Shadow Leadership and the silent ‘No Thanks’ from Future Talent
In early 2025, research from Robert Walters revealed a striking trend. More than half of Gen Z professionals in the UK said they did not want to take on a middle-management role. HRZone explored this in one of its most read articles of 2025, a piece that resonated widely as organisations wrestled with what it means when an entire generation questions whether leadership is worth it. In the article, Natasha Johnson, Founder of Organic P&O Solutions, shared her insights on how employers might reverse what she described as the rise of conscious unbossing. The data and the response to that article tell a story. It is not simply that Gen Z are opting out. It is that many are looking at the leadership they see around them and deciding it is not a future they want.
What the HRZone article highlighted: Johnson pointed to several forces shaping this shift:
Young professionals are deeply values driven and seek alignment between what organisations say and what they do
They view leadership through the lens of wellbeing, boundaries and meaning
They will not sacrifice their personal lives to fit outdated corporate norms
They want clarity, coaching and constructive challenge from their managers
They are willing to walk away rather than tolerate toxic patterns or ineffective leadership
They expect purpose and autonomy not hierarchy for its own sake
Her term conscious unbossing captured something important. Gen Z are not rejecting ambition. They are consciously stepping back from managerial paths that look unhealthy, unappealing or inconsistent with what they value. These insights matter. Yet they are only half the story.
The deeper question: what are we role modelling?
Reading the article prompted a different line of thinking. Not about Gen Z but about the rest of us. If emerging talent are intentionally stepping away from leadership roles, we must ask ourselves a harder question, What are we role modelling that makes tomorrow’s leaders quietly think no thanks? This is where the principle of shadow leadership comes in. Every leader casts a shadow. It is the unspoken curriculum that shapes how others experience leadership in practice. It is formed not by our intentions or our values statements but by our habits, reactions and choices under pressure. When aspiring leaders look at us, they are not only learning what leadership is. They are learning what leadership costs.
What sits in the shadow
Shadow leadership shows up in subtle everyday ways:
Cconstant late emails that signal stress is normal
Micromanagement that tells people growth is unsafe
Conflict avoidance that teaches difficult conversations are to be feared
Silence after poor behaviour that shows culture is optional
Scattered priorities that model firefighting rather than focus
Emotional leakage that makes leadership look unstable
Lack of boundaries that suggests success requires self-sacrifice
Even the leaders who care deeply about people can cast a shadow that says: this job consumes you. Gen Z are paying attention. And they are making rational decisions based on what they see.
A different kind of leadership future
Young professionals are not rejecting responsibility. They are rejecting leadership that erodes identity, wellbeing or dignity. What they want is reasonable and in many ways overdue. They want leaders who:
are grounded not overwhelmed
practise what they teach
build trust and psychological safety
support people to grow rather than protect their own status
model a life outside work
are emotionally agile not emotionally reactive
combine kindness with standards
They are looking for leadership that is worth stepping into.
Turning the mirror on ourselves
If we want emerging talent to choose leadership, we need to check our own shadow.
What cues am I sending without meaning to?
Would I want the job I am modelling?
What behaviours of mine would make someone say no thanks?
What habits have I normalised that no longer serve a healthy culture?
What small changes would better align the leader I am with the leader I intend to be?
This is not about blaming leaders. It is about awareness. It is about understanding that the next generation’s reluctance is not a rejection of leadership. It is a response to what they have witnessed.
The invitation
The HRZone article sparked an important conversation and Natasha Johnson’s contribution shone a light on what Gen Z want from their managers. Yet the real opportunity lies deeper. If tomorrow’s talent are stepping back, perhaps the question is not how we persuade them to step up. Perhaps the question is how we reshape leadership so it becomes something they aspire to rather than avoid.
Emerging leaders are not opting out of ambition. They are inviting us to create a version of leadership that is credible, human, energising and aligned with the values we claim to hold. The shadow we cast today is shaping the leaders we get tomorrow. We should choose that shadow carefully.