In our fast-moving world it’s impossible to know what next year will bring. But here are five important trends for leaders to look out for in 2025:
1. We will see the rise of agentic AI…
Agentic artificial intelligence (agentic AI) is an advanced form of AI that autonomously performs tasks and solves problems. “Leaders’ ability to deploy agentic AI could bring a digital workforce that is more powerful, efficient and accurate than anything they have been able to access before,” says Chetan Dube, CEO of Quant, a developer of cutting-edge digital employee technology. “The ability of agentic AI to handle complex tasks in content creation, customer service, HR, IT support and sales will not only bring much-needed efficiencies, it will also give leaders breathing room to dedicate themselves almost fully to working on and growing their business.”
2. … while recognizing the value of humans
“If one of the biggest trends of this year was the exponential rise and infiltration of AI into many parts of our jobs, 2025 is going to see a shift back to humanity,” says Tim Duggan, author of Work Backwards. “We all know that AI is going to take some of the repetitive and process-decision tasks away from us, but I believe that next year will bring a small, but noticeable, shift in recognition that technology will not work as well without real humans guiding it in the right way.”
Someone else who expects to see a shift to more human-centric AI is Dr Alexandra Diening, a research scientist and author of A Strategy for Human-AI Symbiosis. “As companies move beyond automation, many are beginning to recognize the risks of poorly implemented AI strategies,” she says. “When AI is integrated without deliberate design, it can result in parasitic systems – where the AI reaps short-term benefits like increased efficiency, but at the cost of draining employee skills, company innovation culture and long-term business viability.”
According to Diening, true human-AI symbiosis requires a scientific approach to design, ensuring that AI systems complement human strengths rather than replace them. She says: “This will mean fostering environments where employees are equipped to collaborate effectively with AI, and where AI tools are aligned with human-centered principles that enhance adaptability, creativity and decision-making.”
3. Fractional leadership will boom
“The freelancing boom will continue, but in 2025 we will particularly see it for C-level talent,” says Sara Daw, author of Strategy and Leadership as Service and group CEO of part-time CFO provider The CFO Centre. She predicts that a growing number of C-suite professionals (CxOs) will opt out of employment, moving from the “payroll” to an “access role” to seek more freedom, flexibility, variety and control over their lives, as well as meaning in and at work.
“Entrepreneurial organizations that don’t want, don’t need and can’t afford a full-time C-Suite will still be able to access the much-needed skills to scale on a flexible basis,” Daw predicts. “Leaders can engage with non-threatening fractional CxOs to work on specialist tasks, allowing dynamic access to wide and deep pools of C-suite skills on demand.”
4. Neurodiversity will be better accommodated at work
Half of neurodivergent employees want to quit their jobs, or already have, due to not being supported by their employer. So, as more leaders recognize the benefits of having a neurodiverse workforce, they will increasingly try to accommodate neurodivergent employees, argues Alex Partridge, author of Now It All Makes Sense.
Simple workplace accommodations such as flexible start times, flexible working locations, walking meetings and agendas ahead of meetings can all help to alleviate workplace anxiety for neurodivergent staff, explains Partridge. So can written minutes after meetings and breaking large tasks up into smaller ones.
Once supported, neurodivergent employees will be happier and more productive, Partridge says. “This will allow the business to enjoy the many strengths associated with being neurodivergent such as increased creativity, thinking outside the box, problem-solving skills, pattern recognition and hyper-focus.”
5. There will be a renewed focus on culture and wellbeing
A strong organizational culture can help leaders to navigate what looks likely to be a challenging economic climate in 2025. Leaders should recognize that culture is not just about behavior, however. It’s also about infrastructure. “If you ask your people to behave in a certain way, you also need to change the processes, procedures and protocols to enable the behavior,” says Andrew Saffron, a culture change expert and author of Better Culture, Faster.
Management skills are key to building a better culture and boosting productivity. That’s why it’s vital that leaders upskill their middle managers in 2025, according to Dominic Ashley-Timms, CEO of performance consultancy Notion, creator of the STAR Manager development program and co-author of The Answer is a Question. In fact, he says it’s a business imperative that 2025 becomes the “year of the manager.”
Furthermore, the shift toward an employee-focused workplace will continue to grow, with 2025 expected to emphasize holistic wellbeing, flexibility and continuous development, according to Mark Price, founder of digital platform WorkL and author of Happy Economics. “In this future-forward model, organizations will recognize that empowering employees boosts productivity, loyalty, and innovation,” he says, “so we’ll see trends such as remote and hybrid working as standard practices, personalized professional development and a renewed emphasis on mental health resources.”
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