing momentum. Every semester, I watch students who are smart, thoughtful, and deeply motivated figure out how to build a career in a landscape that changes constantly. Theyre not waiting for permission. But they will absolutely walk if an employer refuses to invest in them. And honestly, thats rational. Growth hunting is not about impatience. Its about survival. The Leadership Miss That Keeps Repeating For years, companies have preached the language of development and continuous learning. Theyve told young employees to take initiative, expand their skills, stay ahead. Gen Z listened. And now they want to know why the bill for that development keeps landing on their doorstep. You cant ask workers to level up and then close the door to the support they need to do it. You cant talk about retention and then offer no path forward. You cant position upskilling as essential and then make it unaffordable. This is where the generational disconnect becomes obvious. Companies say they want a future-ready workforce. Gen Z is asking them to mean it. A Cultural Standoff That Was Bound to Happen This feels like the moment where the values of Gen Z and the habits of corporate culture finally collide. Not because Gen Z is rebelling, but because theyre taking organizations at their word. If you say you value growth, you have to create it. If you say you care about development, you have to invest in it. Otherwise, Gen Z will simply walk toward someone who does. And heres the twist: They dont feel guilty about it. Theyre not sneaking out the back door. Theyre leaving through the fronthead highbecause the expectations were never mutual to begin with. What Employers Can Do This doesnt require an overhaul. It just takes intention. And while every organization is different, here are a few approaches that can make a real difference. Put money behind upskilling. Even partial funding shifts the relationship. Make advancement transparent. When people have to guess, they eventually stop trying. Tackle burnout before talking development. Growth cant happen when people are running on empty. Promote based on readiness rather than time served. Tenure alone doesnt tell you whos capable. Ask employees what growth actually means to them. The answers are often more practical than leaders expect. These arent the only steps, but theyre a meaningful start. And theyre far more achievable than most leaders realize. The Future Belongs to the Growth Hunters Gen Z isnt running from work. Theyre running toward growth. They know what it costs to stay still, and theyre not willing to pay that price. Not anymore. They arent rejecting the workplace. Theyre asking it to evolve with them. When employers offer real development, this generation will show up with incredible commitment. When they dont, Gen Z moves on with the same honesty and clarity they bring to everything else. That clarity is a gift if leaders choose to use it.Because building a workplace where people can grow isnt just good for Gen Z. Its good for everyone.
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E-Commerce
If a single type of building could define our present time, it would undoubtedly be the data center. Underpinning the increasingly online way we work, shop, and entertain ourselves, data centers provide the computing power and storage to handle all the Zoom calls, Amazon purchases, and Netflix streams a person can cram into their day. And now as compute-hungry artificial intelligence dominates the future of nearly every sector of the economyand possibly society as a wholethe data center will become even more ubiquitous. A headlong data center building boom is already underway. One report finds that average monthly spending on data centers has increased 400% in the last two years, adding up to more than $50 billion in 2025 alone. One tally contends that there were more than 1,200 data centers either built or approved for construction in the U.S. by the end of 2024; another suggests the total number of data centers in the U.S. is now more than 4,100. The scale and spread of data center building is staggering, and there seems to be no end in sight. All of this is why it’s so disappointing that the design of data center architecture is, by and large, very, very boring. [Photo: halbergman/Getty Images] The typical data center looks something like this: a cluster of large, rectangular warehouses 15 or 20 feet tall, each covering about the area of a professional soccer field. The building’s walls are usually made from tilt-up concrete panels with little adornment. There are few windows, and if there were more they would look out on large outdoor clusters of equipment for cooling equipment, electricity generation, and wastewater treatment. Increasingly, the entire complex is surrounded by security fencing or even opaque walls. For anyone passing by or living in their vicinity, there may be little to see beyond the data center’s unending nighttime glow. For what could be considered the most important buildings of the decade, this is a decidedly dull aesthetic. It is the architecture of value engineering and the minimum viable product. The companies behind these facilities would argue that data centers are more like utilities or infrastructure and therefore don’t need the kind of design a more public-facing building would. But even when these data centers are not located near large communitiesthough many actually arehow they look can send a powerful message about their owners’ sense of responsibility for their many downsides. A missed opportunity By now, the negative externalities of big data centers are well known. From their excessive energy use to their inflationary impacts on local electricity rates to their deep thirst for water to the sheer size of their sprawling campuses, the costs of the data center building boom can feel excessively high, especially in the face of hallucinating chatbots, disinformation campaigns, and unavoidable AI slop. In this light, the warehouse design approach of most data centers is the architectural equivalent of burying one’s head in the sand, a supermax prison tucked out in the boondocks, far from any discourse over mass incarceration or human rights. The boring design of data centers is a missed opportunity to counter their negative externalities with at least a little upside. [Photo: courtesy of Gensler] There are some data centers that are offering glimpses of what a better design could be. Some data companies and spec builders are turning to large and renowned architecture firms to add an extra layer of design to what can be fairly cookie cutter buildings meant primarily to house computers. Some designs are emphasizing natural light and natural materials in their small but important human-centric office and entry spaces. Others are prioritizing new building materials and server cooling equipment that lowers both the embedded and operational carbon impacts of the facilities. Still others are blending themselves into dense urban locations, bringing smaller scale data centers closer to specific types of users. Some look like modern office complexes. If they weren’t so big, some even look like they could hold a high end restaurant or retaier. But for every data center trying to soften its blow on society, there are dozens, if not hundreds, that are spreading as much computing power over as large an area possible that can draw in the enough resources to get the servers up and whirring as soon as possible. This looks to be the predominant developmental strategy. Design is largely an afterthought. [Photo: Gerville/iStock/Getty Images Plus] AI companies and other so-called hyperscalers are scrambling for suitable building sites near electricity generation and transmission lines, making it likely that data centers will edge closer and closer to preexisting communities. This proximity will increase the need for more sensitive design approaches. Some better design is happening now. As the building boom carries on, much more will be needed. The companies behind the AI race have been unambiguous about AI’s potential to dramatically reshape society. If that’s true (the jury is still very much out), perhaps those companies could spend a bit more effort signaling AI’s importance by making its vast and growing physical footprint less of a total bore.
