The coveted corner office isn’t so coveted anymore. Executive leadership was once the pinnacle of status and success, but many workers today are rethinking the managerial path. We polled our audience on their interest in becoming a manager, and 25 percent of women say they never want to become a manager. Another 15 percent say they have little interest.
What’s changed? A shift in values, in part. Younger employees are opting out of the traditional career ladder in favor of depth, specialization, and boundary-setting. Gen Z, in particular, is prioritizing work-life balance, fulfillment, value-driven work, and creative autonomy over flashy titles. In fact, only 6 percent of Gen Z workers say their primary career goal is to reach a leadership position.
Deliberately choosing not to pursue people management, also called ‘conscious unbossing’ on social media, has become a growing trend. While critics argue that unbossing signals a lack of ambition or responsibility, many professionals see it instead as a redefinition of success: choosing meaningful work, prioritizing mental health, and building careers aligned with personal values.
Turning down management has its pros and cons but can ultimately be a powerful, intentional career move. It’s possible to become a subject matter expert, make an impact, and grow a successful career all without ever managing a team.
Read more: Choosing Your Career Path: How to Plan & Pivot Your Way to a Dream Career
Why some women are opting out of management
More than half of managers (53 percent) report feeling burnt out at work. Psychologist and burnout expert Christina Maslach says this stress epidemic is resulting in exhaustion, cynicism, and a perceived lack of professional accomplishment among managers.
According to her research, middle management burnout is increasing due to unsustainable workloads, a perceived lack of control, insufficient rewards for effort, a lack of a supportive community, a lack of fairness, and mismatched values and skills. For many, the perception of management as a high-stress, low-reward path is a major deterrent.
Adding to the pressure, research shows managers have a greater impact on employees’ mental health than their doctor or therapist. That’s a massive responsibility, especially all while navigating an unpredictable economic, political, and social climate.
“Rather than climbing the corporate ladder, many young people are opting to remain in roles where they feel connected to meaningful work and maintain control over their mental health,” explains psychologist Smriti Joshi. “For example, a young interior designer who loves her creative work might consciously decide not to take on a managerial role because she knows it will pull her away from what she enjoys.”
We asked our audience to share what they do and don’t find appealing about becoming a manager. For those already in leadership, we asked what they wish they’d known before stepping into the role. Their responses reinforce what the research shows:
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“Making positive change and supporting a team to achieve a goal is appealing. The workload, stress, and amount of travel make it unappealing.”
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“Having the ability to help others grow in their career and have a stake in the future of the team, department, and company [is appealing]. What doesn’t appeal is the burdensome unbalanced work load.”
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“I have been a manager, and it takes a lot of emotional lift to manage well at the same time as having small kids at home who also need lots of my emotional energy.”
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“Even if you love people, love helping people grow, are excited to see them thrive, companies can undermine your ability to be an effective manager and even actively make it an undesirable role.”
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“I wish I'd known how much of my time would be spent trying to convince upper management to give my team basic tools to do their jobs better.”
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“I left people management to move back into an individual contributor role to reduce the mental load and have more schedule flexibility.”
Read more: 7 Essential Goals for Every Manager in 2025
The freedom of saying no to people management
Many managers get stuck overseeing their team’s day-to-day execution, letting their strategic insights and creative vision fall to the wayside. Opting out of the management track can open up space for deeper focus, meaningful autonomy, and ownership over your work. Without the demands of managing a direct report or team, you might gain more focused work time, less emotional labor (as you're not responsible for others’ career development or interpersonal conflicts), more schedule flexibility, and fewer people-dependent decisions.
The individual contributor (IC) path can help you become a go-to expert in a complex skill, niche area, or high-impact specialty. You might enjoy a greater degree of creative freedom and project ownership, especially in fields like:
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Engineering & development (e.g., staff or principal engineers)
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Design (e.g., lead UX/UI designers)
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Content & writing (e.g., brand leads, editorial strategists)
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Research & data science (e.g., senior researchers, analysts, economists)
Still, the decision comes with tradeoffs. You may have less influence over company direction, fewer formal leadership opportunities, and potentially slower paths to promotion. Visibility and recognition might require more intentional self-advocacy.
How to decide if ‘conscious unbossing’ is right for you
If you thrive on reaching that hyperfocused “flow state" and feeling directly connected to your work, this path might be worth considering. Here are some self-reflection prompts to help you evaluate whether management is the right fit for you:
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What energizes you most at work? Do you feel most fulfilled when coaching others and helping them grow or do you prefer deep focus, problem-solving, and building your own expertise?
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How do you handle conflict, feedback, and difficult conversations? Are you comfortable navigating team dynamics and providing constructive criticism?
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What’s your tolerance for administrative work and meetings? Are you okay with spending less time on hands-on work?
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Do you want to be responsible for other people’s performance and wellbeing? Can you lead with empathy while also holding people accountable?
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What does success mean to you? Is it influence, title, and upward mobility? Or is it mastery, autonomy, or a healthy work-life balance?
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Are you seeking this path because you want to or because it’s expected of you? Would you still pursue management if it weren’t the “next step” on the ladder?
3 steps to building a successful non-managerial career path
Here’s how to carve out a high-impact career without stepping into management.
1. Clearly communicate your goals to your manager
When discussing your future during performance reviews or goal-setting conversations, be clear if you’re not interested in pursuing a managerial role. Frame the discussion around how you want to grow as an IC and what support you’ll need to do so.
You might say:
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“I want to prioritize becoming a go-to expert in [field]. I’d like to focus on growing in that direction through high-level projects, advanced training, and strategic input rather than pursuing a people management track.”
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“Instead of managing people, I’d like to focus on strategic impact and becoming a trusted expert on [topic].”
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“Can we explore development paths that don’t require people management? I’m really energized by hands-on work and want to continue growing that way.”
These conversations can help managers understand your motivations and advocate for growth opportunities like advanced training, leading a cross-functional project, or presenting your work during company-wide meetings.
2. Learn to show your impact without a team
If you’re not managing people, it’s especially important to be proactive about communicating your value. Focus on tracking and sharing impact in these areas:
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Project outcomes: Highlight initiatives you’ve owned or driven to completion and show how your work contributed to team or company goals.
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Innovation: Document how your ideas have improved processes, tools, or direction, especially if they’ve saved time or increased efficiency.
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Mentorship and influence: Point to ways you’ve supported colleagues, helped onboard teammates, or elevated team performance, even without formal authority.
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Metrics: Use data to quantify your value, whether it’s engagement, revenue impact, or user adoption.
Think of these as your receipts. Regularly tracking and sharing them can help build a strong case for promotions or raises.
Read more: Out of Sight, Top of Mind: 5 Tips for Advancing In a Remote Job
3. Set boundaries and redefine meaning in your work
One major advantage of skipping people management is gaining more control over your time, energy, and focus. Use that flexibility to build a career that reflects your values. Protect it with clear boundaries:
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Protect your time: Block out focus time, limit unnecessary meetings, and advocate for workflows that allow deep work.
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Say no strategically: Without the pressures of team oversight, you may have more freedom to decline projects that don’t align with your goals or bandwidth.
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Seek meaning outside hierarchy: Find purpose in craftsmanship, creativity, problem-solving, or autonomy.
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Stay connected: Even if you’re not leading people, invest in peer relationships, mentorship, or employee resource groups (ERGs) to build a sense of community and contribution.
A non-managerial path can be just as rich, challenging, and rewarding as a traditional leadership track, it just takes intention, self-advocacy, and a clear vision for what you want out of your career.
