Why AI can’t replace Career Coaches

Generative AI and the associated apps, tools and platforms, are heralded by many as the most efficient way for busy executives to crunch data, draw insights, elevate their brand and support pivotal career moments such as preparing for interview or creating a new profile

But what is real, what is hype, and what are the risks around trusting generative models to match you with the right opportunity – and to analyse and represent your unique set of talents, experience, attributes and requirements to the wider world, especially potential employers?

There is no doubt that GenAI can and should be used to support any aspect of professional development and career transitions. It is an invaluable resource, able to digest vast amounts of data and present it in a succinct, clear, comprehensible format in seconds. It can look for patterns, analyse current trends, forecast future ones and create highly personalised content.

However the technologies do come with limitations and challenges, so Rialto consultants use them alongside traditional coaching techniques and optimisation of networks, knowledge and experience to support clients looking for new leadership roles.

The Balanced Approach: Integrating AI and Human Coaching

The most successful executive transitions leverage both AI tools and human coaching in complementary ways. This integrated approach ensures executives benefit from technological efficiency while maintaining the authentic human connection essential for navigating complex executive career transitions. The future belongs to leaders who can skilfully combine these resources, using AI to enhance, rather than replace, the human judgment that ultimately drives successful executive journeys.

The time factor involved in mastering new technologies at such crucial and stressful junctures in life can also be an obstacle to their effective use. Hopefully, executives will only be seeking to transition once every five to nine years. Who wants to spend weeks training on specific AI tools for each stage of the journey, when this may be the only time they use those apps in their life? With the current pace of change, the tools will be obsolete or at least unrecognisable by the time the same individuals are back out on the market, all going well.

Luckily, there are experts on hand who know exactly which tools to use and how to use them. No need to reinvent the wheel, far better to just sit at it and drive, with an experienced human co-pilot who can navigate and smooth the way.

Where AI needs the human touch:

While jobseeking apps such as Indeed are useful for entry level jobs, and tools like ResumAI, Rezi, and Teal employ algorithms to analyse executive CVs against industry standards and specific job descriptions, the increasingly exacting, multi-layered processes and stages of executive hiring in this ultra-competitive market demand laser-sharp, sophisticated strategies which must be refined and adapted constantly.

This takes a human touch. emotional intelligence, instinct and delicate nuance that AI simply doesn’t have, at least not yet.

Contextual Understanding AI tools frequently struggle with nuanced industry contexts and organisational cultures. They may fail to recognise that what works in one sector could be inappropriate in another or vice versa. For example, they cannot differentiate tone and language a candidate might use if moving from a creative industry to a financial institution or pick up on the requirements of a generic position in a niche organisation. They may also struggle with cultural sensitivities. Emotional intelligence, instinct and human experience are essential in decision-making.

Authenticity Gaps This is a crucial one. The standardised language generated by AI tools will always undermine the authentic voice that distinguishes truly compelling executive profiles. Technology might be able to magic up what it perceives to be the perfect candidate for a position and help an applicant get through the first sift, especially if the organisation is using AI tools itself to create a longlist from the hundreds of initial inquiries. However recruiters increasingly report detecting AI-generated content that lacks personal perspective and genuine insight.  An AI generator cannot delve into a person’s memory and recall the unique experiences and successes relevant to the requirements of the role that make any individual stand out from the pack. Human coaches excel at building trust, drawing out this buried treasure, understanding individual needs and ensuring that the candidate on paper aligns with the candidate in person. They might use AI with a client to help structure this process, but it takes emotional intelligence and insight to interact in a productive and meaningful way to assess and truly represent an individual’s value proposition.

