“Young people these days just don’t want to lead.”

Some variation of that mantra seems to get attached to every new generation; no doubt the elder cavemen leaders of Integrated Wheel and Fire bellyached about their younger staff. Boomers: Hippies. Gen Xers: Slackers. Millennials: Narcissists. A new report from Deloitte says much the same about Gen Z: According to its survey of 22,000 young professionals, only 6 percent of millennials and Gen Zers say a leadership job is a “primary career goal.”

Naturally, that motivation will change with time and experience. But the new survey also surfaces some specific challenges that are meaningful for association leaders as they manage both their staffs and industries that are looking to attract more young people.

First, the Deloitte survey suggests that the challenge is not that these groups are disinterested in leadership roles generally—more than two-thirds of respondents say they are indeed interested. But a sense of stability is much more important for this cohort. They’re unsure if they can afford to live in a particular place in the long term, if the rise in compensation that comes with leadership will be meaningful enough, and if their organization has a clear path to leadership. Many of them work side hustles, and more than half say they’ve had to delay major life moves like buying a house or starting a family due to financial concerns. Leadership ambition? In this economy?

“They are not opting out of leadership, but they are questioning whether the way it is structured today is worth the cost,” the report says. “For many, ambition is no longer defined by how quickly they can climb, but by whether that climb is sustainable, aligned with their values, and compatible with the rest of their lives.”

And today, those groups are more interested in a job role for the meaningful skills it can offer than for any vague sense of “prestige.” Rather, the ability to learn is a key factor in the value of a role. But they don’t trust that their employer is going to provide them with desired skills or a path toward career growth. For a substantial proportion of both generations, their main career coach isn’t HR or their supervisor; it’s AI. Between 70 and 80 percent of Gen Zers and Millennials say they use it for learning opportunities and career advice.

For association leaders, there’s a clear opportunity here. Younger generations are actively seeking stability, flexibility, and meaningful professional skills. Associations prize the training and education of its members, and are best equipped to communicate the value of a profession and their ability to rise within it. 

“In a world where learning is continuous rather than episodic, these generations are prioritizing skills like adaptability, communication, creativity, and increasingly, AI fluency,” the report says. Those are all excellent assets to have. And even if “leadership” isn’t on that priority list, there’s plenty of reasons to believe they’ll get there, and they’ll gain the necessary skills along the way. Associations, as the trusted broker of career-building training and information, can broadcast their ability to assist.