Samenvatting

In turbulent times marked by environmental urgency and democratic uncertainty, Generation Z is emerging as a vital actor in sustainability transitions. Defined as those born between 1997 and 2012, Gen Z is known for growing up in a digital world, with strong values around inclusion, climate action, and authenticity (Schroth, 2019). Yet, leadership theory has not sufficiently addressed which leadership characteristics this generation finds essential to engage with complex, evolving governance challenges. This study explores which leadership behaviors Dutch and South African Gen Z participants perceive as most supportive in enabling their contribution to sustainability transitions and institutional resilience.
Using Kaptein’s Soft Controls framework (2008) as the conceptual foundation, we investigate leadership dimensions such as enforcement, accountability, open to discussion, transparency, clarity, lead by example, involvement, and achievability. These elements shape ethical culture and foster trust. These controls are complemented by insights from transformational (Bass & Riggio, 2006) and authentic leadership theories (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). For example, while Kaptein’s Soft Controls emphasize the ethical culture of leadership, transformational leadership adds the importance of inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation, and authentic leadership highlights self-awareness and relational transparency. Together, these perspectives offer a multidimensional understanding of how leadership behaviors can shape Gen Z’s trust, engagement, and capacity to contribute to change. Data are collected through surveys conducted among Generation Z participants in the Netherlands and South Africa.
By focusing on young people’s voices across diverse democracies, this study offers practical insights for leadership development and governance reform. It contributes to a deeper understanding of how leadership can be reimagined to enable youth-led innovation in institutional resilience, especially in contexts marked by political complexity and social change (Grimm et al., 2020). This work aligns with broader calls to revitalise public leadership and embed citizen participation at the heart of sustainability transitions.