Source: Five leadership skills for the future | London Business School
In an era shaped by relentless disruption – from the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, to the pressures of achieving net-zero and the challenges of digital transformation – organisations today face problems of a new order. These are not simply technical or operational issues that can be resolved with expertise or authority. They are adaptive challenges: complex, evolving problems that require learning, innovation, and change at all levels of an organisation.
To meet these challenges, leadership itself must evolve. The traditional top-down model is no longer sufficient. Instead, businesses need leaders who can build adaptability not only in themselves but across their teams and cultures. Based on research, industry insights, and practical experience with global organisations, the following are five essential leadership capabilities to help organisations become truly adaptable.
1. Cross-cutting: Building Broader, More Diverse Networks
In times of uncertainty, leaders must look beyond the familiar. Building a diverse and far-reaching network of contacts, from different industries, cultures, functions, and disciplines, enables access to fresh perspectives and novel solutions.
A major study of CEOs in the S&P 1500 revealed that those with more diverse networks (based on gender, nationality, education, and global experience) consistently delivered higher firm value and innovation. Yet human nature often steers us toward like-minded individuals. Leaders must therefore intentionally challenge this tendency, stepping outside comfort zones and engaging with new voices and ideas, whether by involving people from different departments, rethinking team composition, or simply sitting next to someone new at lunch.
The result? Greater insight, creativity, and readiness to tackle adaptive problems from multiple angles.
2. Collaborative: Fostering Psychological Safety
Effective collaboration is not just about bringing people together, it’s about creating environments where people feel safe to contribute honestly and openly. Google’s landmark Project Aristotle study identified psychological safety as the number one factor driving high-performing teams.
As leaders, fostering this safety means listening deeply, holding space for others to speak, and actively encouraging quieter voices to join the conversation. It means recognising that silence is often the default, and knowing how to draw out meaningful input without judgement.
By building a culture of trust and inclusion, leaders unlock the full range of talent and thinking within their organisations.
3. Coaching: Empowering People to Think and Act Independently
Leadership today requires a shift from the “know-it-all” to the “learn-it-all” mindset. Rather than instructing, adaptive leaders act as coaches, asking thoughtful questions that help people think independently, build confidence, and find their own solutions.
Good coaching isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about unlocking others’ potential. Open-ended, non-leading questions encourage creativity and engagement. At companies like Microsoft, this shift from control to coaching has transformed workplace culture, empowering managers to take ownership and solve problems proactively.
Coaching builds the autonomy and agility organisations need to respond quickly and intelligently to change.
4. Culture-Shaping: Rethinking the Way Things Are Done
Creating adaptability at scale means reshaping culture, sometimes dramatically.
This often means tearing down entrenched processes that no longer serve the organisation. For example, Microsoft’s Jean-Philippe Courtois revamped the company’s quarterly business review process, removing an outdated, fear-driven system and replacing it with a more agile, customer-focused approach.
Leaders must be willing to challenge what’s “always been done” in favour of what works better now.
5. Connecting: Building Trust and Emotional Engagement
In a world of chronic change, the most successful leaders are those who connect with people on a human level. Traits like empathy, authenticity, vulnerability, and transparency are not soft skills – they are core leadership competencies.
Empathy, in particular, can be developed with intention. When leaders demonstrate genuine care and emotional intelligence, they foster deeper trust and stronger engagement. In uncertain times, this emotional alignment keeps teams united and focused.
The question every leader should ask themselves is: Why should anyone follow me? The answer lies not just in vision or expertise, but in the quality of their human connection.
Adapting for the Future
Leadership is changing, because the world around us has changed. The challenges we face today demand more than operational excellence; they require a commitment to learning, collaboration, and continuous adaptation.
The five skills outlined (cross-cutting, collaborative, coaching, culture-shaping, and connecting) are not just tools for managing disruption. They are a blueprint for future-ready leadership.
As we look ahead, one thing is clear: what got us here won’t get us there. To remain relevant and resilient, leaders must evolve, and help their organisations evolve with them.
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