Gen Z is poised to become the most populous generation on the planet, and their influence is already shaping the future of work. As one of the most educated and racially and ethnically diverse generations, they bring fresh perspectives and new expectations for how we work and lead.

Known as the first truly “digital native” generation, Gen Z grew up immersed in a world of technology and social media, giving them a natural edge in navigating the modern world. But there is more to Gen Z than their digital fluency.

What truly sets them apart is their ambition, entrepreneurial spirit, financial savviness, commitment to ethical consumption and strong sense of social responsibility. For Gen Z, work is more than just a paycheck — it’s about committing to a higher purpose. They do best in people-centred organizations that value their contributions, prioritize well-being and align with their sense of mission.

Gen Z is redefining leadership by choosing to lead through expertise rather than relying on formal positions of authority. One of the most striking trends is their growing reluctance to step into middle management roles — a phenomenon being called “conscious unbossing.”

This powerful shift is catching many in the business world by surprise.

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

Read more from Quarter Life:

• Networking online: how to make professional connections remotely and why it matters
• What millennials and gen Z professionals need to know about developing a meaningful career
• Ready for the next step in your career? Here’s how to get ready for your first leadership position

Where strategy meets execution

Middle managers play a vital role in organizations, acting as the crucial link between a company’s big-picture strategy and its day-to-day operations.

Unlike supervisors, who primarily focus on overseeing day-to-day tasks, middle managers are responsible for both their team’s performance and the implementation of broader organizational strategies. It’s a dynamic role where strategic vision meets practical execution.

However, research shows that over half of Gen Z have no interest in pursuing middle management roles. There is an understandable reason for this: these roles are known for their high levels of burnout and may initially seem at odds with Gen Z’s values of autonomy, flexibility and personal well-being.

It is true that middle managers face real challenges. Over the past decade, their responsibilities have grown significantly. They manage competing priorities while contending with a polarized and rapidly shifting workplace. However, with the right approach, these roles can be deeply fulfilling and transformative, as my doctoral thesis research found.

Why middle management matters

Despite being highly ambitious, self-confident and driven by personal growth, Gen Z may be overlooking the valuable learning opportunities and influence that come with middle management.

Middle management roles serve as a crucial stepping stone for those seeking to make a real, systemic and lasting impact, offering a platform to advocate for the values Gen Z cares deeply about, such as social responsibility, sustainability and equity.

Additionally, middle management provides important opportunities to develop essential technical and human skills, including emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and complex decision-making. Embracing these roles can unlock the potential to lead change and inspire transformation.

How to find joy in middle management roles

If you are part of Gen Z and are unsure about middle management, reframing these roles to align with your values and aspirations can help you see it as a rewarding opportunity rather than a burden. This three-step framework can help you make the most of these roles while staying true to your values:

1. Use it as a vehicle to increase self-awareness

Middle management offers a unique environment to enhance self-awareness. By reflecting on how you respond to challenges, interact with others and make decisions under pressure, you can gain valuable insight into your strengths, areas for growth and leadership style.

For example, self-awareness can help you delegate more effectively — empowering your team, preventing burnout, and freeing up time to focus on what matters most to you.

2. Think of the role as a leadership incubator

Viewing middle management as a leadership incubator can help you shift the focus toward its long-term value. These roles offer a training ground where you learn to negotiate priorities at multiple levels of the organization and give you access to important networks and development opportunities.

The skills you develop — strategic thinking, negotiation and stakeholder management — not only prepare you for higher positions, but also equip you to effectively advocate for social change or succeed as an entrepreneur.

3. Leverage the role to scale your impact

Middle management is about expanding your influence and creating larger ripple effects. The role offers a unique vantage point to shape organizational culture and advocate for meaningful change. You can demonstrate to older generations in the workplace that ambitious goals can be achieved without compromising personal well-being or ethical standards.

The path forward

The world is counting on you and other members of Gen Z to lead the way forward. Middle management roles offer a powerful platform to exercise meaningful influence while developing the essential skills that will prepare you for success in any path you choose.

Rather than viewing the roles as a burden, see them as opportunities to grow, inspire others and leave your legacy. Middle management allows you to connect strategy with execution, shape organizational culture and advocate for the values that matter most to you.

By embracing the challenge of middle management rather than shying away, you’ll have a chance to shape the future of your organizations and become a leader who drives positive, systemic change for a better, more sustainable world.

Leda Stawnychko, Assistant Professor of Strategy and Organizational Theory, Mount Royal University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

War has become a regular part of life for many children. Millions are victims and witnesses to the horrors of war. Recent estimates by researchers at the Peace Research Institute Oslo show that one in six children globally lives in a conflict zone, and Africa has the highest number of conflict-affected children.

Many children are forced to become child soldiers. In other cases, such as during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, violence is aimed at children.