Strategic Limitations While AI excels at tactical optimisation, it falls short in strategic career guidance. These tools cannot effectively evaluate whether a particular role aligns with an executive’s holistic long-term aspirations, values and life priorities. AI cannot read a person’s character or recognise when they are genuinely lit up over a subject. A mentor or coach works hard to get to ‘really’ know their client and build trust to be able to hold up the mirror and guide them towards a career transition that will ultimately provide fulfilment and ensure continuous professional development. They can think several moves ahead like a chess pro, compared to the limited, chance-based algorithms of AI. AI may suggest openings in the market  and the generic skills being sought but good coaches can narrow down opportunities in the executive market that align with their client’s complex matrix of talents and requirements and support them to understand any gaps in their personal skillsets or experience. Experienced coaches bring extensive networks and relationship capital that open doors to opportunities never posted publicly. These connections frequently lead to the most fitting and rewarding executive placements.

Relationship Dynamics Executive hiring remains fundamentally relationship-driven, with cultural fit and leadership chemistry playing decisive roles. AI tools cannot replicate the human intuition that recognises when a leader will thrive in a particular organisation’s culture. Candidates should seek a more rounded view of the company’s culture, style and hierarchy. Nothing can replace the unedited information passed from human to human with nuance and personal opinions. Executives seeking new opportunities will feel more confident and comforted being able to access insider knowledge and trust their instincts.

The Personalisation Paradox While AI promises personalisation, its reliance on historical data means recommendations often gravitate toward conventional career paths rather than innovative trajectories. Executives seeking transformative roles may find AI guidance constraining rather than liberating. There is no “thinking outside of the box” or ability to assess challenges against opportunities and the individual’s appetite for risk vs need for stability depending on the stage of their career or family responsibilities, for example.

Algorithm Bias AI systems reflect the data they’re trained on, potentially perpetuating existing biases in executive selection. Women and minority executives should be particularly attentive to how AI tools might unintentionally minimise leadership qualities that don’t conform to traditional models. A human coach or mentor can navigate these sensitive issues and help identify unique attributes and how to optimise them.

The Technology Learning Curve Despite their promise, many executive-focused AI tools require significant time investment to use effectively. The learning curve can be steep, particularly for leaders less comfortable with emerging technologies. Executives may find it difficult to navigate the ever-evolving myriad of available options and integrate them into their workflows effectively.  Where time is an individual’s most valuable resource, AI can certainly be a frustrating adversary rather than an invested and trusted advisor.

Adaptive Strategy and Reflective Thinking Executive coaches continuously refine their approach based on subtle cues, market shifts, and emerging opportunities. This adaptability enables the development of dynamic career strategies that AI’s more rigid frameworks cannot replicate. As candidates progress, they gain deeper self-awareness, often adjusting their ambitions or realising they may find greater success and fulfilment on an entirely different path. Having a human mentor to listen, respond, and reflect helps clarify thinking, challenge assumptions, and inspire innovative career approaches. These conversations often lead to breakthrough insights that algorithmic interactions simply cannot generate. The best coaches provide candid feedback about executive blind spots, communication patterns, and leadership presence that AI tools cannot detect. This honest perspective is essential for authentic development and successful transitions.

Perhaps the most crucial element missing from AI, however, is compassion. Try telling Microsoft CoPilot that you didn’t get the job you desperately wanted after six gruelling rounds of interviews. It will generate a handful of practical suggestions in plain English—but what you truly need is a human being who knows you, acknowledges your effort, empathises with the disappointment, and guides you forward with encouragement and insight.

GenAI vs Executive Career Coaching

AI tools and platforms are a valuable addition to the multi-dimensional, structured approach executives should take when navigating executive career transitions. They offer efficiency, data-driven insights, and practical support—but they remain just one piece of the puzzle.

While AI continues to evolve, it still lacks the instinct, emotional intelligence, strategic foresight, and human connection that define truly effective executive career transition support. A great executive coach does more than provide insights, they challenge, mentor, and inspire. They recognise the nuances of each individual’s journey, helping leaders uncover opportunities they might never have considered and navigate setbacks with resilience.

A time may come when AI can fully replicate these qualities, seamlessly integrating empathy, strategic thinking, and creativity into its responses. But for now, the ability to truly understand, adapt, and empower remains uniquely human.

