Organisational leadership: Trends, challenges, and opportunities in 2024 and beyond

2024 has been a rollercoaster for many organisations.

The post-pandemic world sped up change, forcing organisations to evolve or be left behind. As a media and communication skills coach across many sectors and countries, I have seen the concern and heard the challenges from senior leaders trying to articulate where their organisations are currently and where they are headed.

For obvious reasons, I cannot discuss specific clients or their strategies. Still, I have noticed some trends reshaping how they operated in 2024 and a look at the leadership trends that I believe will shape organisations in 2025.

2024: The year of resilience and adaptation

Some 2024 trends that defined the workplace were somewhat obvious but very important, nonetheless. Though Covid is (thankfully) a receding memory for most of us, it pushed every company, organisation, and government to reconsider what work looks like and prompted current work trends.

• Remote work and virtual collaboration shifting: Remote and hybrid work is not going away. But I see increasing bosses requiring their teams to spend more time in the office. Remember a couple of years ago when we thought the in-person office culture was dead (or at least gasping for oxygen) and that we would be working from home forever? Suffice it to say that is not where most organisations are today. Many want employees in the office three to four days each week. Some are back to five days. The senior leadership I coach values having teams physically together for better communication, engagement, and collaboration. Their challenge is how to do that – when many staffers have become accustomed to working remotely.
• Digital transformation: While the pandemic may have pushed organisations to go digital (including significant tech investments to stay competitive), leaders now face new challenges and opportunities to drive innovation, especially with the vast array of AI applications that can be used in nearly every industry and office. Keeping up with the massive changes in this technology area (and the individual use cases) is mind-numbing. However, forward-thinking and informed leaders see many benefits.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Social justice movements that brought DEI to the forefront in recent years are increasingly baked-into company culture and policy. But some organisations (especially in North America and Europe) are starting to see pushback on some of the initiatives – that critics complain have gone too far. The broad idea of “being too woke” is a common refrain with them. HR and C-suite leaders and boards must navigate complex waters to encourage and maintain inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Shifting leadership roles

The trends above are reshaping what it means to lead effectively. With so many moving parts in a year that is fraught with multiple, global poly-crisis, and the uncertainty of political elections around the world, the leaders of today need to rely heavily on their senior staff to give good advice and to keep employees happy. To that end, leaders need to:

• Embrace and adapt to change: As mentioned above, leaders need to understand the complex world in which we live and the possible implications for their organisations, and then they need to be fast and flexible adapters.
• Foster open communication: Keeping the lines of communication open internally and externally has never been more crucial to organisational success. In the past I saw my clients concerned merely about how to engage with the media. Now, they are every bit as concerned about how to hold internal townhall meetings, how to present conference keynotes, and how to give impactful podcast interviews. The communication world is evolving rapidly and needs to be taken seriously.
• Prioritise employee wellbeing: With the backdrop of the points above, HR and other senior leaders are increasingly focused on mental health and work-life balance issues. Many organisations are truly amazing in their care and concern for employees; others still have a long way to go. However, having smart policies to support team members pays dividends in employee retention and productivity.

2025: The year of innovation and growth

Looking ahead, leaders will need to drive innovation harder. They will need to stay open to new ideas and challenge assumptions through a strong sense of curiosity. They will need to encourage innovative thinking and rapid ideation while learning from successes and failures. And they must continue to foster a collaborative culture to drive that innovation. The pace at which the tech world is changing (and offering solutions) is blinding. Each question below needs very specific consideration by each organisation/industry. Forward-thinking leaders should drill down on:

• What drives innovation in our industry?
• How can we leverage technology in our organisation?
• What emerging trends and opportunities should we prepare for?
• What emerging risks should we prepare for?

Top leadership trends in 2025

In addition to innovation, I believe these trends will continue to shape leadership:

• Data-driven decision-making: Leaders must be ever more data-savvy. Every organisation is drowning in data about clients and their industry. Successful leaders will drive an internal understanding of what that data is and how it can be used.
• Emotional intelligence: Handling social and emotional challenges has always been important. But with the current state of the world and many economies, having a higher organisational level of EQ will be imperative.
• Digital literacy: Keeping up with tech advancements – for the previously mentioned reasons – will not be a “nice to have” but a “must have”.

The past year has been marked by unprecedented change and uncertainty and policies initiated in the Covid era. As we look at 2025 and beyond, successful leaders need to be adaptable, innovative, and forward-thinking. By embracing the trends and challenges of the past year and developing the traits and characteristics mentioned above, leaders can drive growth, innovation, and success in their organisations.

High-performing HR executives must stay ahead of the curve to provide high-value executives and teams with the training and support they need to thrive in this rapidly evolving landscape and to keep up with company-wide changes. By investing in internal communications and employee engagement, you can build a resilient and adaptable organisation ready for whatever the future holds.

About the Author: Glenn van Zutphen is Founder and CEO of VanMedia Group. He is a career international journalist, radio host, keynote speaker on communication, and founder of VanMedia Group, a worldwide media consultancy. He has coached nearly 3,000 high-performing business leaders, journalists, educators, government leaders, and students around the world to be confident, credible, and clear in their communication.

Glenn is a recognised communications expert, keynote speaker, facilitator, and podcaster. He also hosts the “Saturday Mornings” radio show every week on MoneyFM 89.3, Singapore’s most trusted business news station. For more than 30 years as a professional journalist, Glenn has worked in print, radio, TV, and online news based in the US, Japan, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Singapore for the likes of CNBC Asia/Pacific, CNN International, NHK Japan, ABC Radio News, USA Today, and others.