What Leaders Are Really Focusing On This Year

Every year, we ask people in our community to pause and reflect. Not just on what they’ve done but on who they’ve had to become.

The reflections below come from leaders across our network in 2025 (not just programme participants). Different industries, different roles, same question underneath it all:

What does leadership really require right now?

When we looked across the responses, some clear trends stood out.

Overall trends we’re seeing:

- Communication and Emotional Intelligence dominate as leadership priorities

- Leaders are facing high levels of challenge, but also reporting real growth

- Teams are largely resilient and adaptable, with opportunities to become more proactive

- There’s a sense of confidence and optimism in organisational direction

- Leaders are increasingly forward-focused and thinking about delegation, strategy and sustainability, not just delivery

In short: leadership feels demanding, but purposeful.

The Skills Leaders Are Actively Developing
Across every response, one skill came up consistently: Communication

Not performative communication or more meetings. But clear, timely, human communication especially when things feel complex or uncertain.

Alongside this, leaders are leaning heavily into:
- Emotional intelligence
- Decision-making
- Delegation
- Change management
- Coaching and mentoring

This tells us something important: Leadership development has shifted firmly away from control and towards connection.

The Challenges Leaders Are Navigating
- Team dynamics and collaboration issues
- Managing workload, priorities and capacity
- Building or reshaping teams and departments
- Balancing individual needs with team performance
- Mentoring and upskilling others while still delivering
- Adapting to fast-paced, ever-changing environments

What stands out here is the dual pressure leaders are under:
- Interpersonal demands (relationships, trust, motivation)
- Operational demands (delivery, pace, priorities)

This is where resilience, adaptability and strategic thinking stop being “nice to have” and become essential.

Looking Ahead: What Leaders Are Focusing on This Year
Individual Leader Focus
- Delegating more effectively (without disappearing)
- Communicating earlier and more proactively
- Investing in relationships and mentoring
- Thinking strategically, not just tactically
- Improving efficiency without burning out

Team Focus
- Stronger collaboration across roles and functions
- Earlier problem-solving
- Recognition and trust-building
- Growing headcount thoughtfully and developing internal talent

Company Focus

- Digital transformation and innovation
- Risk management and ESG initiativesCross-unit collaboration
- Sustainable, client-centric growth

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about:
- Asking better questions
- Communicating with intention
- Letting go of control at the right moments
- And developing people alongside performance

The leaders we’re hearing from aren’t aiming for perfection.

They’re aiming for progress, clarity and impact. And that’s a strong place to lead from this year.