What is Leadership in 2025?

Leadership has evolved and with that, so have leaders. Where once leaders may have felt the need to be feared, teams in 2025 require a very different approach. This has thrown up new pressures and demands for leaders to figure out. 

It could be argued that leaders of today have more obstacles to navigate. This article will outline some of the factors that form what is expected of a leader in 2025.

Human centric leadership

Team members today require more care for their mental wellbeing than teams of the best. As a result, leaders must have their employees and team members at the heart of their thoughts at all times. This should play a part when determining workloads, implementing culture and dealing with disciplinary issues.

Individuals today also value progression. Work is no longer seen as a place where they simply earn money and instead, leaders must introduce training and coaching plans so workers can progress in terms of skill set and career prospects.

Data driven leadership

The world can’t get enough data. In leadership, this can be used to figure out what makes individuals tick. In years gone by, individuals were lumped into one group but leaders today are able to use data to figure out how they can adapt their leadership to individuals.

For example, an ecommerce digital marketing agency could be made up of different generations and people with different skill sets. Data tells us how these different individuals need to be led and managed.

Remote leadership

The pandemic gave rise to remote working, and with that came a new form of leadership, remote leadership. This meant leaders needed to learn how to lead without being in the same physical location as team members.

This made building cultures particularly tricky. Whereas previous generations relied on physical bonding, leaders of today need to learn the art of digital communication and virtual team building.

Inclusive leadership

One of the biggest pressures on leaders today is the demand to be diverse and inclusive. Previously, leaders have discarded this and simply put teams together based on ability and sometimes even stereotypes. 

Today, it’s great to see that opportunities are being provided for everyone regardless of gender and background. Those who fail to build a diverse and inclusive team don’t only benefit from poorer reputation, but also from the different skills that come with different backgrounds.

Ethical leadership

In 2025, it’s not just money and performance that matters, it’s the way they are achieved. There is increasing pressure for businesses and leaders to act sustainably and ethically, benefitting the planet as well as wider social matters.

If you are a leader who doubts the importance of ethics in today’s world, take a look at how the world’s top businesses are committed to corporate social responsibility. This includes charitable donations, supporting initiatives which benefit the plant and implementing policies that ensure workers are cared for.

In summary, while it’s important to figure out your own leadership style, the above factors should all be considered. The fact that there are new leadership considerations also highlights the need to be an adaptive leader, constantly on top of trends and culture and ready to adapt to any change in demands.