Humanising Leadership in a Digital Age

Jan 21, 2025 | AI and technology, Future of Work, Group Coaching, Thought leadership

By Oriane Kets de Vries

As we begin 2025, we wanted to share with you some of the recent work we have been doing, looking at trends related to work, leadership and coaching. These patterns can provide clarity on what is top of mind and pertinent for leaders and help us design learning experiences that are relevant and impactful.

According to a variety of future of work sources (6 Work and Workplace trends to watch in 2024, WEF, Future of Jobs Report 2023, WEF, 9 Future of Work Trends for 2024, Gartner, State of Global Workplace, Gallup 2023), the convergence of technological disruption, workforce demographics, and evolving employee expectations continue to impact the nature and psychology of work. Understanding these shifts can provide us with direction in where to focus our energies to build resilient workplaces that maintain human connection in an increasingly digital world. The following analysis highlights several trends and what they can tell us about organisational design and development.

Major global events and technological breakthroughs are changing the way we define and experience work

It is not news that technological and societal shifts are shaping the future of work. Geopolitical instability impacts the global economy, while digital transformation forces people to change how they work.  According to the World Economic Forum, businesses predict that almost half (44%) of workers’ core skills will be disrupted by 2027, with upskilling and development as key in the coming years to ensure people know how to leverage and work with technology.

This technological advancement has been shown to impact mental well-being. According to the 2023 Work in America Survey,  worry about AI in the workplace was associated with negative attitudes about work, stress, and feelings often associated with burnout.  Psychological well-being is crucial because it relates to engagement at work.

And engagement levels remain low, with 23% of employees fully engaged, according to Gallup’s State of Global Workplace 2023, costing roughly 9% (US$ 8.9 trillion) of global GDP.  What’s interesting in the Gallup report is the assertion that leadership and management directly influence workplace engagement, with 70% of team engagement attributable to the manager!  The authors also argue that quiet quitters (those who are psychologically disconnected and minimally productive) are the greatest opportunity for growth and change, noting that “they are waiting for a leader or a manager to have a conversation with them, encourage them, inspire them”. With so much outside of our control, giving managers the tools to build and support teams seems to be an area where one can have influence and impact.

Leaders of the future are confronted with complexity and conflicting priorities while humanising work in a digital age   

The intersection of continuous change and human needs has never been more prominent in defining leadership.  Organisations now require leaders who can navigate changes and support others through the transitions while maintaining stability, meaning and human connection.

According to the WEF, analytical thinking and creative thinking remain the most important skills for workers in the future. Other core skills, which reflect the need to adapt to disrupted workplaces, include resilience, flexibility, agility, motivation, self-awareness, curiosity, and lifelong learning. Leadership skills are also evolving to emphasise strategic thinking and emotional intelligence, focusing on managing hybrid workplaces, prioritising employee well-being and providing meaning and security.

Coaching is becoming more integrated and focused on building resilient teams and organisations  

The coaching industry is responding to these changes with significant growth and evolution. The global coaching market has doubled in the past decade, reaching $15 billion with 6-8% annual growth, with the fastest expansion in Asia-Pacific and Middle East/Africa. Traditional one-on-one executive coaching is giving way to expanded approaches emphasising team and organisational coaching, representing a more integrated approach to development.  Technology platforms are also democratising coaching, making it more accessible to a broader group of employees.  Coaching is also increasingly embedded in leadership development programs and HR strategies, focusing on systems thinking and organisational adaptability. The scope has expanded to include crisis coaching, spiritual coaching, mental health, and specialised support for managing generational differences and cultural changes. Success metrics now encompass strategic organisational objectives and personal development outcomes, reflecting a more holistic approach to workplace transformation.

In our work with clients, we strive for an integrated approach that aligns organisational objectives with personal growth. Our programs are designed to build both technical and interpersonal capabilities, especially for middle managers, expanding the focus from individual skill building to working with teams to create sustainable leadership pipelines that can navigate uncertainty, adapt to change, and drive broader organisational engagement and performance.

How can these trends inform the way you work with leaders in 2025?

Oriane Kets de Vries:

Oriane Kets de Vries is CEO and owner of the Kets de Vries Institute. She leads a global team of coaches, consultants and educators dedicated to developing reflective, emotionally intelligent leaders and cultivating workplaces where people can thrive. In her faculty role, she draws on extensive experience designing and directing leadership programmes for senior executives, contributing her expertise in psychodynamic coaching, organisational culture, and transformational leadership development.

Oriane has served as consultant, coach, and programme director for clients including Pictet, Deutsche Bank, Merck, UBS, Mishcon de Reya, and Engie, and she has taught on open-enrolment programmes with leading institutions such as Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Saïd, INSEAD, ESCP, ESMT and CEDEP. Her interests centre on the human side of leadership, particularly identity, creativity, entrepreneurship and gender dynamics. She holds an MBA and Executive MA in Coaching and Consulting for Change from INSEAD, has trained at the Harvard Kennedy School, and brings more than a decade of professional experience in creative and entrepreneurial industries into her work with leaders.

Manfred Kets de Vries:

Manfred Kets de Vries is a pioneering authority in leadership development, coaching, and organisational change. He is a founder and director of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI) and served as Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change at INSEAD. With academic credentials in economics (University of Amsterdam), management (MBA and DBA, Harvard Business School), and psychoanalysis (trained in Canada), he brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to leadership. His work bridges management theory and clinical insight, establishing him as a global thought leader in executive coaching and transformation. At INSEAD, he founded the Global Leadership Centre and led the flagship programme The Challenge of Leadership for 31 years. He also served as scientific director of Coaching and Consulting for Change, an 18-month Executive Master’s programme that has shaped over 3,000 senior leaders and executive coaches worldwide. He has advised and coached senior executives at global firms including Goldman Sachs, BP, Shell, Unilever, McKinsey, and Volvo. A prolific author of over 60 books and 400 articles, his work appears regularly in The Financial Times, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. Recognised by Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Financial Times as one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers, he is widely regarded for advancing more human-centred approaches to leadership.

Yulia Chupina:

Senior Adviser (Luminary) at Accenture and executive coach with over 12 years of board experience. Formerly a banker and McKinsey consultant, Yulia has led banking transformations in digital, agile, organisational change, and talent development. Her coaching spans the finance, tech, and consumer goods sectors, blending technological insight with emotional intelligence to guide leaders through transformation. Recently, she advised BBVA on agile methodologies and senior talent development. Influenced by thought leaders such as Manfred Kets de Vries and Gabor Maté, Yulia brings an analytical, reflective approach to leadership. She has lived and worked across the UK, Spain, the US, and Russia.

Elizabeth Florent:

Elizabeth has worked closely with Manfred Kets de Vries for many years and has served as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at INSEAD. Her extensive background in leadership development spans organisational consulting, executive coaching, and academic research. She holds advanced degrees in Organisational Development and Clinical Organisational Psychology and is a certified Coaching Supervisor through the Tavistock Institute. Her doctoral research explored experiential domains in executive education, and she has authored or co-authored numerous academic articles, case studies, and books on leadership and organisational dynamics. Elizabeth led the development teams behind KDVI’s diagnostic instruments, including the GELM, OCA™, and ITI. Drawing on her diverse training and global experience, she brings deep cross-cultural insight to her work with leaders worldwide. Originally from California, Elizabeth has made France her home for over 30 years.