Executives are increasingly using AI platforms to support their professional development and pivotal career moves. These technologies can assist in a multitude of ways, including condensing vast volumes of text into checklists and relevant insights, helping to provide oversight of target companies, key contacts and job descriptions and optimising online networking and personal branding opportunities.

As discussed in our previous blog, Why AI can’t replace Career Coaches, these tools should be used as an aide, however, not a replacement for hard work or where needed collaboration with an experienced coach or mentor. When used in isolation, they can be more of a hindrance than a help, with algorithms narrowing perspectives rather than broadening them. This can lead to a loss of nuance and missed opportunities for meaningful reflection and personal growth. Additionally, applications processed through the same standardised large language models can sound repetitive and robotic, failing to convey the unique attributes and character of the individual.

With these caveats in mind, here is a guide to some of the most popular AI applications executives are exploring—and how to use them effectively.

LinkedIn’s suite of AI tools are increasingly being tested by executives to create content, research potential candidates, and manage professional profiles.  The platform’s AI-powered job recommendations analyse your profile, skills, and network to suggest relevant senior roles. Their Premium AI writing assistant helps craft compelling headlines, “about” sections, and accomplishments that resonate with recruiters. User feedback indicates these tools have dramatically improved profile visibility, with executives reporting up to 40% more views after implementing AI-recommended optimisations. An invaluable start, but relying on LinkedIn alone misses opportunities to access the hidden job market and lacks the emotional intelligence that a human coach can provide and the work that goes into really uncovering aspirations, values and ambitions.

Research: Open source Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude will analyse vast amounts of information and, with the right prompts, edit them into succinct checklists and manageable briefings. Executives can reduce the amount of time spent researching target companies, markets, sectors and target contacts. However, they have a tendency to hallucinate, so all facts should be checked before being repeated in job applications or interviews. Poor prompting will provide poor results, possibly leading to crucial information being missed. GenAI cannot take the place of more sophisticated and personal insights from people who work in a company or close to it. What it should be used for is blank-page thinking: pulling together ideas and background for further exploration.

Networking Alternatives or complementary assistants include Nudge and Connectifier which allow executives to leverage their professional networks more effectively during transitions. These platforms identify warm connections within target organisations, suggest relationship-nurturing actions, and highlight networking opportunities.  This capability is particularly valuable for executives looking to pivot into new industries or roles.

However, these tools do not always provide the same invaluable focus that a coach or wider network connections can offer. A coach or trusted contact can suggest networking activities based on direct knowledge of job openings, facilitate warm introductions, and unlock hidden opportunities. Additionally, human coaches bring practical insights, share personal experiences, and provide recommendations on approached based on their experiences and firsthand understanding of different work environments.

Resume and CV AI Optimiser Tools like ResumAI, Rezi, and Teal evaluate content, structure, keyword optimisation, and impact statements. Executives have mentioned that these tools can support with thinking through transferable skills when transitioning between industries or functional areas.  However, these tools should be used only as a source of inspiration rather than a final solution. While they offer general advice based on patterns, they lack the ability to understand the nuances of personal circumstances, including individual experiences, cultural background, and life situation.

Interview Preparation Platforms: InterviewGPT and Yoodli have gained popularity for their ability to simulate interview scenarios and provide personalised feedback. They analyse responses for content strength, delivery clarity, and non-verbal cues. Users praise the convenience of 24/7 practice opportunities and the objective feedback. However, many note that these tools struggle with the nuanced, relationship-driven nature of high-level interviews, where cultural fit and leadership presence are paramount.

Additional platforms such as Comprehensive.io and Aiola can also provide value, offering AI-driven compensation analysis, helping executives understand their market value and negotiate more effectively. These tools assess factors such as industry, location, company size, and specialised expertise to establish realistic compensation targets.

Executive Positioning and Personal Branding Jasper AI, DALL-E and Copy.ai have become go-to resources for executives crafting their personal narratives. These tools assist in generating executive bios, thought leadership article outlines, and social media content and visuals that position leaders in their industry.

