Spotting Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: What Gen Alpha Is Learning from Millennials and Gen Z
What makes a great leader is changing – and fast. Where leadership once meant authority and control, today it’s increasingly about empathy, adaptability, and purpose.
As we look to the future, a new generation is beginning to emerge: Generation Alpha. Born from 2010 onwards, they’re the first generation to grow up entirely in the digital age, and their perspective on leadership will be unlike anything we’ve seen before.
But here’s the thing: they’re already watching, learning, and absorbing what leadership looks like – from the generations ahead of them.
So what can we learn from how Millennials lead, how Gen Z is reshaping the narrative, and what Gen Alpha is quietly picking up in the process?
Let’s explore.
Millennials: The Value-Driven Bridge Builders
Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials came of age during rapid technological and cultural shifts. They’re the generation that straddled dial-up and smartphones, analogue and digital, job security and gig economy.
As leaders, Millennials tend to value collaboration, flexibility, and meaningful work. They challenge outdated hierarchies, champion workplace wellbeing, and are more likely to lead with inclusion and emotional awareness than command and control.
What Gen Alpha is learning from Millennials:
Purpose matters – Work should stand for something
Lead with empathy – Understand people, not just processes
Balance is key – Hustle culture isn’t the only way to succeed
Millennials are modelling leadership that listens. Leadership that balances performance with people. And Gen Alpha, watching quietly, is taking note.
Gen Z: The Empathetic Disruptors
Enter Gen Z – born between 1997 and 2012 – the digital natives, the changemakers, the purpose-driven professionals who are already shaking up the workplace.
They’re redefining leadership as something that’s shared, not handed down. To them, the best leaders are vulnerable, inclusive, and transparent. They expect mental health to be a business priority. They want a seat at the table – and they’re not afraid to ask for it.
What Gen Alpha is learning from Gen Z:
Be yourself – Authenticity wins trust
Question the norm – Change is part of progress
Lead with your values – Integrity isn’t optional
Where Millennials opened the door to more human-centred leadership, Gen Z is kicking it wider open. Gen Alpha is watching this unfold on screens, in social movements, and even in their homes – and it’s setting new expectations.
Gen Alpha: The Future Arriving Fast
Still young – the oldest are just hitting their teens – Gen Alpha is already showing signs of leadership potential in a world that moves faster than ever before.
They’re confident with technology, open-minded about identity, and used to instant access to information. They value collaboration, creativity, and customisation. They don’t just consume content – they create it.
And they’re watching. Closely.
They’re learning from Millennials how to lead with values, flexibility and empathy.
They’re learning from Gen Z how to be bold, inclusive and unafraid to challenge convention.
And they’re forming their own version of leadership – one that’s likely to favour influence over authority, adaptability over structure, and diversity as the default.
Why Start Preparing for Gen Alpha Now?
You might be thinking: why plan for a generation still in school?
Here’s why:
Their expectations will be non-negotiable – Flexibility, purpose and inclusivity won’t be ‘perks’ — they’ll be the baseline.
Culture change takes time – Evolving leadership, communication and feedback systems can’t happen overnight.
Other generations benefit too – Gen Z and Millennials are asking for the same things.
People will drive the future, not just tech – Emotional intelligence and adaptable leadership will be what sets businesses apart.
It’s about talent retention – Future-focused workplaces will attract the best Gen Alpha candidates — and keep the best from every generation too.
Preparing for Gen Alpha: A Long-Term Business Checklist
Here’s how businesses can prepare to welcome and empower Gen Alpha — starting now.
PREPARE
Lay the foundations
Develop emotionally intelligent leaders
Encourage reverse mentoring across generations
Make flexibility a cultural mindset, not just a policy
Build digital confidence across all teams
Embed purpose into your business strategy
Use tools like Insights Discovery to grow awareness and communication
ADAPT
Respond as Gen Alpha begins to enter the workforce
Redesign onboarding for digital natives
Offer mentorship over micromanagement
Create non-linear career journeys
Embed real-time, two-way feedback systems
Foster inclusive, psychologically safe cultures
WELCOME
Create an environment where Gen Alpha can lead
Let authenticity and transparency guide leadership
Empower creativity and autonomy
Keep tech relevant and intuitive
Invest in ongoing EQ and team development
Build strong bridges between all generations
Generation Alpha is still on the way — but their expectations are already forming.
By learning from Millennials and Gen Z, and by actively reshaping leadership, communication and culture, we can create organisations where future leaders thrive — not just because they fit in, but because they feel seen, heard, and valued.
At BlueSky, we help businesses get future-ready — by building the emotional intelligence, trust and team culture that every generation can grow within.