In recent years, researchers from various fields have been studying the impact on children of growing up in war zones. Psychologists, for example, have been researching how conflict affects children’s mental health and behaviour. Economists have examined, among other issues, how growing up in these environments can limit future earning capabilitites. Other scholars have investigated how war shapes the long-term (political) attitudes of these children.

Despite this growing body of research, we – a group of researchers who look into the causes and consequences of armed conflict for children – spotted two key gaps.

First, much of the literature treats children’s experiences as if they were the same across different contexts. Few studies have considered the distinct experiences of girls as soldiers or how these differ from boys’ experiences.

Second, while some research does explore these gender differences, it often focuses only on what happens during the conflict. It doesn’t consider how these experiences affect social relationships when the conflict ends. This is despite scholars and policymakers highlighting that girls’ experiences in war are fundamentally different from those of boys due to their different status and role in society.

To address these gaps, we conducted an exploratory study from 2018 to 2019 on the experiences of boys and girls during conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We studied how these gendered experiences might have affected their social relationships after the war. We interviewed 315 children aged between 12 and 18, with different levels of exposure to conflict. This included 186 respondents who had been involved in armed groups.

Our recently published analysis revealed, as expected, that many children had witnessed or experienced various conflict-related events during their life-time. Most children reported seeing homes and property destroyed, and many had witnessed people being beaten or tortured by armed forces. Fewer children reported being sexually assaulted or raped or injured by weapons such as gunshots or stabbings, though sadly these were not rare occurrences either.

We found that boys were generally more exposed to conflict than girls. This difference is largely due to boys being more involved with armed groups and more likely to perpetrate violence.

These experiences of conflict can have lasting effects on children’s relationships with their families, friends, teachers and other important social groups. These connections are crucial for a child’s development and wellbeing.

The differences between how boys and girls are affected are important considerations in building appropriate and effective psychosocial support programmes, with tools that address gender-specific needs in conflict or post-conflict situations.

The study

We gathered information from 315 structured interviews with Congolese children. Some of these boys and girls had been actively involved with armed groups in the eastern provinces of the DRC, while others had less direct exposure to the conflict.

Conflict and human rights violations are widespread in the DRC. World Vision has called the decades-long conflict in the country “one of the worst child protection crises in the world”. Further, in a recent UN report on children and armed conflict, 3,377 verified grave violations against children in the DRC were identified. Of these, 46% involved the recruitment of children – some as young as five – by armed forces or groups.

To examine how the armed conflict has affected Congolese boys and girls, we collected data between 2018 and 2019 in the South Kivu province of eastern DRC. We selected our participants with the help and consent of five local child protective organisations.

Our analysis first explored what the boys and girls had experienced during conflict. Then we associated these gendered experiences with differences in social behaviour. We looked at whether there were gender differences in the children’s key relationships with family, friends (and other social groups) and their teachers.

First, we found that war disrupted the family’s ability to provide safety and security, and both children and their caregivers might suffer from the emotional and psychological toll of the conflict. Our study found that girls tended to have a stronger relationship with their family and caretakers compared to boys after conflict. This aligns with previous research suggesting boys may face more challenges in maintaining family relationships. This is particularly the case for those that were active as child soldiers.

Second, our analysis found that boys tended to have more diverse friendship networks than girls, even when comparing former boy soldiers to girl soldiers. Friendships are vital for a child’s wellbeing. Strong and diverse friendships are linked to better mental health, tolerance and understanding.

Lastly, we looked at how gender and war experiences might affect relationships between students and teachers. Armed conflict can have devastating effects on the educational attainment of children. Education, however, supports war-affected children and adolescents in several important ways. Structured school rules, regulations and activities establish a sense of normality, which is crucial to the healing process and wellbeing of children. Overall, the children interviewed had a very positive view of their schools or training programmes. They felt safe, enjoyed spending time with their classmates and viewed their teachers as helpful and caring. However, girls – especially former girl soldiers – were significantly more likely than boys to report that their teachers were sympathetic and supportive.

Why the findings matter

Our research is one of the first to highlight significant differences in how boys and girls experience war, and how these experiences shape their social relationships.

Addressing the differences in the needs of boys and girls after conflict not only improves their wellbeing, but is also likely to positively affect entire households, post-conflict regions and post-conflict countries. While our study sheds light on these differences, more research is needed to understand them in greater depth and, most importantly, to explain why they occur.

Are these differences the result of psychological trauma, behavioural changes, or specific events that happened before or during the conflict? Moreover, we know very little about the long-term effects of war exposure – do these differences fade over time, or do they persist? And how can communities play a role in helping children to overcome these challenges? Do we also observe these differences in other conflicts at other periods?

Understanding these differences is key for policymakers working to develop effective support programmes. Developing and increasing the availability of gender-responsive approaches can help strengthen the resilience of children after conflict. It may also work to strengthen their agency and resilience before conflict.

Roos van der Haer, Assistant professor of International Relations at the Institute of Political Science, Leiden University and Kathleen J. Brown, PhD Candidate, Institute of Political Science, Leiden University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.