While users appreciate the efficiency these platforms provide, they often find them clunky and lacking in nuance. Significant human refinement is required to ensure authenticity and strategic alignment. Additionally, without advanced user expertise, these tools can be time-consuming and frustrating to work with.

Using AI for Executive Career Transition

For those who enjoy the challenge of mastering new technologies, AI-driven platforms can be highly effective in streamlining executive job searches. They help narrow down target positions, provide broad insights into markets, sectors, and organisations, benchmark an individual’s compatibility within those parameters, and identify emerging executive trend

However, these tools can also be time-consuming, frustrating, and inherently flawed. Over-reliance on them may hinder personal growth and limit the achievement of long-term career aspirations. At Rialto, our consultants help clients navigate the complexities of these ever-evolving technologies, integrating them effectively into a holistic, future-focused career strategy as part of our comprehensive executive transition services.  Our team also provide the emotional intelligence, contextual understanding, strategic guidance, networking connections, and long-term relationship-building that are crucial for a truly successful

Over the past decade the Rialto team have successfully assisted more than 7,500 senior executives accelerate their career trajectories. If you are seeking structured, expert support for your current or planned executive transition, ongoing professional development, career strategy, or organisational change initiatives, including Gen AI adoption, contact us for a free, confidential consultation.

The leadership landscape is undergoing profound transformation, shaped by rapid advancements in AI, shifting global markets, and evolving employee expectations. However, one of the most significant yet often overlooked transitions is the generational shift in leadership. As an increasing number of Baby Boomers (1946-1964) contemplate options for retirement, Gen X (1965-1980) is stepping into top leadership roles, while ambitious Millennials (1981-1996) and the ever-assertive Gen Z (1997-2012) rise through the ranks, eager to redefine leadership for a new era.

Each generation brings distinct values, leadership styles, and expectations, shaped by the historical, cultural, and technological influences of their formative years. The challenge for today’s organisations is not only to manage these differences but to create a workplace where these diverse perspectives fuel innovation, collaboration, and sustained success.

HR leaders and executives must navigate the complex interplay of experience, ambition, and technological disruption, balancing the wisdom of seasoned leaders with the fresh insights of younger generations. This requires an adaptive approach to leadership development, succession planning, and workplace culture. Notably, the youngest Baby Boomers turned 60 in 2024—the average age of senior leadership in the UK, particularly for non-executive directors. Executive board directors tend to be slightly younger, averaging around 55. With approximately 11,200 people across the country turning 65 each day, and over a third of UK Boomers planning to work beyond the state retirement age of 66, organisations must prepare for a significant generational shift at the top.

Forward-thinking organisations will be those that harness the strengths of each generation, fostering inclusive leadership pipelines and leveraging intergenerational collaboration as a competitive advantage.  To earn the respect, loyalty, and engagement of a multigenerational workforce, today’s leaders—regardless of their generation—must be adaptable, self-aware, and capable of tailoring their leadership approach to different contexts. Understanding how personal leadership styles impact those significantly older or younger will be key to fostering a cohesive and high-performing workplace.

Let’s explore the defining characteristics of each generation, the leadership styles they bring to the table, with a caveat that these are generalisations, and the proposed strategies that can help bridge generational divides to build a resilient, future-ready workforce.

Baby Boomers: 1946-1964

(US President Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos Amazon, Bill Gates Microsoft, UK PM Sir Keir Starmer)

The biggest generation, as the name suggests, born into a post-Second World War economic boom, alongside growing tensions between Communism and capitalism. In the West, governments prioritised national growth and individual accumulation of wealth while the expanding middle classes and their increased spending power saw a surge in the leisure and services industries. The Boomers oversaw the first high-tech revolution with the invention of user-friendly computers, the internet, space exploration and incredible medical advances; they challenged the authority of the establishment through the countercultural movement, and expanded the horizons of the ordinary family to every corner of the planet through culture and travel.

