Gen Z is staring up from the bottom of the corporate ladder, but with AI job automation and economic headwinds, the prospect of landing a job—let alone climbing the greasy pole—is more daunting than ever.
The good news, according to former Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach, is the secret to success may be well within their control. Instead of bowing out, Gen Z should double down on one trait: their mindset.
“The attitude that you bring to the office—and to your employees, your peers, and the people you serve alongside every day—is what ultimately will determine a lot of your success,” Eschenbach said on McKinsey’s Inside the Strategy Room podcast in an episode released in August 2025.
“I often say your altitude in life is completely determined by your attitude in life.”
And he’s speaking from experience: “Once I transitioned from a life of success for myself to a life of significance for others, everything changed. I think that is a key component to leading in this new world that we’re living in today.”
