What We Desperately Need from Business Leaders in 2025

Previously published on Destination CRM

Two things happened this week.

First, my team asked me to write our annual marketing predictions piece–a chance to weigh in on trends, technology, and where the industry is headed.

Then, I was interviewed for a story about what makes leaders exceptional.

In a moment, these two things converged.

I found myself thinking not about exceptional leadership but about the lack of it. Across my career, and especially this last year, I’ve seen too many examples of what leadership shouldn’t be.

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates handed down with little regard for what employees want or need. Relentless downsizing without a thought to the human beings impacted. Public retreats from DEI and ESG commitments, signaling that values are optional when the going gets tough. Leaders say one thing and do another as if integrity is negotiable.

These examples aren’t outliers. They’re the norm. And that’s the problem.

So, I decided to take my predictions in a different direction. Instead of marketing trends, let’s talk about what we need from leaders in 2025—not just strategies or tools but the qualities that truly matter.

What We’re Seeing Today

It’s been a tough year to watch. Leaders everywhere seem to be retreating into survival mode, making decisions that feel disconnected from the values they claim to uphold. Here’s what’s stood out:

The headlines call it “The Great Tech Reset.” In reality, it’s the gutting of thousands of careers. Entire teams have been wiped out in one fell swoop, with little regard for the human toll. According to Forbes, tech companies alone announced tens of thousands of layoffs this year, often just weeks after celebrating record profits. Leaders treat people as numbers on a spreadsheet instead of the lifeblood of their organizations.

According to a Resume Builder report, nearly 90 percent of companies will have implemented return-to-office mandates by 2025. Many leaders cite productivity or culture as reasons, but it often feels like a power play for employees. There’s little acknowledgment of how flexibility transformed work-life balance or the fact that, for many, office life no longer makes sense. Leaders are calling employees back in droves—but for what?

Corporate America’s embrace of DEI and ESG has gone cold. Initiatives once hailed as non-negotiable priorities are now being deprioritized or defunded. A Fast Company report highlights this retreat as short-sighted and counterproductive. What kind of message does it send when a leader only champions equity and sustainability when convenient? It signals that these values aren’t values at all—they’re just lip service, and that’s a problem.

These aren’t isolated missteps. They point to a larger issue: the hypocrisy of leadership that doesn’t align words with actions. Companies preach purpose, but purpose seems to be the first thing to go when pressure mounts. Employees notice. Customers notice. And trust erodes.

The Shift We Need: What We Need More of in 2025

Your employees need leaders. They don’t need more empty promises, performative empathy, or reactive decision-making. They need leaders who embody the qualities that inspire trust, drive meaningful progress, and make organizations better for everyone. Here’s what we need more of in 2025.

Anchors: Whether we want to admit it or not, the national stage is poised for turbulence in 2025. Political tensions will rise, polarizing debates will dominate headlines, and employees will feel the weight of it all—not just as workers but as citizens, consumers, and human beings. Leaders can’t control the outside world but can control how they show up for their people. This is the moment for leaders to be anchors.

Being an anchor means staying steady when the world around you isn’t. It’s about projecting calm, offering clarity, and creating a sense of stability for employees looking for someone to trust.

It also means resisting the urge to react to every headline or trend. Instead, leaders need to plan, think long-term, and stay proactive. Employees need to know their organization has a strategy in place—one that won’t waver with the next news cycle.

And it’s not enough to lead from the shadows. Anchors are visible. They communicate regularly, share updates, and make themselves available. In a year when uncertainty will be the norm, visible leadership isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential.

Empathizers: It’s always baffled me. Companies will move mountains to understand their customers—investing in surveys, focus groups, and analytics to respond to their every whim. They’ll treat customers as humans, tailoring products and services to meet their needs and anticipating problems before they even arise.

But when it comes to employees? The same care and attention vanish. Employees are treated as numbers—human capital, not human beings. A resource to be optimized, replaced, or downsized. It’s cold. And it’s infuriating.

Empathy means taking the time to understand your employees the way you understand your customers. What do they need to thrive? What’s standing in their way? How can you help? Real empathizers don’t see employees as interchangeable—they see them as individuals with unique contributions, challenges, and goals.

Being an empathizer requires listening. It means consistently showing up, asking questions, and then doing something about the answers. It’s about creating a culture where people feel seen and valued, not because it’s trendy but because it’s right.

If companies can work so hard to win over their customers, they can do the same for the people who make it all happen. Employees aren’t just a line on a balance sheet—they’re the heart of the organization. In 2025, it’s time leaders start acting like it.

Explainers: Early in my career, I thought I understood what it meant to lead and communicate. I’d worked in enterprise companies where decisions were made quickly, sometimes with minimal explanation, and everyone just “got it.” Or at least, that’s how it seemed.

Then, I started working with incarcerated women who were stepping into business for the first time—women who didn’t have the same background or experience as the typical corporate professional. They were learning, growing, and figuring it all out in real time.

What I realized almost immediately was how much explaining matters.

Not because these women lacked intelligence—they’re some of the smartest, most capable people I’ve ever met. But because effective communication isn’t about what’s clear to you; it’s about what’s clear to the person you’re speaking to.

Every decision, even the seemingly small ones, deserves more thought, dialogue, and care. Leaders need to take the time to break things down, answer questions, and ensure that the why behind a decision is as clear as the what.

Explainers do more than talk—they listen, respond, and adjust. They meet people where they are, not where they think they should be. They recognize that understanding doesn’t happen by chance but through effort.

And here’s the thing: This isn’t just about helping others. When you take the time to explain, you create stronger connections, greater alignment, and better outcomes for everyone. It’s a small shift, but it can make all the difference.

Truth Tellers: Values shouldn’t be negotiable. Yet, too often, leaders treat them as if they are. They say one thing and do another. They make promises publicly that they never intend to keep privately. It’s talking out of both sides of the mouth—and it’s everywhere.

These disconnects—whether a minor inconsistency, a half-truth, or a blatant lie—chip away at a culture, eroding trust with every misstep. And once that trust is broken, it’s nearly impossible to earn back.

We see it in the retreat from DEI and ESG. Companies that once championed diversity and sustainability are now quietly scaling back their efforts, justifying it with “business needs.” It sends a loud message: These values were optional all along. Employees notice. Customers notice. And so does the world.

Being a truth teller isn’t always easy. It requires hard conversations, accountability, and the willingness to stand firm—even when inconvenient. But doing what you say you’ll do is the foundation of leadership. Leaders who lead with honesty and integrity set the tone for their organizations.

In 2025, leaders must be unwavering in their values. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Most importantly, it should be backed up with action. Truth telling is about creating a culture of trust and consistency that can weather any storm.

My Wish List for 2025

So, while this isn’t the predictions piece I initially set out to write, it feels more important—a wish list of what we need from leaders in 2025. Employees want to be led. They want to be inspired. They want to trust. And in the absence of true leadership, they will gravitate toward anyone who steps in, no matter how ill-equipped they are. We’ve seen this play out time and again. It’s time for leaders to rise to the moment—not just for their companies but for those who depend on them.

Kellie Walenciak is the head of global marketing for Televerde, a global revenue creation partner that supports marketing, sales, and customer success for B2B businesses worldwide. A purpose-built company, Televerde believes in second-chance employment and strives to help disempowered people find their voice and reach their human potential.