Leadership style: Research shows Boomers are more likely to be workaholics, striving for personal reputational and financial success. They respect the rule of authority and feel most comfortable in traditional transparent, vertical hierarchical structures. They may tend towards being fairly autocratic in their leadership style, seeking minimal feedback or advice and allowing functions and departments to work in silos. They value formal education and qualifications, preferably from prestigious institutions such as Oxbridge or Ivy League, and favour networking in person.

Strengths: They understand traditional markets, customs and practices, and use their experience to anticipate challenges, responding with cool rationality and caution. They will have built up strong and valuable networks and partnerships which can strengthen any organisation. They are more likely to feel that their identity is tied in with that of their company and their resilience, combined with loyalty and a desire for stability during the last years of their careers, means they will often endure or navigate through any difficulties as they seek to shore up their own legacies through continuing success.

Weaknesses: That autocratic, hierarchical style may not chime well with younger generations. Some Boomers need to be encouraged to better appreciate the potential contributions of thrusting younger employees and not be put off by their directness, which could be mistaken for callowness. They may need encouragement to make themselves more approachable and to open two-way communication through digital channels such as social media. Some older leaders looking towards retirement may feel undermined or intimidated by the march of AI and data-driven technologies into decision-making territory, though that is something of a generalisation and it is important to recognise the grandfathers of the tech revolution mainly hailed from this generation.

How to manage Boomers: They have a unique set of skills, experience and contacts essential to any organisation. To attract and retain Boomers, focus on healthcare, offer the flexibility of part-time or consultancy roles, generous retirement propositions and financial planning support. It may be worth investing in continuous leadership development to help them stay relevant, develop their digital profiles and build confidence with new technologies. Set up mentoring models to help pass on their experience and wisdom and maintain a sense of belonging. Consider face-to-face communication over digital where possible. They will particularly appreciate formal and public recognition of their successes via awards, pay rises and job titles. While Boomers can generally be trusted to manage themselves, HR might want to help them work on softening their own leadership style to enact cultural change from the top, down, and ensure more cohesive collaboration, sharing of insights and networks, and a welcoming, nurturing environment for younger, up and coming talent. Open office doors or open planning and town hall meetings can help foster a sense of transparency, community and belonging.

Generation X: 1965–1980

(Elon Musk Tesla and X, Sundar Pichai Google, Lisa Su AMD)

The oft-forgotten middle child, Generation X is focused on balancing work with lifestyle and family. They have lived through the Cold War and seen the collapse of Communism as well as the downsides of rampant capitalism – the recession and 2007 stock market crash, growing poverty gap and environmental cost of unchecked industrial growth. They tend to have more of a conscience about their impact on the rest of the world and principles of equality, diversity and inclusion than their older counterparts. The median age of General and Operations Managers is around 44, putting them firmly in the middle of Gen X.

Leadership style: Research has found Gen X leaders to be pragmatic, results-orientated, adaptable, and focused on autonomy, valuing self-reliance and independent work rather than adherence to protocols and processes. They tend to prefer a collaborative environment while creating space for delegated individuals to manage their own tasks effectively, bridging the gap between the hierarchical structures favoured by Boomers and the flatter organisational hierarchies preferred by younger workers. They are more sceptical and questioning of authority than their older peers.

Strengths: As the inter-generational facilitators, Gen X tend to be strong communicators, able to relate to others and foster collaboration. They are appreciated as managers for their transparency, generosity, decency, fairness and willingness to listen. They can be the most reliable workers. They can engender trust and respect from younger workers by seeking to rule through influence and encouragement while respecting and honouring the structures and processes preferred by Boomers. They can provide supportive, anchoring roles while preparing to step up into the vacancies left by retiring executives.

Weaknesses: Not strictly a weakness, they may see hard work as a means to a more comfortable life rather than being driven by ego or ambition. Their enthusiasm and engagement may be compromised by feeling somewhat under-valued, being sandwiched between the self-serving and self-assured leaders above and the unabashed attention seekers being elevated ahead of them from below.

