Edition 11- Future Leaders & Fractured Views

Hello everyone, I hope like me, you’re finding that the longer, lighter days are giving your brain a bit of a boost. This edition will look at Deloitte’s global trends report, which explores how the age of uncertainty brings leaders great opportunity. As well as an analysis on KCL’s generational study on men and women’s views towards gender equality. As a Gen Z’er myself, I constantly hear that we’re the generation driving progress. But this latest study has me wondering—are we actually becoming more divided than ever?

All the time, I read bold, sweeping statements about Gen Z being radically different from past generations, and now, there's a growing narrative that younger voices are becoming increasingly polarised on issues like gender, rights, and equality.

A study from Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at KCL analysed different generational attitudes towards gender equality. The study, conducted across 30 countries, analysed the generational data by groups such as income level, immigration status, and ethnicity. It found minimal divergence in attitudes across the generations. However, when the data was split across gender lines, there was a significant divergence in attitudes towards gender equality, especially in the younger generations—Millennials and Gen Z.

Men and women in Gen Z were the most starkly divided in their attitudes towards gender equality, with 53% of women defining themselves as feminists, compared with 32% of Gen Z men—a 21% difference. Gen Z men’s worrying attitudes towards traditional gender roles are further exemplified by the fact that 25% of them believe a man who stays at home is less of a man, and 60% feel that men are being expected to do too much to support gender equality.

When comparing Gen Z men with male Boomers, only 12% of Boomers shared their sentiments about male caregiving, and just 44% agreed with their stance on men’s role in achieving equality. The data across Gen Z shows that not only does this generation have the largest proportion of men holding negative views towards gender equality, but it is also the generation with the highest proportion of women defining themselves as feminists and resisting traditional gender roles—showing the greatest degree of attitudinal tension from any generation globally.

While it is easy, as so often happens, to hone in on the divergence of Gen Z, the data among men and women from the Millennial generation paints a similar picture, with large proportions of men resisting progressive attitudes towards gender equality and the women overwhelmingly embracing it.

 Looking at the generational trend from Baby Boomers to Gen Z reveals that as the generations get younger, the more polarised men and women’s attitudes towards gender equality become. This poses the question: does one gender's resistance or acceptance of gender equality push the other in the opposite direction? And is backlash inevitable when societal power begins to shift?

A comprehensive report from Deloitte analysed Global Human Capital Trends to identify how uncertainty can provide opportunities for future leaders. The report polled 10,000 business and HR leaders from 93 countries across various sectors and industries and conducted in-depth interviews with senior executives.

One major theme that stood out was how the rise of AI is reshaping not just what we do, but who does it—and what that means for the employee experience. As Deloitte puts it, “we cannot realise the value of AI without accounting for its impact on the human experience.”

The data showed that while many leaders are embracing AI from a tactical standpoint, they’re not fully considering its role in people transformation. More than half (54%) expressed concern about the increasingly blurry line between human and machine-driven work, suggesting the need for clear strategies for balancing technological advancements and human approaches.

Mid-managers, in particular, are feeling the pressure. The report makes a strong case for rethinking their role. Instead of being bogged down in admin and problem-solving, managers should evolve into true people developers. The research showed that development is most effective at the one-to-one level between managers and their direct reports, making them 1.5 times more likely to succeed in their goals. 

This ties into a broader insight that kept popping up: a focus on teams and individuals as essential for organisational success. In fact, 71% of leaders said this approach is critical for building fluidity, agility, and diversity. And yet, only 13% feel they currently spend enough time developing their teams—most of their day is eaten up by admin work. Perhaps more worryingly, 36% of leaders don’t feel equipped to handle the people side of their roles at all.

Deloitte’s report evidences the need for organisations to embrace this moment of uncertainty, define clear strategies, and use technology to reduce administrative burdens. Investing time and resources in developing managers who can go on to create future managers is crucial. Empowering managers to truly lead, not just manage, and creating space for growth, connection, and purpose in today’s world of work is essential.

Gender Pay Gap- Last year, the median gender pay gap for Lloyds Bank Group and Nationwide significantly worsened. Lloyds Banking Group median pay stood at 35.5%, well above the 18.6% industry average. Nationwide’s median pay gap increased by 7% last year, jumping to 29.2%, again, well above the average.