Leadership today isn’t what it used to be. Gone are the days of top-down, authoritarian management styles. In 2025, great leadership is less about giving orders and more about building trust, inspiring growth, and putting people first. Whether you’ve just stepped into a managerial role or you’re looking to elevate your leadership game, understanding how to be a leader in the modern day workplace is essential for your team, your company culture, and your own success.
At Virgin Incentives, we work with countless HR professionals and business leaders across the UK and US who are all striving to create more connected, motivated, and engaged workplaces. So, if you’re asking yourself, “how can I be the kind of leader people want to work with?” You’re in the right place. Let’s explore what it really means to lead in 2025, why it matters, and how you can start doing it even better today.
What Does It Mean to Be a Good Leader in 2025?
Being a modern-day leader goes beyond achieving business goals or meeting deadlines. It’s about creating environments where people can thrive, feel safe to be themselves, and contribute in meaningful ways.
A good leader sets the tone for company culture. They have a direct impact on team morale, employee retention, and even productivity. In fact, studies consistently show that employees who have benefitted from compassionate leadership are more likely to stay engaged, perform well and stay loyal to their company. On the flip side, poor leadership leads to low morale, high turnover, and a toxic culture that drains innovation. People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. So, learning how to be a leader that others want to follow is more crucial than ever.
The next generation of young employees value a more human approach when it comes to leadership with trust being particularly important to them compared to previous generations. Danni Rush, our COO at Virgin Incentives, Virgin Experience Days and Virgin Experience Gifts, spoke to CEO Today about the type of leadership young employees are looking for, here’s what she said:
“Gen-Z and Millennials crave a more human approach to leadership, based on trust, mutual respect and an appreciation for the wider societal issues facing the world. As Burke conveyed, change is constant and must be embraced – and in this modern and ever-changing era, a successful CEO must be able to adapt with it.”
How to Be a Leader: Real-World Tips for Modern Leaders
Here’s a look at some practical and powerful ways you can lead in the workplace today:
1. Lead with Empathy: Build Strong Human Connections
Modern leadership starts with empathy. Take the time to get to know your team members and understand their strengths, stressors, goals, and communication styles. Ask questions. Listen deeply. Remember, leadership isn’t just about managing tasks, it’s about leading people.
Empathy builds psychological safety, which allows people to speak up, share ideas, and even fail without fear. That’s the kind of environment where creativity and innovation flourish.
2. Adopt a Growth Mindset: Embrace Continuous Learning
Being a leader doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means being open to learning constantly. Encourage your team (and yourself) to take on new challenges, experiment, and grow. Celebrate progress over perfection. Leaders with a growth mindset foster resilience, adaptability, and curiosity which are essential qualities in today’s fast-moving business world.
3. Be Purpose-Driven: Go Beyond Profits
Today’s employees want more than just a paycheck, they want to be part of something meaningful. Share the “why” behind your team’s work. Connect day-to-day tasks to bigger goals. When people see how their efforts contribute to a larger mission, they feel more motivated and fulfilled. This kind of purpose-driven leadership is especially powerful in retaining and inspiring Gen Z and millennial employees.
4. Communicate Like a Pro: Clearly, Consistently, Honestly
Communication is the foundation of leadership. Be transparent, even when the news is tough. Regularly check in with your team. Set clear expectations and make space for two-way feedback. Great leaders don’t just talk, they listen.
Pro tip: Start every 1-to-1 with an open-ended question like “What’s going well?” or “What do you need from me right now?” It invites trust and shows that you’re genuinely invested.
5. Trust and Delegate: Let Your Team Shine
Micromanaging kills motivation. If you want your team to grow, you’ve got to let go. Delegate with clarity, then trust your people to deliver. When employees feel trusted, they take more ownership and perform better. Your job as a leader isn’t to do all the work, it’s to empower your team to do their best work.
6. Reward and Celebrate Achievements
79% of employees consider quitting due to inadequate appreciation from their managers, so don’t wait for annual reviews to give praise. Show some recognition for those wins (big and small) as they happen. A quick thank-you email, a shout-out in a team meeting, or even an experiential reward like a spa day or supercar experience can go a long way in boosting morale.
At Virgin Incentives, we see how experiences as rewards spark excitement and create lasting memories! Much more impactful than a generic cash bonus or box of chocolates.
7. Give Continuous Feedback and Coaching
Regular, constructive feedback is essential. It helps your team stay on track, grow, and feel supported. Think of yourself as a coach, not a critic. Offer feedback that’s specific, timely, and actionable. Create a culture of feedback, where team members feel safe giving and receiving input across the board.
8. Be Inclusive and Tackle Unconscious Bias
Great leaders champion diversity and inclusion. They actively seek out different perspectives, ensure every voice is heard, and challenge their own biases. Make inclusivity a core value, not just a checkbox. Invest in training, ask tough questions, and model inclusive behaviour from the top.
9. Stay Resilient: Lead Through Uncertainty
The modern workplace is full of change such as new tech, shifting markets, remote and hybrid work. Your ability to stay calm, focused, and optimistic through it all sets the tone for your team. Resilience doesn’t mean never struggling. It means being real about challenges while staying committed to moving forward together.
The Future of Leadership: Where Are We Heading?
So what’s next in the evolution of workplace leadership?
- Human-first leadership will continue to gain ground, with a growing focus on mental health, wellbeing, and work-life balance.
- Experience-based rewards and recognition will become more popular as companies look to engage employees in ways that are personal, memorable, and meaningful.
- Flexibility and trust will define the best workplace cultures, giving employees more autonomy over where, when, and how they work.
- Technology and AI will play a bigger role in leadership, helping managers understand data, support employee growth, and personalize experiences at scale, but emotional intelligence will remain just as critical.
Final Thoughts: It Starts with You
No one becomes a perfect leader overnight. The truth is, how to be a leader in today’s workplace is something we’re all still learning. But by showing up with empathy, embracing growth, and focusing on your people, you’ll already be ahead of the curve.
And remember recognition matters. If you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate your team’s hard work, boost morale, or drive motivation, Virgin Incentives offers a wide range of unforgettable experiences and flexible gift cards that employees actually want. From helicopter rides to fine dining, our experiential rewards help create the kind of culture people don’t want to leave. Find out more about our rewards by reaching out below:
