𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑮𝒆𝒏 𝒁 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆

Recently, I sat in the Uongozi Institute Resource Centre at JNICC, alongside moderator Namwaka Omari and CEO Kadari Singo, surrounded by curious, academic minds who had gathered to hear my thoughts on the book Optimal. The conversation was flowing, questions were flying, and then the online audience chimed in.

During my review, I touched on Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats—a robust framework I’ve found useful in enhancing decision-making skills, both personally and professionally. At Empower, we’ve long embraced the Six Thinking Hats—not just as a theoretical model, but as a practical tool to strengthen thinking. We use it regularly with our management team to sharpen strategic discussions, challenge assumptions, and improve the quality of decision-making.

Externally, we introduce the framework to our clients—guiding executive teams, boards, and young professionals to explore issues from multiple vantage points. It pushes teams beyond instinctive reactions and helps cultivate more balanced, inclusive thinking.

Among the online contributors was Godfrey Temba, a Partner at Ark Associates, who posed a question that immediately intrigued me. Using the Six Thinking Hats as a lens, he asked how Gen Z responds to pressure, builds resilience, and what leaders can do to better support them. It was layered, reflective, and timely.

I knew right away that this wasn’t a question to answer in haste. It deserved depth. So, live in the room, I made a commitment: “This needs an article.” Since then, several participants have reached out, asking when it would be ready. The collective curiosity said it all—this was a conversation worth expanding.

⚪ 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒕: 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂

One of the most common words I hear from Gen Z professionals is “overwhelmed.” At Empower, where the majority of our team falls within this generation, I’ve observed a striking contrast: they are both more likely to experience burnout—and more confident in recognising and articulating it.

From my experience, Gen Z is far more attuned to mental health and self-awareness than previous generations. They’re quick to name stress, ask for support, and seek boundaries—but the pace, pressure, and constant connectivity of the modern workplace means their propensity for burnout is significantly higher.

This aligns with broader research. Studies show Gen Z reports the highest levels of workplace stress compared to other generations. Factors include high expectations, global uncertainty, and blurred lines between personal and professional life—especially in hybrid or remote contexts. They are not afraid to speak up, but the pressure to perform in a fast-paced, always-on world still takes its toll.

🔴 𝑹𝒆𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒕: 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Emotionally, Gen Z engages with burnout differently from previous generations. Many openly—and even proudly—express being overwhelmed, as though it’s a shared identity.

What might feel like normal workplace pressure to a Millennial or Gen X professional is almost certainly overwhelming to Gen Z—or so they confidently tell me.

There’s a kind of emotional transparency that is admirable, but it also reveals a shifting threshold. Anecdotally, I’ve observed young professionals in their first role feeling close to burnout within just six months—where previous generations may have hustled through similar pressures for years. Gen Z doesn’t see resilience as quiet endurance. For them, it’s about self-preservation, expression, and establishing boundaries early. They reframe resilience not as silent suffering, but as knowing when enough is enough—and saying it out loud.

⚫ 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑯𝒂𝒕: 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

When it comes to managing Gen Z in the workplace, the extremes on either end of the spectrum carry risk.

Push too hard, and you may see brilliance flash briefly—only to dim under pressure. In my experience, some of the brightest Gen Z stars have struggled with consistency. They shine intensely for a while, only to swing the other way, citing burnout or going completely offline. As a business leader, I value performance that holds at a steady, dependable plateau. Erratic pendulum swings—from high impact to sudden absence—can create disruption for the whole team.

On the flip side, being too lenient or overly accommodating can backfire. Organisations that shy away from setting boundaries or offering honest feedback risk cultivating a culture of entitlement. Without structure, young professionals may conflate support with permission to disengage.

What’s needed is balance: open, ongoing conversations about how to manage energy and expectations, combined with systems that support wellness, accountability, and growth. It's not about coddling—it's about helping them show up sustainably and consistently. After all, they are in their prime in a far more volatile world.

🟡 𝒀𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝑯𝒂𝒕: 𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚

Despite the risks, there’s an undeniable energy Gen Z brings to the workplace that gives me hope.

They are innovative, driven, and fiercely ambitious. Their self-belief is palpable—if I had even an iota of their confidence in my early twenties, I might have been miles ahead of where I am today. They bring fresh eyes, ask bold questions, and don’t hesitate to challenge outdated norms. The speed at which they grow—personally and professionally—is remarkable.

Gen Z doesn’t wait to be invited into the room. They come in with ideas, often framed through a wider lens that includes social impact, identity, and purpose. Their hunger for growth and clarity of voice are powerful assets—particularly when channelled within a culture that values collaboration and long-term development.

Their resilience might not look like the quiet endurance of past generations, but it’s there—in their agility, in their optimism, and in their refusal to settle.

🟢 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑯𝒂𝒕: 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

At Empower, we’ve found that creating structured variety is one of the best ways to build adaptability. Our project-based model exposes all staff—including Gen Z—to robust processes while giving them opportunities to work across a range of projects. Life at a consulting firm like Empower is never boring. That variety, combined with real responsibility, helps develop agility and resilience organically. Learning to juggle multiple clients, shifting milestones, and varied team dynamics is a powerful crash course in real-world adaptability.

We’ve also learned that recognition matters deeply to Gen Z. In response, we introduced our weekly Empowerneer Award—a peer-nominated ritual tied directly to our organisational values. Every week, team members nominate colleagues who embody our values in action. It reinforces desired behaviours while fostering appreciation and emotional engagement—key drivers for a generation that values being seen, heard, and valued.

These may seem like small strategies, but they create cultural rhythms that build muscle memory for resilience. With the right scaffolding, creativity thrives—even under pressure.

🔵 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆 𝑯𝒂𝒕: 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Building resilience can’t be left to chance. At Empower, we believe it must be intentionally embedded into the culture—not as a slogan, but as a rhythm of how we work.

We instil the importance of planning ahead. Teaching Gen Z to anticipate workload peaks, map out deliverables, and align early helps reduce the kind of last-minute pressure that leads to panic. Structured project planning not only improves performance—it supports mental wellbeing.

Our managers are groomed to actively check in with their teams, notice early signs of strain, and reallocate work where needed. It’s about cultivating collective responsibility from the top—so resilience isn’t reactive, but part of how we lead.

Perhaps most importantly, we normalise asking for help. For many Millennials and Gen X professionals, that still feels like a weakness. But for Gen Z, we’ve made it part of the culture—a strength, not a flaw.

Integrating resilience isn’t about a single initiative. It’s a way of thinking, planning, and working together with empathy and clarity.

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

As leaders, we owe it to the next generation to meet them where they are—not with indulgence, but with intention. Gen Z doesn’t need to be fixed. They need to be understood, empowered, and supported in a world that demands more agility than ever before.

If we can blend structure with empathy, challenge with support, and performance with wellbeing—we don’t just build resilient individuals. We build resilient organisations.

At Empower, we partner with leaders and teams to drive culture transformation as a core consulting service—guided by our proprietary Theory of Transformation(c). We help organisations embed values, build resilience, and design systems that sustain performance and purpose.

𝑨𝒔 𝒂 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈?

Miranda Naiman is the Founding Partner of Empower; delivering transformational consulting tailored for Africa’s potential. Miranda@empower.co.tz