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E-Commerce
A few weeks ago, I led a leadership workshop for a group of executive women leaders in Birmingham, Alabama. Before I begin leadership workshops, I ask the participants what they want out of our time together. This year, one answer has emerged consistently on top: connection.This isnt surprising. As executives rise to higher levels of leadership, they often report increased feelings of loneliness. One Harvard Business Review survey found that 55% of CEOs acknowledge experiencing moderate but significant bouts of loneliness, while 25% report frequent feelings of loneliness. As your expertise becomes more specialized, it can be harder to find other leaders who understand the unique challenges of the corporate environment, with whom you can connect, learn from, and grow alongside. This is especially true for women leaders, as finding them in the senior ranks becomes less frequent the higher they climb. According to McKinsey, only 29% of C-suite leaders are women. As an entrepreneur, I’ve felt this, too. As my business grew, I realized that I didn’t have any coworkers to confide in, lean on, and seek counsel from. I had to create this network on my own. I’ve joined business groups, leadership retreats, and mastermind groups to create this support circle. THE IMPORTANCE OF A LEADERSHIP SUPPORT STRUCTURE As you advance at work, you can find yourself feeling more alone in the decision-making rooms. For example, if you manage the people who were once your peers and your relationship has evolved, this often means you can no longer rely on them for support as you used to. Challenging emotions also arise as your level of decision-making becomes larger and the stakes rise. Neuroscience research shows that when people make decisions under pressure, the brain shifts from thoughtful, deliberate thinking to more automatic, emotion-driven responses. This makes leaders more vulnerable to biased or short-term choices. However, research also shows that strong social support actually dampens the brains threat response under pressure, helping leaders think more clearly and make better decisions.In the era of AI, nurturing relationships is even more essential. One large-scale study on 6,000 UK employees found that technologies like AI are associated with a poorer quality of life. A 2023 analysis in Business Insider also warns that AI tools may make us lonelier at work by replacing quick check-ins with colleagues. Many of my clients echo this sentiment, saying things like, With the rise of AI, I am constantly wondering if things are fake. Because of this, I crave real relationships more than ever.Relationships are not only essential for combating loneliness, but they are also how deals get done, projects get awarded, and people get promoted. Here are some ways to prioritize them, even in the face of digital distraction. LEVERAGE YOUR SUPPORTERS Your supporters are the people in the organization who would advocate for you when you are not in the room (and you know it). They have your best interests at heart, and you have built solid relationship capital with them. Supporters are also the people who will give you unfiltered feedback that is focused on helping you advance. A good way to leverage your supporters is by asking them to socialize and support initiatives you may be launching. They can also play a critical role in helping you build new relationships in the organization and nurture strained relationships. However, before reaching out, consider what you can offer the relationship in return. CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEUTRALS Neutrals are people in the organization whom you dont know yet, or dont know well. Maybe they are new, you are new, or you just havent crossed paths yet. Organizational network scholars like Ronald Burt have repeatedly shown that people whose relationships bridge otherwise disconnected groups (what he refers to as structural holes) receive higher performance evaluations and compensation, because they sit at key points of information and influence in the network. This is why neutrals in key stakeholder positions are critical to build relationships with. One strategy my clients enjoy using to build relationships with neutrals is called a 30:30 meeting. This is an opportunity to invite someone to a meeting or coffee. Thirty minutes are spent understanding them, their vision, goals, and offering your expertise in a way that might help them. The remaining 30 minutes are spent focused on your needs or area of expertise. The key to success in thee meetings is that the focus is always on advancing shared goals and values. REBUILD CONNECTIONS WITH CHALLENGING PARTNERS Nearly every executive client I work with has one or two leaders with whom there exists some tension. It could be because individuals frequently stand in the way of their project implementations, or they consistently deny the resources they need to accomplish the work. Strained relationships are a normal occurrence when you work with people whose personalities differ from yours. However, as you advance in leadership, rebuilding these relationships will be essential to accomplish work and leverage organizational resources. To rebuild relationships, ask yourself: Do my challenging partners have good relationships with any of my supporters? Your supporters can often be bridge builders here. If you dont have supporters who can act as bridge builders, this can be a good opportunity to cultivate and strengthen your relationship with neutrals. In times of conflict with challenging partners, it can also be helpful to focus on shared business goals and values, rather than defaulting to your fundamental differences. NURTURE YOUR NETWORK BEYOND WORK As an executive coach, the first place I direct clients to is their immediate network of leaders (old colleagues or current colleagues). However, there are also great connection opportunities that you can leverage from your loose network. The next place I encourage them to look is their industry or professional affiliated groups. Because there is a shared common interest of the type of work you do, this is a great place to foster connection through participating in conferences, meet-ups or even online forums. Another example is asking a mutual friend for an introduction to someone whose work you admire. The most effective leaders are not the most self-sufficient, but they often are the most connected. In a world where digital technology and AI are shrinking everyday interactions, relationships become your most valuable and tangible resources.
Category:
E-Commerce
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