Mentally, many of us associate December with rest – but the lived reality of these last few weeks of the year can feel like anything but! With year-end deadlines looming at the same time many people take an extended period off work, this time of year is often filled with work that can’t wait until January.

But as important as I know it is to tie up the loose ends of the current year, I also believe in the importance of carving out some time to think about the 12 months ahead. I planned our second community appreciation event, Adjusting Your Leadership for 2025 and Beyond, with that focus in mind. On December 6, I met online with some members of our Change Coaches community to share about the value of reflecting on the challenges we face as leaders in 2025.

Challenges and Trends for 2025

To start the event, we all checked in by sharing what brought us together that day before moving into a discussion of some of the specific environmental factors I expect will shape 2025 for leaders. Those factors include:

  • The ongoing return to the office, which means a longer-term hybrid work model for many people.
  • The evolving nature of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.
  • The increasing importance (and disruption) of AI for people at all organizational levels.
  • The ongoing epidemic of well-being and anxiety issues, in the workplace and beyond.
  • The growing importance of workplace safety and labour issues.

I invited our community participants to share what they’re experiencing in their own workplaces and we discussed the role coaching plays in navigating these challenges, as individuals and team members.

The Importance of Relational Leadership

Relational leadership is a valuable approach to the challenges many of us expect to face as leaders over the next year. The deeper connections and conversations fostered by this leadership approach require vulnerability but hold a lot of potential for long-term success – especially in times of fear and uncertainty.

By embracing ‘real leadership’ we can resist authoritarianism in the workplace, operate with awareness and from a place of equity, and become stewards of change in our workplaces. I encourage you to rely on honest self reflection as a catalyst for open discussion of challenges and improvements. But don’t forget the joy in the middle of this work! During times of change or uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to foster and celebrate moments of happiness and connection.

How to Foster Psychological Safety

Psychological safety plays an important role in ensuring those joyful moments to celebrate happen in the first place. I encourage you to think about where you’ve felt the safest – how can you create that type of environment for everyone? On the other hand, consider a time when you felt the least safe – which factors of that environment stand out to you, and how can you counter them as a leader?

As you think about what you require for psychological safety and how you can ensure others share that experience, share with your coaches, members of your team, and other leaders among your connections. These discussions are a great way to support your own leadership growth and learn more about how psychological safety fosters innovation and productive team relationships.

Thriving Through Resilience

During this busy season, and over the year ahead, I hope you give yourself the gift of time to celebrate, reflect, and recalibrate as you continue along your leadership journey. I encourage you to reach out to your communities, workplace and otherwise, to continue these discussions and share your challenges and successes! 

To learn more about the topics we explored during this event, please listen to our Leading Below the Surface podcast. Our recent episodes cover topics as varied as embracing neurodiversity, fostering self-reliance, and finding your footing after a traumatic event.

And if you want to dig in even further and commit to a successful start to 2025, I hope you’ll join me in January and February for Thriving Through Resilience: A Coaching Sprint for 2025. In addition to the three virtual coaching sessions included with this 60-day coaching sprint, you’ll get access to one laser coaching session for urgent issues, access to a comprehensive resource library and a 60-minute virtual community event.

Visit our registration form today to position yourself to thrive in the new year as one of our ten participants. I can’t wait to start 2025 together.