Rohan O'Neill Stevens: Nelson deputy mayor responds to new study about Gen Z and leadership

New research indicates most of Gen Z aren't aiming for leadership roles in their future careers.

An annual Deloitte survey says only six percent of Gen Z respondents stated they had leadership aspirations. 

Nelson's deputy mayor Rohan O'Neill Stevens is within the Gen Z age range - and he says this survey shows this group has different goals to their predecessors.

"When you look at the top scoring results there, it's things like maintaining a good work-life balance and achieving financial independence - which doesn't necessarily exclude leadership as a part of that." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now it's time to talk about the gen zs. These

(00:02):
are the guys who were born between nineteen ninety seven
and twenty twelve. Now, according to new research, when they
were asked what their primary career goal was, only six
percent of the gen zs said that they want to
reach a leadership position. Rowan O'Neil Stevens is gen Z.
He's also the deputy mayor of Nelson and with us now, Rowan.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Hello, I cured a Heather, why don't.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
You guys want to be leaders?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I'm not convinced that looking through the survey, it's as
much about not wanting to be leaders but more being
driven by other things within the workplace. I mean, when
you look at the top scoring results there, it's things
like maintaining a good work life balance and achieving financial independence,
which doesn't necessarily exclude leadership as a part of that.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yees. So it's kind of like not wanting to go
for leadership for the sake of leadership with all the
burnout and all the stress and all of that stuff.
Is that right?

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Yeah? And I think it's critical to understand, especially I'm
always a skeptic when we talk in generational teens because
there's so much nuance to that, but understanding, you know,
gen Z's grown up through a time that's been sort
of focused on the risks and thread of climate change

(01:21):
of a mass development and technology, but also financial instability,
a housing crisis and the anxiety that goes along with that.
To me, it makes perfect sense that if you're asked
what your main goal out of your job is, it's
you want to live a happy life and for that
to be a part of it.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
You guys have actually copped a lot of grief for
being unambitious, and this is not the only time that
you have. But is it actually maybe possible that what
you are is just actually wise beyond your years and
you just realize you don't have to spoil your life
with too much hard work, and what you want is
just a good life.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
I mean, I think that's very generous of you. But
I do think that increasingly that is the focus I
know within my friends is it's not that it's an
avoidance of leadership, but it's about looking at how can
I take steps to live as good life as possible?

(02:17):
And oftentimes leadership does fall into that, And you know,
I think about my own experiences leadership wasn't the goal
that was finding meaningful work that aligned with my values
and through that stumbled into positions of leadership.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yep, now I'm talking to you because you're standing down,
aren't you? Why are you standing down?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Really sort of along those same lines of one wanting
to make space for new leaders to step up, but
also to find new challenges and new ways to find
meaning in my work and to contribute to our community.

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Interesting, Hey, Rowan, thanks very much, appreciate it. Rowan O'Neil
Stevens gen Z, Deputy Mayor of Nelson, Standing Down. For
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