Trend-spotters have identified 2025 as the year of ‘human-centric’ leadership in work (I mean, tell me it’s almost 2025 without telling me it’s almost 2025…). Although this seems like another daft way of pointing out the obvious – that humans need a human touch from their bosses – it’s fascinating that, in the end, it could be the advance of AI technology that finally makes us recognise the true value of human kindness in management and embrace that kindness as an essential tool in doing business, and not just as a tactic saved for the progressive or naturally empathetic. As AI and technology rapidly develop to support and take over so many of our tasks (think admin, productivity, asset creation, work distribution, project oversight or even knowledge centres), it is leaders with the power to connect, motivate, inspire, emote and work empathetically that will really make the difference to how successfully a business – or how we as individuals and teams – will flourish alongside these new tools.

So, if you’re thinking about how you want to upskill for an AI future or build up your own team or culture, it’s time to get emotional. Here are three ways I’d recommend to get started.

1. LISTEN: How coaching can transform managers into human-centric leaders. A great explanation of what human-centric leadership actually is.
2. READ: KIND: The Quiet Power Of Kindness At Work by Graham Allcott, including a quote by moi. A brilliant introduction to kindness at work drawing on psychology and neuroscience as well as management theory and business research. Graham shows how kindness helps to encourage productive and positive work cultures.
3. WATCH: Simon Sinek’s Understanding Empathy video. The workplace guru explains the importance of empathy.