The question of how leaders should show up today is as complex as the world they operate in. With constant change, increasing utilisation of AI and automation, advantage no longer comes from efficiency alone. We often mistake leadership as having clear authority to set direction and then ensuring people follow. Executing this with care and empathy, while always important, were frequently viewed as secondary to results or assumed to emerge naturally from competence and experience.  

Previously, change was slower, roles were more stable and the boundaries between work, technology and life were clearer. The modern leader is navigating rapid changes in their markets, their technology and their workforce. This shift doesn’t invalidate all past models of leadership; rather it exposes their limits in a world filled with volatility, automation and constant reinvention. 
 

Challenges of the modern leader  

This is the central theme of Amy Walters Cohen’s book, Ruthlessly Caring by Amy Walters Cohen | Waterstones.₁ She discusses that the modern leader must operate within a rapidly transforming environment, driven by what’s often referred to as the ‘12 global megatrends’ — powerful, interconnected forces, such as global geopolitical and economic changes, the health and wellness evolution and the rise of technology, AI and automation.  

As humans, we like to file things into neat categories. As leaders, the tendency is to want to bucket these trends and deal with them systematically, but they aren’t separate; they’re colliding and creating what Amy Walters Cohen coins the ‘washing machine effect’ — constant waves of complex and competing forces that organisations need to navigate and adapt to survive. There’s little time to pause, let alone stabilise.  

It’s in this complex environment that complex leadership skills are required. Leaders need to be versatile and differentiate themselves by demonstrating how they care for their people.   

The people-first approach 

Human-centred leadership₂ may be dismissed by opponents as soft or lacking rigour but, at its core, it is neither of those things. Being people-first doesn’t mean we should avoid hard conversations or prioritise feelings over outcomes; it’s about understanding that leaders have a responsibility to help each employee succeed and find genuine fulfilment at work, which in turn benefits them and the organisation. That means giving the difficult feedback but having the empathy and compassion to land it in the right way, and at the earliest opportunity.  

As a leader, this can feel all-consuming and paradoxical at times. Leaders are left grappling with an exponential list of apparently conflicting and confusing demands. Provide consistency and reassurance but also be agile and cut costs. Be innovative and decisive, while involving and engaging your people. The list goes on!  

Ruthlessly caring: Driving high performance 

‘Ruthlessly caring’ is one of the five paradoxes Amy Walters Cohen₁ suggests is needed for organisations to thrive. It is the practice of holding people to a high standard while remaining deeply human in how those standards are pursued. It rejects the false choice between empathy and performance management, recognising that both are essential in complex, high-pressure environments. A ruthlessly caring leader is willing to have difficult conversations, make tough decisions and demand accountability, but they do so with honesty, respect and genuine concern for the person in front of them.  

I spend a lot of my coaching time preparing leaders to have honest conversations. Entering those conversation with care for the individual is the real differentiator, as it allows leaders to support individuals without avoiding the grit of leadership. Ultimately, ruthlessly caring recognises that driving and sustaining high performance happens because of humanity, not in spite of it. 

What behaviours should the leaders of today adopt?  

• Leadership today requires embracing contradictions, not applying behaviours selectively 
  Effective leaders must hold opposing qualities simultaneously – being both compassionate and challenging, decisive and inclusive. 

• Past leadership success can become a future risk 
  Leadership approaches that once drove results can leave leaders exposed in today’s complex environment, if they remain one-dimensional and fixed. 

• Adaptability and range are now core leadership capabilities 
  Modern leaders need to broaden their skill set, raise their game and develop multifaceted ways of leading to meet growing and competing expectations. 

• Communication is a critical leadership responsibility 
  Leaders must take ownership of how messages land and resonate, by effectively preparing, pausing and being intentional about the impact, not just delivery. 

• Empathy and compassion drive performance and retention 
  Human-centred leadership promotes a psychologically safe environment, enabling people to accept tough messages, grow through challenge and remain committed even in demanding conditions. 

The research is clear: empathy and compassion build psychological safety, and psychological safety enables deeper understanding and more effective action. Embracing human skills to deliver high-performance isn’t optional, it’s essential. If leaders show up in this way, people feel valued, accept difficult messages and have room to grow. When that happens, they’re far more willing to stay committed, even when the work gets tough.  

These themes sit at the heart of Talent Trends 2026, where we explore how leadership, technology and workforce expectations are evolving — and how organisations can design work that is both high-performing and deeply human.

Read the full Talent Trends 2026 article to explore what’s shaping the future of leadership and work.