12 Critical Leadership Skills For Authentic Leaders In 2025

The most rapid and vast changes to the workplace have occurred over the past four years, and the speed and volume of change will only continue to increase. Organisations must now navigate a workforce composed of the largest number of generations in history, the transformative impact of technology—particularly AI—and the complexities of hybrid and remote work. With all this change, leaders must adopt and amplify a unique set of leadership skills to thrive in our rapidly evolving work landscape.

Authentic Leaders Must Focus On These Critical Leadership Skills

These 11 leadership skills and behaviours will help you build your personal brand as a relevant, compelling, and authentic leader.

1. Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is the foundation of many essential leadership skills. While many people believe they are self-aware, research from Tasha Eurich reveals that only 10-15% of individuals truly are. To cultivate self-awareness, focus on two areas: self-reflection and seeking feedback. This skill helps you understand your motivations, values, biases, unique strengths, and differentiation. Self-awareness is also the cornerstone of Daniel Goleman’s emotional intelligence model.

2. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Being clear about and managing your own emotions is crucial for authentic leadership. Emotional intelligence goes beyond self-awareness by enabling leaders to recognise and influence the emotions of their team members. At its core, this skill depends on self-awareness as the first step in leading with authenticity and empathy.

3. Curiosity

In an environment of rapid change, perpetual curiosity is vital for staying relevant. Asking questions and seeking answers helps leaders clarify challenges, innovate, and maximise the value of transformation. A curious mindset ensures adaptability and resilience, allowing leaders to drive innovation.

4. Communication

Authentic leaders need exceptional communication skills because their ability to inspire trust, foster engagement, and build meaningful relationships hinges on how effectively they convey their vision, values, and intentions. By actively listening and knowing exactly what to say with clarity and authenticity, authentic leaders empower their teams, resolve conflicts, and drive alignment toward shared goals, making communication the cornerstone of their influence and impact. These twelve things authentic leaders say demonstrate their skill in communicating and commitment to the members of their team.

5. Inclusivity

With increasing burnout and loneliness in the workplace, fostering a sense of belonging is more important than ever. Leaders must create a culture where every team member feels valued, included, and empowered to contribute their best work. Inclusivity is key to building thriving, high-performing teams. It also enhances engagement and retention by making team members feel appreciated and supported.

More: Why You Need to Focus on Belonging at Work

6. Storytelling

Effective leaders are skilled storytellers, capable of articulating visions and strategies with clarity and authenticity. Stories engage audiences and leave a lasting impression by connecting with both logic and emotion. Transforming facts and data into compelling narratives enables leaders to captivate and motivate their teams.

Read : The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

7. Creative Problem-Solving

Problems represent opportunities for growth, and creativity is the catalyst for turning challenges into innovative solutions. Leaders who view problems from multiple angles ignite innovation and drive progress. Creativity is the foundation of effective problem-solving and organisational transformation.

8. Collaboration

Building a collaborative team in a remote or hybrid setting requires intentional effort. Leaders must foster a culture of collaboration, leveraging technology to enhance teamwork and connection. A collaborative mindset strengthens cohesion, engagement, and overall team performance. In hybrid work models, it is even more challenging to inspire innovation. Leaders must master online meetings and video communication to keep their teams connected and engaged in hybrid work environments.

9. Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking involves seeing the big picture, crafting high-level strategies, and inspiring others to join the vision. Effective leaders combine current realities with future trends and opportunities, using curiosity and experimentation to drive discovery and innovation.

10. Lifelong Learning

In an era of rapid technological advancement, continuous learning is more critical than ever. Learning must be integrated into every aspect of work, with leaders turning newfound knowledge into actionable results. Curiosity fuels learning, but leaders must ensure that learning translates into meaningful impact.

11. Video Communication

Unless you work in an entirely in-person environment, video communication will remain a vital tool for reaching and influencing others. Leaders must excel at using video for both synchronous (Zoom meetings) and asynchronous (thought leadership videos) interactions. Video enables complete, compelling communication that engages and motivates in ways that the 26 letters of the alphabet can’t.

12. AI Enablement

To drive efficiency and creativity, leaders must inspire their teams to embrace AI tools and integrate them into their workflows. A basic understanding of AI’s potential is essential, and a deep knowledge as it relates to your role will help you stand out and demonstrate that you are an innovative leader. Reverse mentoring, where younger team members help leaders learn, can accelerate this process and foster a culture of innovation and cohesion. Building AI proficiency across the organisation is crucial, and it begins with you as a leader.

Read: To Use AI Tools Smartly, Think Like a Strategist

Thriving As An Authentic Leader In 2025 And Beyond

These leadership skills and behaviours are the cornerstones of authentic leadership. Mastering them will enable you to effectively engage and support your team, delivering exceptional value in 2025 and beyond. To have the greatest impact on your team and organisation, identify the skills and behaviours in this list where you could improve. As you build your learning plan for 2025, prioritise these skills to ensure you thrive in the evolving workplace.

This article was originally published in Forbes.