As younger employees enter the workforce, CFOs are learning to adjust not only their leadership styles but also their expectations. Sika head of finance Msonga Msigala, Frostan group FD Seleman Issa and Geminia Life Insurance head of finance Caxton Makau share how they are approaching a new generation of professionals.
At Frostan, Seleman Issa has found that recruiting Gen Z team members requires a mindset shift. While employers often look for the most qualified candidate, he believes too much experience can actually be a liability. Instead, he looks for employees who are still curious and willing to be taught.
“If someone already has all the answers, they may have little interest in sticking around. I never hire someone who’s already 100 percent ready. They’ll get bored and leave. I hire at 60 percent and then train the rest. You have to be intentional,” he says.
Seleman also finds that managing Gen Z requires balance, as they want growth but also want to feel seen. They value flexibility and mentorship but are quick to disengage if either is missing. Seleman advises finance leaders to create an environment that supports learning, delegation and honest communication to lead Gen Z well.
“When I was promoted to a manager, I needed to learn how to manage people, not the spreadsheets. I made a lot of mistakes and learnt that I can only be as good as my team. If my team is not great, I will not achieve anything,” he explains.
A fresh approach
Sika head of finance Msonga Msigala echoes many of the same experiences. Having led finance teams across countries and cultures, he has seen leadership models evolve over time. As he sees it, today’s workforce does not respond to authority for its own sake. Many Gen Z workers, in his experience, long for collaboration and the freedom to contribute.
“When I shifted from giving instructions to inviting participation, I saw stronger engagement. It requires me to be the last person to speak instead of the first person. It requires me to let them be the main characters. So that's when I changed the form of our meetings. And that’s what helped me,” he reveals.
Msonga readily admits that what worked in the past no longer applies, especially with younger professionals. He describes his current leadership as evolving, describing a shift from a rigid way of doing things and towards a fluid and responsive leadership style. Although he sees Gen Z as challenging, he believes they are necessary for long-term leadership growth.
“It’s not easy. For me, things have evolved so much to the extent that some of the previous old school leadership theories don’t work at the moment. We came up in that army kind of leadership style. But for the Gen Zs, it’s different,” he says.
The evolution of work
Caxton Makau, head of finance at Geminia Life Insurance, is also rethinking how authority functions in the workplace. He sees clear differences in how younger professionals react to pressure and feedback. While previous generations tolerated inordinate stress, Gen Z often responds by walking away. Makau has found that this generation wants their full selves acknowledged. For this reason, they respond to empathy rather than fear.
“You can’t shout at them and then expect them to stay. They will resign. It’s not like us. You shout at me, I’ll still come to your office,” he says.
Makau has started pushing for structural changes geared towards maintaining energy and sustainability in the team. He believes the workplace must evolve to remain relevant for younger talent.
“I look forward to when we have organisations that also consider mental health as part of ensuring the workforce is really settled. To have a mental day, take a day off at least once a month. So that we can have a better, stronger, energised team. A four-day working week is something we are also starting to discuss,” he says.
