Channel Leadership Could (And Should) Be Different—And That’s Why Gen Z Is Watching

Channel leadership could (and should) evolve—because Gen Z is watching, and business-as-usual won’t build the future they believe in.

I typically don’t point to the way things should be.

The word “should” is clouded in judgement and often weaponized to enforce norms that no longer serve us. I chose to focus on the way things are and what could make them better. Possibility over perfection. Imagination over imitation.

But in this moment where burnout is high, leadership gaps are widening, and the next generation is quietly opting out of corporate work, I find myself wondering if we, as channel leaders shaping the future, need to pay more attention to the way things should be evolving.

Because the next generation is watching. Closely.

When Leadership Looks The Same, We Lose Vision

The channel ecosystem prides itself on precision, efficiency, and repeatability. But the one place those values fail us is in leadership.

Leadership isn’t a widget. It can’t be copied, pasted, or resold. When the top of the organizational chart looks, thinks, and leads the same, we’re not scaling success. Rather we’re bottlenecking innovation.

Sameness may feel safe, but it creates blind spots. It breeds culture where only certain kinds of ideas are heard, only certain kinds of people are seen, and only certain paths to leadership are legitimized. And in a fast-moving, partner-driven ecosystem like ours, that kind of stagnation isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a business risk.

Intentionality Isn’t Optional Anymore

On a recent episode of “The Channel Angle ,” I spoke with Mayka Rosales Peterson, VP of marketing at Lava Technology Services. One line she shared stuck out because I wholeheartedly agree: “Diversity isn’t decoration—it’s strategy.”

Rosales Peterson reminded us that inclusive leadership requires more than good intentions. It demands intentional actions, hiring, promoting, and amplifying across difference. To build workplaces where empowerment isn’t performative, but proactive. This kind of intentionality creates organizations that reflect the real world, not just the executive suite.

When The Future Doesn’t Look Like You, Why Would You Build It?

Let’s talk about Gen Z.

As a generation, Gen Z is the most racially diverse, identity-fluid, and digitally fluent generation we’ve ever experienced. But they are also one of the most disillusioned.

More and more, Gen Z adults are becoming NEETs: not in education, employment, or training. The easy, comfortable narrative is to blame their laziness, entitlement, or phone addictions. But here’s the harder truth—many of them are opting out because they don’t see a future worth opting into.

They are watching their parents burn out in jobs that promised security and delivered anxiety. They are witnessing corporate statements of “diversity” fall flat in companies where leadership still mirrors “The Apprentice .” And they are inheriting a world shaped by economic instability, climate crisis, and cultural division.

So, when leadership stays the same, when boardrooms echo the past rather than reflect the future, Gen Z watches. And often, they walk away.

As leaders looking to maintain our industry, we can’t expect a generation raised on collapse to buy into business-as-usual. If our leadership modes do not evolve, we are not just risking current performance. We’re forfeiting the trust and talent of those coming next.

What Can We Do?

This isn’t a doom and gloom scenario. It is meant to serve as a reminder that the future is still up for grabs. But only if we lead differently.

Here are five ways we, as channel leaders, can shift:

1. Audit Your Leadership Bench. Who’s missing? Who’s been overlooked because they didn’t “look like a leader”? Start there.
2. Prioritize Purpose Over Profile. Resumes can’t reflect lived experience. Hire for values. Train for skills.
3. Create On-Ramps, Not Just Ladders. Build structured, supported pathways to leadership that include mentorship, sponsorship, and flexible development timelines.
4. Celebrate Nontraditional Wins. Normalize success that looks like community-building, collaboration, empathy, and adaptability—not just revenue and reach.
5. Co-Create the Future with Emerging Leaders. Don’t just invite Gen Z to your pipeline. Invite them to your strategic planning meetings. Let them shape the strategy. Their critiques are often your company’s future insights.

Inclusion Is More Than Equity; It’s Engagement

Channel leadership could be different.

It should be different if we want to remain relevant, innovative, and connected to the communities we serve and the partners we rely on.

The younger generation isn’t asking for perfection. They’re asking for possibility. They want to know that who they are is welcome in the room, not after ten years of molding themselves to fit, but right now—on day one.

Let’s not miss our moment.

Let’s make sure leadership doesn’t just reflect where we’ve been—but where we could go next.

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Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash