10 quotes to make you a better leader in 2025

10 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO BOOST YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FUTURE-READY LEADERSHIP AND USING AI

If you’re worried about new technologies, you’re not alone.

According to Accenture’s survey of 2,800 C-suite executives across 18 countries, the _“ability to adapt to the pace of tech innovation (particularly AI)”_ is the top concern for C-suite leaders, beating out security, consumers, sustainability, talent, macro-economy, and geopolitics. (1)

And why wouldn’t you be concerned?  As Rishad Tobaccowala says in _“Restoring the Soul of Business,”_ organisational change can be brutal.

“**Change sucks**,” he says. “It takes us to places unknown and requires us to learn new things.”

And there it is. To be future-ready, we need to learn. We need to learn about AI, but also about empathy, ethics, communication, and adaptable leadership.  

That’s what Growth Faculty is all about, so ahead of [our 2025 program](https://ideas.growthfaculty.com/l/1071223/2024-06-12/5q9w34) of future-ready virtual learning sessions, let’s see what the expert research and our top speakers say about learning when the pace of change is relentless.

"Change sucks....."

1.  **Tech-Savviness**: Get comfortable with AI and new technologies
2.  **Continuous Learning Mindset**: Stay adaptable and open to the new
3.  **Courageous Thinking**: Explore beyond the "imaginable known"
4.  **Psychological Safety**: Make sure your team feels comfortable speaking up
5.  **Deep Listening and Empathy**: Seek to understand how your team feel
6.  **Manage Change Well**: Use your vision to guide your team through change
7.  **Human-Centric Leadership**: Balance technology with human needs
8.  **Work As One Team**: Align goals to encourage cross-functional thinking
9.  **Ethical Decision-Making**:  Develop a policy for emerging technologies
10.  **Resilience**: Calmness and direction during rapid transformational periods

10 Future-Ready Leadership Traits

1.  **Scheduling time** **to learn** new AI and technological skills
2.  **Regular auditing** of existing tools for built-in AI features
3.  **Practicing cross-functional collaboration** and idea-sharing
4.  **Developing an ethical AI framework** for your organisation
5.  **10-20% of thinking time** on unconventional, "courageous" problem-solving
6.  **Creating internal learning circles** to share technological knowledge
7.  **Reading widely** to pick up weak signals of change
8.  **Seeking feedback** on your adaptability and technological competence
9.  **Prioritising employee wellbeing** during technological transitions
10.  **Reassessing and updating your skills** against future workplace needs

10 Future-Ready Leadership Habits

_“Adapt”_ author and founder of FutureFit Learning [Andrea Clarke](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/AdaptMasteringChange/overview) (pictured above) once asked a group of leaders who admitted to being fearful about AI if any of them had signed up to do a short course on the topic. Not one of them had.

That's not good enough says Andrea, pointing out that adaptability is about both **seeing change** and **responding** to that change. 

And, as _“Good to Great”_ author [Jim Collins](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/JimCollins-YourRoadmaptoGreatness/overview) says, greatness happens by choice, not by chance. So, choose to act on these 4 challenges and go for great!

### **CHALLENGE 1: EMBRACING CONTINUOUS REINVENTION**

Jack Azagury, Group Chief Executive—Strategy & Consulting at Accenture, believes the companies that will succeed in the next decade are those with a strategy of:

·        **Continuously reinventing** _every part_ of their business using technology, data and AI

·        **Harnessing the power** of generative AI

·        **Ensuring their people** are at the centre of their transformations  (2)

#### **Action:**  Develop both digital capabilities and leadership skills in [managing change](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/changeleadership) and [building a safe culture](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/psychologicallysafeworkplaces).

### **CHALLENGE 2: EXPANDING BEYOND THE IMAGINABLE KNOWN**

Kyle Hermans, founder of [Be Courageous](https://bcrgs.com/), says leaders need to shift from the “imagined and known” to start [exploring courageous thinking](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/transform-with-4-shifts-to-courageous-thinking) in the "unimaginable unknown."

#### **Action:** Move **beyond the safe and rational** and into the realm of ideas that may initially seem crazy or irrelevant (remember the “outrageous” idea of Uber?). Devote 10-20% of thinking time to wild and courageous thinking, he suggests.

### **CHALLENGE 3: EMBRACING GENERATIVE AI AND DISRUPTION**

_"AI is about the most important two letters that you have in the alphabet…don't tell yourself, 'I don't have to learn this’.”_ \- Faith Popcorn, trend expert

The IBM Institute for Business Value's 2024 CEO study reveals 72% of top-performing CEOs believe that **competitive advantage** depends on _who has the most advanced generative AI_. Accenture’s survey show 60% of C-suite leaders see this change as an opportunity.(3)

#### **Action:**  Invest in generative AI technologies and have leaders role model continuous [learning and professional development](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Learninganddevelopmentstrategy) by becoming highly competent with it. Encourage cross-functional collaboration to create a culture of innovation.

### **CHALLENGE 4: KEEPING ENERGISED ON THE JOURNEY**

“When we think about the future of work, people often think about AI or skills training, but the future of work is also about designing and maintaining sustainable workloads and protecting employees' wellbeing,_"_ says Dr Zena Burgess, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). (4)

Surveys show found high levels of **burnout** among leaders and their people. (5)

As Dr Jen Frahm told our October 2024 [Emerging Leaders Program](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/session-3-emerging-leaders-program), “We see too many organisations trying to jam too much change in.” There’s also too little work done _up front_ before changes are introduced, she says.

Indeed, speaker Trudy MacDonald says lack of role clarity, poor change management, and low job control are [burnout triggers](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/howtohelpburnoutatwork). (6)

4 Challenges for Future Leaders 

Also, [Organisational psychologist Daniel Pink](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG000005shQUYAY/overview?sid=a0KRG000007we992AA) (pictured above) has long said that motivation comes from **autonomy, mastery**, and **purpose**.

#### **Action:** Ask for clarity from your leaders. If you’re a leader, communicate clearly and widen out decision-making to more people in your team or company. Famed [restaurateur Will Guidara](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/events/a02RG000004dDRjYAM/overview?sid=a0KRG000006bDsa2AE) (“Unreasonable Hospitality”) says it leads to more (and better) ideas plus a sense of ownership in team members.

#### You can also [plan for your 10-year future self](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/elevate-session-3-plan-your-10-yr-self) and develop a [resilient agile mindset](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/emerging-leaders-program-self-leadership).

A Mercer survey of executives said they’d double down on AI investment (43%), reskilling (40%), and digital transformation (39%). (7)

As one CEO put it, “The real need in the future will be reskilling and upskilling our workforce.” (8)

The core "must-haves" for business resilience in 2025-2030 will centre on three strategic pillars:

·        **technological agility**

·        **continuous learning infrastructure**

·        **human-AI collaborative frameworks**

_“Across the board, leaders who take a long-term view - building up their talent, testing and learning where impact can be found, and reimagining the businesses for the future - can potentially break out ahead of the pack.”_ - McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2024 (9)

What your business needs to succeed in 2025-2030

As well as focusing on what’s changing, acknowledge “what’s unchanging.” This reduces fear and urgency and helps create a sense of personal power and control. (10)

The gap between current skills and future needs

Image: “The 3 Spheres of Change” Kieran Flanagan and Dan Gregory, authors of _“Forever Skills”_

Flanagan and Gregory suggest 3 “forever skills” to thrive into the future:

·        **Creativity**: Invent, innovate, garner insights, solve problems, be mentally agile

·        **Communication**: The ability to engage, persuade, and move others towards a shared goal

·        **Control**: The mastery of power over self, our actions, the environment and social consensus

PWC says to look at the _skills_ you have in your workforce now (not just the _roles_ your workers currently do) and identify the gaps in the skills you will need in the future. 

Along with critical technology skills, you’ll need to strengthen innovation, creativity, empathy and leadership capabilities, says PWC. (11)

_“The ability to gain new knowledge will be more valuable than the knowledge itself,"_\- Dell Technologies & Institute for the Future

According to the [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2023/09/reskilling-in-the-age-of-ai), **Amazon**, through its Machine Learning University, has enabled thousands of employees who initially had little experience in machine learning to become experts in the field. And, in just three years **Ericsson** has upskilled more than 15,000 employees in AI and automation.

Dairy manufacturer **Danone** aims to train 100,000 workers on AI-related skills, including predictive forecasting. 50,000 of its employees are already able to use AI tools like Microsoft Copilot, a large language model chatbot. (12)  

Global services powerhouse **Accenture** said it will train 30,000 employees on “agentic AI systems” – the next frontier of generative AI that doesn’t require prompts and will work alongside human workers to “make decisions and execute with precision across even the most complex workflows.” (13)

And Great Places to Work reports that **Hilton** and **Salesforce** use AI to help pair employees with mentors inside the organisation. (14)

Real examples of companies upskilling and reskilling

As one writer on LinkedIn sees it, “Since new and emerging fields will make up the majority of jobs, workers of the future will need to be comfortable with **learning as they go**, **good problem-solving skills** and the ability to discover and **process information on the fly**, agile and **quick to adapt**.” (15)

Look for tasks that are becoming automated or simplified by technology - these often signal skills that are losing value.

For example, if you're spending hours making detailed spreadsheet calculations, but new software can do this instantly, put it to use. Pay attention in meetings - if certain skills or tools aren't being mentioned as much in planning discussions or are missing from job postings, that's another clue.

Also, notice how younger team members are finding **smarter, faster ways** to get things done. The key is to regularly ask yourself and your team: "Could this work be done more efficiently another way?" If the answer is yes, the skills behind that work are probably declining in importance.

How to spot which skills are becoming less important

“Organisations are already seeing material benefits from gen AI use, reporting both cost decreases and revenue jumps in the business units deploying the technology.” – McKinsey 2024 survey (16)

Simple ways to start using AI in your daily work

*   **Audit Your Existing Tools**: Check if your current software has built-in AI features
*   **Identify Low-Hanging Fruit**: Target routine, time-consuming tasks for initial AI integration

Start with:  

*   Summarising long reports
*   Drafting communications and content support for marketing strategy
*   Identifying and prioritising sales leads
*   Analysing data for decisions
*   Planning and scheduling
*   Design development

In customer support, AI chatbots can provide instant assistance, answering simple queries 24/7 and routing complex issues to human staff. For marketing, AI is good for product descriptions and content creation, analysing customer data to reveal trends. AI also streamlines operations by **automating time-consuming tasks** like data entry, invoicing, travel and meeting scheduling, and report generation.

When looking to add more AI, companies have two main options: **ready-made tools** that are cheaper and faster to implement, or **custom solutions** that can be tailored exactly to their needs. (17)

Common leadership tasks AI can help with

_“What makes our current era unique is the scale, depth, and speed of these changes and the response required from organisations to survive and thrive.”_ – H. Yu & Z.Lei (18)

The biggest mistake is expecting AI to solve everything without any human oversight. Many leaders either trust AI too much (accepting everything it suggests without checking) or too little (refusing to use it for even simple tasks).

_“Efforts are often marred by an internal focus, incrementalism, and a reactive culture that, in turn, traps organisations in a cycle of addressing immediate concerns at the expense of shaping their future.”_ - H. Yu & Z.Lei 

The sweet spot is using AI as a **smart assistant**. Let it handle the first draft or initial analysis, but always review and adjust based on your experience and knowledge.

Another common trap is keeping AI use to yourself because you're worried about looking less capable. Instead, be open about how you're using it - share both successes and mistakes with your team. And don't fall into the trap of using AI just because it's trendy - use it where it genuinely saves time or improves results.

Avoiding common AI pitfalls

_“For the risk averse, there will be temptation to be a late adopter, yet being last in the new age may also have heightened risk.”_ – Dr Mathew Donald 

According to Dr Mathew Donald, author of _"Leading and Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial Intelligence,"_ organisations adopting either AI or robots must recognise that traditional risk management approaches may **struggle to keep pace** with rapid technological changes, potentially exposing them to unforeseen financial, reputational, and operational risks.

For example, data security is evolving and “increasingly emerging as a more complex organisational component to manage,” he says.  

Dr Donald says organisations will be confronted with choices on **what to adopt**, **when to adopt** and **how to change**, where complete information may not be available in time for decision-making. He says organisations will need to consider the morale, happiness and stress of staff that results when implementing AI or robots.  (19)

AI risks

“How many of you have made an ethical AI statement for your organisations  – ‘This is how we’re going to do it?’,” asked AI scientist and advisor Matt Kuperholz of delegates at [CultureCon™](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/culture-con-2024-summary).

“Don’t be passive,” he says. Anything will be possible with AI, but we must ask “Is it secure? Is it safe?” before we employ it.

A starting point is the AI strategy talking points listed out by the Australian Government business website (20):

·        **Tasks you will and won’t use AI for**

**·        How you’ll ensure AI output is accurate**

**·        When you’ll tell customers you’re using AI**

**·        How you’ll protect personal data and make sure you’re following privacy laws**

**·        Any training your staff need to use AI responsibly**

**·        Who is responsible for making sure your business uses AI safely. This should be someone high up in the business**

Writing your ethical AI statement 

As Richard Tobaccowala writes in “_Restoring the Soul of Business_,” change is very difficult for most people. Major changes at work can create **self-doubt**, create **dysfunction**,  require a **steep learning curve** and **increase workloads**.

“To change effectively, people need not only facts but also meaning, emotions, dialogues, and inspiration,” he says.

Keeping the human touch while using AI

Change experts Lena Ross and Dr Jen Frahm (pictured above), speaking on [resistance to change](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/session-3-emerging-leaders-program), reminded our Emerging Leaders Program participants to be conscious that _all_ types of change are _about people_ and all change involves _letting go_ of something, but the impact can differ from person to person.

Their framework ‘FutureSPECTIVE’ is to help teams move forward, feel engaged, and plan.

*   **Imagine** you’ve reached your goal, what does it look like? (ask this to get your success criteria)
*   **Ask:** What helped us get there? (ask this to discover the changes and mindsets you’ll need)
*   **Ask:** What got in the way? (ask this to uncover any fear, resistance).

Dr Mathew Donald (_"Leading and Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial Intelligence"_ author) admits that there is great potential for AI or robots to change organisations and replace staff roles.

“The staffing skills of the new age are likely to be different than the past, as the inclusion of AI and robots may require more technical or analytical skills.

“Workplaces may have **less humans**, or **less face-to-face interfaces** and **more electronic communication** in the future, and not all personality types may be so suited to the new forms of work.”

“Organisations may even have to consider specialised training and selection routines to ensure that staff are not stressed when working constantly with AI and robots, says Dr Donald. “Staff that remain in the new age will likely be required to complete new tasks together with higher skills and knowledge than ever before.”

The future of the workplace

“You need to pay and you need to play” says Tim Martin (pictured above) of learning about generative AI. He’s a great fan of just getting in there and giving it a go, and spoke to us about the [opportunities and risks associated with generative AI](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/Summary-of-chat-gpt-masterclass),

Creating a realistic AI skills learning plan starts with embracing micro-learning strategies that fit into your existing schedule.

·        **Dedicate just 15 minutes daily** to AI skill development—through quick online courses, YouTube tutorials, or podcast learning—and integrate these moments into natural breaks in your workday

·        **Create internal AI learning circles** where colleagues share knowledge, rotate teaching responsibilities, and practice new skills together

The goal isn't mastery overnight, but consistent, bite-sized learning that gradually builds your technological confidence and workplace adaptability.

Key signs you need upskilling include:

·        Feeling overwhelmed by emerging AI tools

·        Noticing colleagues using AI more efficiently

·        Recognising that your current workflow could be significantly streamlined through basic AI competencies

Creating a personal learning plan that's realistic

·        **List out routine tasks** that could be automated - identify time-consuming work like data entry, report summarisation, or scheduling that could be streamlined with AI assistance, and start researching AI solutions for these tasks

·        **Audit your existing software tools** for built-in AI features you might not be using - look through your current applications to discover and start using AI capabilities that are already available to you.

·        **Reach out to colleagues** to start a knowledge-sharing group where you can practice and discuss new technological skills together. Pay for and “play” with generative AI

·        **Write a draft of an ethical AI statement** - outline basic principles for how your team will use AI, including which tasks you will and won't use it for, and how you'll ensure accuracy

·        [**Join Growth Faculty**](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans) and immediately start learning from world experts. **Also, start reading widely** for "weak signals of change" - set aside time to explore industry news and trends to spot early indicators of where your field is heading

5 things you can do today to be future-ready

Join us in 2025 for special future-ready learning opportunities. Our [2025 Program](https://ideas.growthfaculty.com/l/1071223/2024-06-12/5q9w34) of live virtual learning sessions features some of the world's most influential thought leaders in business and leadership, many of them focusing on AI, change leadership, and adaptable leadership.

