Start 2025 strong with 7 key leadership lessons from Q5’s Australian team. From co-designing solutions and clear communication to embracing change and fostering team culture, these insights help leaders innovate, adapt, and empower their teams for success in the evolving business landscape.
Reading time: 4 minutes
In Australia and New Zealand, we see a new year as having a heightened focus compared with our Northern Hemisphere colleagues. We are back from typically several weeks of holiday, have sent our children back to school, and are still enjoying the summer. So, heading into the new year is often a time of deep reflection and goal setting – on an organisational level and personal level.
No leader ever gets it right 100% of the time – a lesson usually learned the hard way – but it’s all about implementing new approaches and responding to the ever-changing business landscape to help your team thrive throughout the challenges. Our Australian team has compiled seven key learnings they believe are essential for any leader moving into a fresh year.
You’re in this together, so remember to speak to your team! Discover what is and isn’t working, what could be working better, and what would make their roles easier.
Leadership can fall into the trap of having good intentions, without actually asking what’s really needed on the ground. Empathetic leadership goes a long way; when different ways of working and thinking are considered, whole teams are made stronger. Your team are the best-placed people to transform your organisation for the better.
Whether it’s in role descriptions, keeping lines of communication open, or removing organisational complexity, it’s essential for every team to be supported by clear communication.
Your team needs to know what they’re doing, what they’re accountable for, and who to go to for help. With clarity, team members experience less frustrations and can navigate their work life easily, making them more confident and creating stronger teams.
There’s a new generation in the workforce and, just like those who have come before them, they have new ideas. They’re questioning why things are the way they are and they’re ready to make change. Being open to this kind of shake-up is what makes organisations ready for the future and bringing young generations into leadership roles is what can make that change happen from the top.
The business landscape has changed for good and is in a constant state of evolution. Organisations need to fail fast to ultimately succeed. It can be high energy, but a growth mind frame is paramount.
With any change will come pushback. Engage with your team, communicate why the change is happening and help them to get on board as early as possible.
Leaders have a role to play in supporting organisational decisions and strategy. Find the right people at every level who will help you to fulfil this role by backing the change. It won’t always be easy or perfect – remember, you’re allowed to admit there are flaws – but bringing champions on board will make change management so much easier.
Successful teams rely on having the right people, particularly for smaller organisations. Artificial intelligence and complex recruitment algorithms may have their place, but leaders need to look beyond the qualifications to see the human in the role and how they will contribute to the wider team culture to enable higher productivity and engagement in your organisation.
A great team culture is more than just a few well-intentioned individuals. Leadership must be intentionally fostering this culture, keeping teams engaged, and investing in the culture for the future by hiring the right people.
There is no such thing as set-and-forget leadership. Leaders need to be innovative, looking for the next thing. Staying complacent is exactly how old-school organisations and industries have been left behind. Not every advancement will be right for your team or organisation, but that doesn’t mean leaders should have their heads in the sand, hoping the newest event or technology will pass on by. Learn how it impacts you, look for new opportunities, and bring your team along for the journey.
A fresh year is a great time to think about what might be possible for your team and consider how your team needs to be stretched to reach those goals. It might be that those objectives are several years away in reality, but having a plan is what gives the leadership team and the whole organisation passion, motivation, and drive. Reaching those goals as quickly as possible means you have to start today. Find your big, audacious goals and work backwards from there.
by 