Technology, regulation, talent and geopolitics are already challenging old assumptions and redefining what great leadership looks like.
So, which leaders will thrive in the next decade, and what will set them apart?
That’s the question we put to leaders across our global network. Here’s what they told us.
% of mid‑market leaders who say each skill is critically or very important
Source: The mid-market maze
The future of leadership is about building collective aspiration, not imposing your own.
The new generations entering the workforce have a clear sense of what they want – and what they don’t. Leaders will need to move beyond traditional command-and-control styles. The skills that matter most will be listening, adapting, collaborating and creating a shared sense of purpose. Future leaders won’t simply set the direction; they’ll bring people with them, turning individual aspirations into a collective one.
Great leadership is a balance between looking inward and looking outward.
Empathy, listening and the ability to navigate difficult conversations with kindness remain just as important today as they did a decade ago. Leaders of today and tomorrow face growing pressure from technology, investment and rapidly changing markets. There are more unknowns, more difficult decisions and, inevitably, more hard conversations. The leaders who thrive will be those who can build culture, motivate and coach their people, while keeping a close eye on what’s happening beyond the organisation and how clients’ needs are evolving.
Growth will require leaders to be willing to disrupt.
Growth over the next decade won’t necessarily come from doing things the way they’ve always been done. Leaders will need to think differently, challenge the status quo and be willing to disrupt the market.
The leaders of tomorrow will need to be commercial, curious, collaborative and courageous.
The leader of yesterday was a technical authority, running on command and control. The leader of 2030 will lead experts and work alongside artificial intelligence (AI) through trust, shared ownership and collaboration. They will be less focused on having all the answers and more focused on asking the right questions. In a world changing faster than ever, the future leader’s greatest skill will be knowing when to listen, when to challenge and, ultimately, when to choose.
Technology can transform a business, but it can’t lead one.
The successful leaders of the future will be people-people. They will embrace the extraordinary possibilities of AI but will be equally focused on winning hearts and minds, developing their people and ensuring responsible digital adoption. They will understand that while AI may transform how we work, it is people who will determine how far we go.
The leaders of tomorrow won’t have all the answers – and they shouldn’t expect to.
As the environment changes, yesterday’s solutions won’t always solve tomorrow’s challenges. Future leaders will need to be comfortable with uncertainty, willing to listen and learn, patient enough to experiment and committed enough to keep moving forward. The challenge is not to look backwards for answers, but to embrace change and have the courage to find new ones.
Technology will evolve rapidly, but the fundamentals of trusted leadership will remain.
As technological and geopolitical disruption reshape the way we work and learn, leaders must stay grounded in the qualities that cannot be automated: judgement, human connection and trust. We don’t have a crystal ball for what comes next, and it’s common to overthink the future impact of technology, but by staying true to our values, we can navigate whatever disruption lies ahead.
Discover the leadership qualities that will define success in the decade ahead. Download our report to explore the insights.
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