Gen Z ushers in the end of the untouchable boss

Since the dawn of civilisation, people have organised themselves into hierarchical structures. Societies and organisations have both admired their rulers and despised them. Leaders were more separated from those who followed them and would have found it easier to control their public personas before social media came along to break down the third wall.

A PR crisis for a leader once meant that a journalist from one of a small number of media companies had a negative story. The leader may have had a chance to manage or mitigate the scandal from behind closed doors with their PR team. Today, there are no gatekeepers who control the narrative. Anyone can bring their issues to the court of public opinion. If a leader in a PR crisis replies with a carefully managed statement, written by a team of lawyers, it usually adds fuel to the fire.

Take the situation with YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast. His PR crisis, over a series of alleged scandals, started online but with so many clicks up for grabs has spilt over to mainstream media. Donaldson is the founder and chief executive of MrBeast, the world’s biggest YouTube channel, and has built a massive media company and FMCG brand, working with Amazon Prime and Walmart.

How Donaldson handles the allegations will be crucial not only for his reputation but also for the confidence of his investors and the morale of his employees. He cannot afford to curate an overly polished statement; people are too savvy for that now. The changing expectations of leadership are not just being shaped by external audiences, but also by the workforce itself.

Generation Z, which makes up more than 25 per cent of people working today, is driving a shift in how leaders manage the way they are perceived in their businesses. Gen Z employees have a sharp nose for insincerity and don’t buy into leaders who stick to a script.

Growing up with unprecedented access to information and behind-the-scenes content, they demand transparency and authenticity. They have little patience for cringeworthy company values that don’t align with reality. For chief executives, this means that the old playbook of top-down communication and tightly controlled messaging is no longer effective.

Gen Z wants leaders who are approachable, honest and willing to engage in genuine dialogue. They expect them to acknowledge challenges and be transparent about the path forward. Anything less is seen as a waste of time and, worse, as a sign of dishonesty.

In 2018 Mark Zuckerberg was viewed by many as Silicon Valley’s biggest villain, while never answering questions directly. Now, he’s a cool hydrofoiler who wears chains and cracks jokes on podcasts. As the meme goes, he went from the guy who would steal your data to the guy who would steal your girl and did this by seeming more authentic.

Through our venture fund, we have been lucky enough to work with some of the most impressive chief executives of our generation. These modern leaders highlight how leadership is evolving. They communicate with their employees in accessible and transparent ways. They openly discuss business challenges, share their plans and invite feedback. Importantly, they don’t pretend to have all the answers or to always be OK.

This openness builds trust, as employees can sense when a leader is being genuine versus putting on a facade. In this new era, leaders must be genuine, admit when things aren’t perfect and actively seek input from all levels of their organisation. As the workforce changes and Gen Z becomes an even larger cohort, these qualities will only become more critical.

Chief executives who can adapt to these expectations will not only navigate crises more effectively but will also build stronger, more resilient organisations. The era of mythical, untouchable celebrities and politicians is over. The same holds true for chief executives.