Exploring the influence of leadership style and organisational culture on succession planning for Generation Z

Abstract

The study examines succession planning and leadership development for Generation Z (Gen Z) within organizational contexts, focusing on leadership styles, cultural dynamics, developmental needs, and organizational readiness. The research employed a qualitative design, and thematic analysis was conducted of participants' insights to explore how organizations prepare younger employees for leadership roles and facilitate their transition into them. The findings revealed that Gen Z is motivated by participative, coaching, servant, and transformational leadership styles, while authoritarian approaches were consistently rejected. Leadership that emphasizes mentorship, empowerment, and inclusion was seen as critical for succession readiness. Organizational culture emerged as a decisive factor: Hierarchical, rigid cultures acted as barriers, whereas inclusive, evolving cultures enabled trust, innovation, and engagement. Structured but adaptable cultures strike a balance between stability and flexibility, whereas cultural misalignment undermines retention and pipeline sustainability. The succession planning practices were found to be uneven across organizations and departments. Formal frameworks strengthened continuity but were inconclusively applied and poorly communicated. Informal and ad-hoc approaches, along with reactive recruitment, weakened leadership pipelines and disengaged younger employees. The exclusion of Gen Z from succession discussions was also identified as a critical gap, leaving organizations vulnerable to leadership vacuums. The development needs of Gen Z were articulated, which included mentorship and coaching, project ownership, cross-functional exposure, soft skills training, digital leadership training, and consistent feedback and recognition. Participants stressed that without this support, younger leaders' risk being technically competent but strategically underprepared. Organizational readiness was mixed, with some organizations moderately prepared and partial frameworks in place. In contrast, others were structurally unprepared, relying on ad-hoc or recruitment-driven approaches. Leadership mindset readiness emerged as key, with resistance to change among senior leaders being identified as a significant impediment to succession planning. It is concluded that effective succession planning for Gen Z requires more than technical training or operational continuity; success depends on including adaptive leadership styles, cultivating inclusive cultures, formalizing succession frameworks, addressing developmental priorities, and strengthening organizational readiness through strategic foresight.