As we approach 2025, there will be a wave of predictions and assessments about how the year will unfold.

What’s certain is that leaders today and tomorrow will need to be ready to embrace uncertainty and complexity and be responsive to shifting workplace dynamics and global challenges so they can make the most of the opportunities presented.

Being future ready

Korn Ferry’s ‘Global Workforce 2024 Survey’ found that 65.5 percent of global business leaders are excited about the impact of AI on their work, with 73 percent of CEOs believing it will significantly enhance their value within the next three years.

In 2025, technological proficiency is no longer optional for leaders; it is essential. Indeed, the ‘The 2025 Skills Horizon’ report from The University of Sydney identified the requirement for leaders to be fluent in the language of technology.

The integration of AI, machine learning, big data, quantum computing and analytics into business value chains requires leaders to know how to leverage these tools, while wisely considering the implications for employees and society.

The future is human

While it will be easy for leaders to focus on AI’s hoped and hyped productivity benefits, research is starting to reveal the benefits are not guaranteed. Leaders need to remember that future progress requires a focus on relationships and connection.

As automation and AI take over more routine tasks, those uniquely human skills such as emotional intelligence, empathy and social connection are increasingly valuable.

Georgetown University’s Associate Professor of Management, Christine Porath, found that respect is the most crucial factor for employees. Her survey of 20,000 employees worldwide, conducted in conjunction with Harvard Business Review and Tony Schwarz, concluded that being treated with respect was more important to employees than recognition and appreciation, having an inspiring vision, receiving feedback and opportunities for learning and development.

The research found that respected employees reported:

1. 56 percent better health and wellbeing

2. 1.72 times more trust and safety

3. 89 percent more enjoyment and job satisfaction

4. 92 percent greater focus and prioritization.

When leaders respect their employees, they care about how they are treated, have compassion when they are struggling and are committed to their growth and development. A good leader doesn’t avoid tough decisions. Instead, they approach decisions using their head and heart.

Navigating contextual complexity

The world is more complex and connected, with a business environment in 2025 that will continue to be shaped by geopolitical tensions and environmental concerns.

Leaders must be adept at navigating these challenges while focusing on the organization’s purpose and objectives.

Purpose-driven leadership, where a leader operates authentically and from a base of ethics and values, helps them better manage these complex and adaptive challenges. It also helps them foster a culture of adaptability and resilience in their teams.

Influential leaders will nurture the organizational capabilities so employees can thrive in this changing and complex environment. These capabilities also help the organization remain competitive, responsive to market forces and adaptive in the face of unexpected challenges.

Learning agility

Research from the Center for Creative Leadership outlines how learning agility is one of the strongest predictors of leadership success; high-agility leaders are 18 times more likely to be identified as high-potential leaders.

When leaders embrace learning agility, they cultivate their growth mindset and foster a culture of continuous learning within their organizations and teams.

They accept that they don’t hold all the answers or the license on being right. They are curious about what is unknown and are willing to explore and challenge their assumptions. They recognize that continuous learning is the pathway to continuing progress.

In 2025, influential leaders will focus on the future while keeping their feet firmly planted in the present. They will learn from the past without letting it define who they are.

By taking this approach, the leader will drive meaningful and thoughtful change by staying aligned with their values and the organization’s purpose, while considering the needs of their stakeholders and society.

The end result is growth and development for the leader, engagement and innovation across the organization, and effective, adaptive and healthy teams enabling the organization to continue to evolve, adapt and thrive.

Opinions expressed by The CEO Magazine contributors are their own.