Career Curve June Edition: The burnout isn't your fault

In this edition:

• New global research on Gen Z and millennials has implications every senior marketer needs to see.

• What is your marketing superpower? Take the free quiz.

Deloitte's 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey — 22,500 respondents across 44 countries — is being read as a workforce report. But if you're a mid-career or marketing leader, it's actually a mirror. Here's what the data is saying, and what it means for you.

It's not you. It's the model.

For the last several consecutive years, the Gen Z and millennial professionals Deloitte surveyed have reported the same thing: the system isn't working. Burnout is endemic. Stress is a baseline experience. And the people most likely to feel it? Those in exactly the roles you either hold or are being asked to step into.

Only 6% of Gen Z and millennial professionals say reaching a leadership position is their top career goal. Not because they lack ambition, but because leadership has become synonymous with unsustainable workloads, insufficient support, and well-being tradeoffs that feel non-negotiable.

"Leadership continues to be associated with burnout, unsustainable workloads, and insufficient support... they are willing to lead, but they want to do so in environments that prioritize flexibility, well-being, and meaningful impact." — Deloitte 2026

If you've been feeling like leadership isn't worth the cost to your health, family, overall well-being, or you're carrying more than your title was supposed to require, these findings validates it. It’s a structural fail, not yours.

What is your marketing vitality score? Rate it against your marketing peers. Take the quiz here.

The window is open…for now.

AI adoption among marketing professionals jumped 17 percentage points in a single year. The Deloitte report is unambiguous: the marketers who are thriving are those who are investing in their own adaptability, building the skills, the positioning, and the self-awareness to lead through change rather than be overtaken by it.

But here's what the data also shows: organizations are lagging behind their own people. One-third of professionals say their employer isn't providing sufficient AI training. Nearly 30% say their organization isn't prepared for what's coming. That gap is your opportunity. If you move now.

"Adaptability has become a core career capability — one that enables them to remain relevant and resilient amid constant change." — Deloitte 2026

The senior marketers who will define the next decade aren't waiting for their organizations to catch up. They're getting clear on their unique strengths — and leading from that position.

Unlock your unique marketing superpower here.