Leadership is always evolving, with styles and approaches changing constantly to adapt to the business landscape. It’s why many leaders are the best learners.

It’s essential for business owners and leaders to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new practices.

As an Executive Assistant supporting CEOs, high-level Directors and coaches, I work closely with many leaders at the top of their game. Here are my predictions for leadership shifts in 2025.

“Strategic unavailability.”

Expect to see a rise here. High performers will discover that protected time isn’t just a luxury – it’s a business strategy. The ability to step back for deep work and innovation will become the new competitive advantage as blocking out time to focus on the bigger picture without distractions will give high performers a competitive edge.

Team autonomy

Gone are the days of rigid hierarchies. The most successful leaders will build teams that thrive on autonomy and collaboration, where they can grow and share expertise freely. It will be less about reporting to one person and more about what each individual brings to the business and how the leader can support them.

The strategic shift

After years of firefighting and reactive decision-making, leaders will intentionally carve out and fiercely protect strategic thinking time to focus on long-term goals. Protecting this time will allow leaders to steer their organisations with purpose.

Prioritising wellness

Leaders are finally understanding the impact of burnout and this will be taken seriously in 2025 – for themselves and their teams. Leaders will fully understand and embrace wellness by working hard to protect their own high performance from burnout and that of their team.

These shifts are highlighting a trend towards more thoughtful, human-first approach to leadership. Working smarter, not harder will stay at the forefront, but empowering teams and fostering wellbeing will be of equal importance.

As a leader, what is your approach this year? Contact us.