*   Navigating AI Readiness, **with Karl Treacher**, CEO of The Culture Institute
*   Balancing Innovation with Responsibility, with **Dr Immaculate (Mac) Motsi-Omoijiade,** emerging technologies expert
*   Become an AI-Driven Leader with **Geoff Woods,** bestselling author
*   Integrating AI into Leadership Practices with **Asma Gulbaz**
*   **Andrea Clarke**, discussing her new book _“Adapt”_

[Growth Faculty membership](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans) is a must-have for your professional development and one of the most effective ways to access business leadership seminars.

Growth Faculty also offers a great value [Enterprise plan](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans) for larger companies to develop leadership skills in teams of 20 or more employees.

Future-Ready Learning with Growth Faculty

(1) Accenture’s Pulse of Change: 2024 Index

(2) “Businesses Anticipate Unprecedented Rate of Change in 2024, New Accenture ‘Pulse of Change Index’ Shows”

(3) The IBM Institute for Business Value's 2024 CEO study

(4) Futureproofing the world of work, 2023, APS

(5) The 2023 Australian Workplace Survey on the level of psychosocial safety in Australian workplaces

(6) _“4 Burnout Triggers in the Workplace (and Tips for Exhausted Teams),”_ 2024, Summary article of Trudy MacDonald's masterclass, Growth Faculty

(7) Mercer-2024-Global-Talent-Trends-report)

(8) George Oliver, January 2024, _“From climate to coding, AI’s impact is ramping up. These 7 principles ensure it remains human-centric”_, weforum.org

(9) L.Yee, M.Chui, R.Roberts, with M.Issler, July 2024, McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2024, McKinsey.com

(10) _“Forever Skills”_ by K. Flanagan, D. Gregory

(11) _“Workforce of the Future: The competing forces shaping 2030,”_ retrieved from pwc website

(12) Chris Casey, July 2024, _“Danone partners with Microsoft to scale AI projects,”_ Manufacturing Dive website

(13) Dylan Martin, October 2024\_, “Accenture To Train 30,000 Staff On Nvidia AI Tech In Blockbuster Deal,” CRN\_ [_https://www.crn.com/news/ai/2024/accenture-to-train-30-000-staff-on-nvidia-ai-tech-in-blockbuster-deal_](https://www.crn.com/news/ai/2024/accenture-to-train-30-000-staff-on-nvidia-ai-tech-in-blockbuster-deal)

(14) “How the best companies are using AI to upskill employees,” Great Place to Work website

(15) Leo S., 2018, _“85% of Jobs that will exist in 2030 haven't been invented yet,”_ Linked In Pulse

(16) McKinsey survey\_: “The state of AI in early 2024: Gen AI adoption spikes and starts to generate value”\_

(17) _“Artificial Intelligence”, 2024,_ Australian Government business website

(18) Howard H. Yu, Zhike Lei, 2024, _“Being future-ready isn’t a luxury – organizations must perform and transform to survive and thrive,”_ IMD.org

_(19) "Leading and Managing Change in the Age of Disruption and Artificial Intelligence"_ by Dr Mathew Donald

_(20) “Artificial Intelligence”, 2024,_ Australian Government business website

**Image credits:** 

Main photo by [Guilherme Stecanella](https://unsplash.com/@guilhermestecanella?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-standing-on-ice-EefsBN5B5GE?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

Laptops photo by [Scott Graham](https://unsplash.com/@homajob?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/person-holding-pencil-near-laptop-computer-5fNmWej4tAA?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

Robot photo by [Alex Knight](https://unsplash.com/@agk42?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/white-robot-near-brown-wall-2EJCSULRwC8?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

Workplace photo by [Campaign Creators](https://unsplash.com/@campaign_creators?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/photos/people-sitting-near-table-with-laptop-computer-qCi_MzVODoU?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash)

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FUTURE-READY LEADERSHIP AND USING AI

Practical checklist of future-ready leadership traits

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO FUTURE-READY LEADERSHIP AND USING AI

Practical checklist of future-ready leadership traits

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired