Beyond the Leadership Myths: A Modern Approach for 2025

Beyond the Leadership Myths: A Modern Approach for 2025

I'm seeing some inspiring articles around leadership that is transforming the landscape. Although it might appear cyclical, we continue to evolve our approach to leadership development. I know some of you out there have promoted for time immemorial that leadership is a team sport. Today, I still get questioned by those in positions, asked if our leadership development framework, based on capability development, is about leadership—meaning, it's about leaders in positions.

This is management, not leadership. Leadership is about people, working together. Then they'll say, that's teamwork. Yes, it is! We are, in the Council, One Team, making it happen, with passion and integrity. We move forward, beyond outdated models of static leadership traits, position-based authority, to recognising everyone has a collective role to play and ideally, be sufficiently remunerated accordingly.

As we progress the organisation, we are responsible to first Lead Self, be an individual contributor and develop our crafts and expertise. Next, we learn to Lead Others, influencing and guiding in relation to a service. Finally, in many layers of large organisations, we must Lead with Purpose, setting and clarifying the services, community impact, and meaningful difference we make - what I often refer to as the "WE", the Worthy Endeavour—a shared purpose that unites and drives the collective forward, ensuring everyone contributes to and benefits from a common mission.

Our proposed leadership framework is based on achieving meaningful results, guiding teams to work collectively together, and learning and developing in the pursuit of making it better for the community and each other.

?? Leadership in 2025 demands more than outdated hierarchies and charisma-driven models—it requires a shift toward adaptability, collaboration, and purpose-driven impact.

For too long, leadership has been framed through rigid, outdated ideas—the notion that leaders are born, that leadership is about a singular visionary at the top, or that leadership is always a force for good. These myths persist, shaping how we develop talent, measure leadership effectiveness, and design leadership programmes. But in reality, leadership is not a position—it’s a capability.

As we move further into 2025, it's time for a more modern, scalable, and inclusive approach to leadership—one that isn’t just about titles or authority, but about how we navigate complexity, empower others, and drive meaningful change.

That’s why I advocate for a leadership model centred around three key progressive principles:

? Lead Self – Mastering personal leadership as the foundation for growth.

? Lead Others – Shifting from individual success to collective impact.

? Lead with Purpose – Aligning leadership with values, ethics, and long-term vision.

At its core, leadership must prioritise the wellbeing of people as its primary outcome. The true measure of success is not just organisational performance but how well people are feeling good, doing well, and thriving.

?? 1. Lead Self: Leadership Begins with You

The biggest leadership challenge today isn't just about managing others—it’s about managing ourselves.

In a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA), leaders must develop:

?? Self-awareness – Understanding strengths, biases, and emotional triggers.

?? Resilience – Navigating stress, setbacks, and rapid change with confidence.

?? Growth mindset – Seeing challenges as opportunities for learning and development.

?? Wellbeing focus – Ensuring physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health to sustain leadership energy.

?? Why This Matters in 2025: Organisations are shifting toward self-led, high-agency teams. The most valuable leaders aren’t those waiting for permission to lead; they’re the ones who take ownership, set the tone, and model the capabilities they want to see in others.

?? Leadership is not about power over people, but power over oneself.

?? 2. Lead Others: From Authority to Influence

Traditional leadership models focus too much on titles and hierarchy. But real leadership is about enabling others to succeed.

In 2025, the best leaders are those who: ?? Coach rather than command – They develop people, not just manage tasks. ?? Foster psychological safety – They create environments where ideas can thrive. ?? Embrace collaboration – They lead through influence, not just authority. ?? Support wellbeing – They cultivate environments where people are feeling good, doing well, and thriving.

?? Why This Matters in 2025: The workforce is becoming increasingly remote, cross-functional, and purpose-driven. Leadership is no longer about controlling information—it’s about empowering, engaging, and aligning teams toward shared goals.

?? The best leaders build other leaders, not followers.

?? 3. Lead with Purpose: Leadership Beyond the Bottom Line

Leadership isn’t just about what we do—it’s about why we do it.

The most effective leaders in 2025 are those who:

?? Lead with integrity and ethics – They align decisions with values, not just profits.

?? Create impact beyond the organisation – They consider community, sustainability, and diversity in leadership decisions.

?? Drive meaningful transformation – They connect work to a greater purpose, making leadership a force for good.

?? Put people’s wellbeing first – Leadership is ultimately about creating environments where people can thrive.

?? Why This Matters in 2025: Employees, customers, and stakeholders increasingly expect leaders to stand for something bigger than just financial success. Whether it’s climate impact, equity, or wellbeing, leadership in 2025 is about making a difference where it matters most.

?? Leadership isn’t just about results—it’s about responsibility for people’s wellbeing.

?? A New Leadership Paradigm for 2025 and Beyond

If we want to move beyond outdated leadership models and create organisations where people thrive, we need to:

?? Shift from positional leadership → to capability-based leadership

?? Shift from individual heroics → to team-based impact

?? Shift from authority-driven leadership → to value-driven leadership

?? Shift from outputs alone → to creating environments where people are feeling good, doing well, and thriving

?? The most effective leaders in 2025 won’t be those with the biggest titles—but those who create the biggest impact on people’s wellbeing.

?? What do you think? How are you evolving your leadership approach this year?

#Leadership #FutureOfWork #LeadWithPurpose #Wellbeing