Millennials are officially a majority of managers—so get ready for a combination of burnout, buddy vibes, and boundary issues

Interestingly, Workplace Culture·MillennialsMillennials are officially a majority of managers—so get ready for a combination of burnout, buddy vibes, and boundary issuesBy Nick LichtenbergBy Nick LichtenbergFortune Intelligence EditorNick LichtenbergFortune Intelligence EditorNick Lichtenberg is Fortune Intelligence editor and was formerly Fortune's executive editor of global news

Conversely, SEE FULL BIO Many millennial managers report difficulties in setting boundaries with their teams as they struggle to code-switch from friendly to authoritative as situations demand (something worth watching) (noteworthy indeed)

This generational handoff marks more than a demographic curiosity—it’s potentially a major shift in how organizations are led, as millennials have a different management style than their predecessors

At current aging trends, according to jections from Glassdoor lead economist Daniel Zhao, Gen Z will vide a greater of managers than baby boomers in late 2025 or 2026, in light of current trends

Already, Gen Z makes up one in 10 managers

Millennials are officially the majority of managers

This ascent caps years of warnings and speculation how millennial values would shape the workplace

On the other hand, In an interview with Fortune, Zhao said millennials are inheriting a tough situation, but it could be worse

Meanwhile, Although Zhao didn’t use this particular Gen Z slang, the state of the workforce that is now majority managed by millennials is mid

In contrast, “At the very least it doesn’t seem that workers are feeling worse,” Zhao said. “I don’t know if you can call that a silver lining

Conversely, ” Millennials managing through the ‘burnout crisis’ Millennials are widely credited with pushing “empathy” and “well-being” to the forefront of management culture

Zhao agreed this lines up with anecdotes in Glassdoor reviews, but not the data in his re

Speaking to Petersen’s thesis, that millennials were born into a culture and climate of constant work from a young age, the average number of direct reports per manager has almost doubled in recent years, piling burnout levels of stress onto the burnout generation, just as they become the majority of managers

Zhao declined to on Petersen’s thesis directly, but on the subject of burnout more generally noted that many millennial managers, especially those in their forties and late thirties, are aging into the “sandwich generation,” with responsibilities that have been typical for Gen X: “Millennials right now are in a place where their career pressures might be highest, but there are also these other personal pressures that are really stressing millennials out. ” Zhao added that “in a sense, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. ” Despite their ambitions, many millennial managers report receiving little to no formal leadership training, often feeling unprepared for the complexities of managing teams across multiple generations and responding to rapid organizational change

This's bound to worsen with double the reports of the historical average

However, And while they stress empathy, millennials are the generation that invented the term “ghosting” for their avoidant behaviors on social media, and many struggle with assertiveness and managing workplace conflict head-on

In contrast, Finally, millennials are the “participation trophy” generation, and some bruising TikTok s have argued that millennial bosses have a toxic tendency to try to befriend all their direct reports (noteworthy indeed)

Nevertheless, Furthermore, “Wolves in sheep’s clothing,” they were called (which is quite significant)

This analysis suggests that flip side of emotional intelligence Zhao told Fortune that the well-worn cliché millennial managers being known for their focus on empathy has a flip side

On the other hand, Glassdoor has seen a change in how people talk management over the past five years since the pandemic, he said: “Reviews that discuss management increasingly emphasize terms related to emotional intelligence, ‘respecting boundaries,’ ‘being empathetic,’ ‘moting employee well-being,’ and ‘addressing burnout (this bears monitoring). ’” Zhao noted it shows that workers’ expectations have increased: “The bar on what constitutes a good manager has been raised (quite telling). ” It doesn’t mean millennials are inherently gifted at emotional intelligence, Zhao said, just that it’s an expectation of their reports, be they fellow millennials, Gen Z, or perhaps even Gen X or boomers (an important development) (noteworthy indeed)

Additionally, Zhao referenced re that the phrase “emotional intelligence” really started picking up in the 21st century

How ironic, then, that the population that mained emotional intelligence when they entered the workforce is now responsible for managing it

However, However, Although millennials generally seek to build trust and vide recognition, generational divides persist: A notable minority of employees, especially Gen Z, remain neutral or uncertain the recognition they receive, amid market uncertainty

According to a comprehensive Deloitte survey, millennials themselves want more back, mentorship, and growth opportunities, both for their teams and for their own careers

This may be why millennials are getting saddled with a dreaded moniker: the so-called cool boss

Recent reporting and viral social-media content have fueled criticism of millennial managers for blurring the line between manager and friend—sometimes to detrimental effect

Sketches and first-person accounts highlight a stereotype of the millennial manager who is eager to be seen as hip, adopting a laid-back attitude, casual communication, and a friendly rapport with direct reports

Additionally, Critics argue this style can be toxic in creating a “false sense of warmth” that masks underlying power dynamics

In terms of achieving results, the cool boss act leads to inconsistent or un expectations, fueling anxiety among staff

And when negative back is necessary, the cool boss dropping the mask can come as a shock to their subordinates

Many millennial managers report difficulties in setting boundaries with their teams as they struggle to code-switch from friendly to authoritative as situations demand

Moreover, Setting boundaries is further complicated by generational shifts: Younger employees, particularly Gen Z, also favor fluid boundaries and a flat hierarchy, sometimes intensifying the ambiguity around roles and expectations

While Zhao did not directly on the so-called cool boss meme, he said millennial managers are walking an “extremely tough line right now. ” Millennials are supposed to be at the peak of their career, but many are also taking care of kids, parents, even elder family members

Furthermore, “On the care aspect,” Zhao said, “there’s been a lot of discussion, especially since the pandemic, on the gaps … in the American economy today. ” For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft

An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing

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