How to manage Gen X: Delegate effectively, give them ownership of projects with clear expectations and provide meaningful feedback. Demonstrate commitment and appreciation by investing in their professional development, opening pathways to promotion and achievable rewards as incentives. Ensure they feel seen and put them very much at the centre of the AI revolution by supporting their continuous learning. (Older X-ers started work on typewriters so may need a bit more hand-holding through AI-led transformation.) Gen X will also be motivated by generous pension and health benefits. They may be managing children and caring for parents, so offering flexibility and compassion will foster loyalty and productivity. Using them as mediators and mentors can be mutually beneficial, allowing them to share the wisdom that comes with experience while gaining vital knowledge in new technologies from savvy youngsters.

Millennials: 1981–1996

(Mark Zukerberg Meta, Brian Chesky AirBnB, Maria Raga Depop, Demis Hassabis DeepMind)

and Generation Z 1997-2012

(Jimmy Donaldson aka Mr Beast, YouTube influencer, Greta Thunberg environmentalist, Jenk Oz 19-year-old CEO founder of Thred media)

Both of these generations came of age during the ongoing tech boom and so are confident and adaptable in the fast-moving, revolutionary era of AI. Millennials saw the internet become omniscient while Gen Y saw it become omnipresent, with the world immediately available at their fingertips in smartphones. It means they feel more connectivity with the world and sensitivity to it. Millennials see themselves as disruptors, challenging the status quo and using technologies to transform how we do things.

In Gen Z, the climate crisis, living through the pandemic and movements such as Black Lives Matter have driven a sense of ethical responsibility, but also anxiety which has led to them sometimes being unkindly referred to as snowflakes due to their perceived lack of resilience.

Leadership style: The oldest Millennials are now 44 while the oldest Gen Zers are just 27, so leaders are more likely to be entrepreneurs and innovators than have worked their way up. The tech revolution has opened new avenues to success which do not depend on traditional hierarchies and vertical ladders. Younger leaders are also sought after in new positions overseeing transformation such as chief data officer and other AI leads of teams and departments.

Gen Zers in particular can be highly motivated by a need to be noticed in this age of social media; they buy into the cult of the individual, seeking to emulate the huge followings and pervasive presence of influencers. They tend to value and aspire to transformational and visionary leadership. They like to work in collaborative cultures and environments which foster creativity, trust and courage. They distrust authoritarianism and challenge orthodoxies. They probably do not even own a tie and possibly not even a suit.

Strengths: Both groups can adapt quickly to new technologies, platforms and tools and understand the value and uses of big data and analytics. They are unphased by tech and many will be looking at ways to constantly develop their own skillsets to ensure their value is augmented by it rather than seeing it as a threat,

Millennials in particular can be driven by a strong sense of purpose and fairness. They want to change the world for the better, are willing to make personal sacrifices and value learning. They embrace transformation and diversity in the workplace, are pragmatic and ready to lead.

The most confident Gen Zers see people of their own generation becoming influential and powerful and can imagine achieving similar success themselves, sometimes giving them the appearance of supreme confidence. They tend to be comfortable promoting themselves and their brands through digital channels, including video. They can appeal to younger talent and consumers and understand the vast commercial value of social media influencers, which may be lost on older leaders.

Weaknesses: Less committed than their predecessors, millennials work around 29 hours per week compared to 48 for Gen X and 47 for Boomers. They are less loyal than older colleagues and are more likely to be quickly frustrated if they are not being groomed for promotions and leadership roles. Seventy-one percent are ready to jump in their first year.

Meanwhile hybrid working, Covid-era schooling and social media have led to Americans between the ages of 15 and 24 spending just 38 minutes a day interacting face-to-face by choice. That age group is also less inclined to spend time on work or education, while millennial women are three times more likely to text than call. Many employers complain that this has all left the younger generations lacking in vital soft skills, including being able to communicate appropriately in person. Older employees may view some of them as brash, demanding, uncompromising and lacking nuance. Gen Zers often want instant gratification with minimal effort. Some employers say they struggle with criticism and can not cope with setbacks. They can cause friction in workplaces by failing to respect conventions or the contributions of older colleagues. Their lower attention span can mean they lose focus on long-term projects and objectives and will seek a move rather than seeking to overcome any difficulties.

Managing Millennials and Gen Zs. Both generations respond best to inspirational and visionary leadership rather than rigid rules, regulations, and procedures. Instead of instructing, focus on coaching and empowerment to foster autonomy and engagement. Millennials can play a key role in guiding and channeling Gen Z’s energy and ambition into meaningful productivity.  To maximise their potential, encourage innovation by creating psychologically safe spaces for experimentation. Frame failures as learning opportunities rather than setbacks.  Provide frequent and meaningful feedback—research suggests younger workers may require up to 50% more than older generations.  Prioritise mental health and well-being, ensuring structured support systems are in place to address common workplace anxieties.  Facilitate mentoring relationships to cultivate a culture of belonging, mutual respect, and reciprocal learning. Embed purpose and values into organisational culture, ensuring visible and actionable EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) strategies. Millennials, in particular, are drawn to organisations with a strong sense of purpose and social responsibility.

Both Millennials and Gen Z have seamlessly integrated Gen AI, smart technologies, and algorithms into their daily lives and expect the same level of digital fluency at work. They value efficiency and innovation and will be frustrated by outdated or inefficient systems. Investing in relevant technology will help fully leverage their skills and appetite for innovation while enhancing job satisfaction.

Research suggests that both groups tend to prioritise work-life balance and seek purpose and fulfilment in their careers rather than defining themselves by their jobs.  Millennials pioneered the push for meaningful work but tend to seek more stability as they age.  Gen Z, by contrast, are thought to prioritise financial security and flexibility, often favouring adaptability over long-term loyalty therefore being more likely to explore multiple roles, industries, or freelance work.

To attract and retain this talent, organisations must implement highly personalised and responsive professional development plans with clear, achievable milestones. A continuous pipeline of new talent is essential, alongside flexible working arrangements, including hybrid models, sabbaticals, and opportunities for international experience. Cultivating a collaborative, engaging, and enjoyable workplace culture is key, as strong relationships and a sense of purpose drive commitment. AI-driven platforms can enhance learning by gamifying development opportunities, keeping Gen Z engaged and motivated.

Early investment in personalised leadership development programmes will be critical for long-term retention. Additionally, organisations should recognise that younger professionals value authenticity and emotional honesty in leadership, making open communication and genuine engagement essential to earning their trust and loyalty.

Leading Across Generations: Embracing Change and Opportunity

Effective organisational leadership should resemble a relay team—training together, refining their handovers, and ensuring seamless transitions—rather than a competition where individuals vie against one another.

The modern workforce is not just a collection of individuals but a dynamic ecosystem shaped by the interplay of multiple generations, each contributing unique strengths, perspectives, and leadership styles. As businesses prepare for a wave of leadership transitions, HR and senior leaders must proactively design strategies that integrate generational diversity into succession planning, leadership development, and workplace culture.

Rather than viewing generational differences as obstacles, organisations that foster intergenerational collaboration can unlock untapped potential. The experience, networks, and strategic insight of Boomers and Gen X can be complemented by the digital fluency, innovation, and values-driven leadership of Millennials and Gen Z. A well-structured leadership pipeline—one that rewards merit, agility, and adaptability—will ensure a steady flow of talent into critical roles, keeping organisations competitive in an era of rapid transformation.

To thrive, businesses must embrace a holistic approach to leadership development, incorporating mentoring, reverse mentoring, flexible career paths, and AI-driven learning. Investing in generationally-inclusive leadership strategies will not only help retain top talent but also create an environment where diverse leadership styles thrive, ultimately driving long-term organisational success.

At Rialto, we empower organisations and individuals to navigate this evolving leadership landscape through bespoke programmes tailored to multi-generational leadership development and AI adoption. By equipping leaders with the skills to adapt and collaborate across generational lines, we enable businesses to turn generational shifts into powerful opportunities for growth and transformation.

In part two of our analysis of the hiring landscape in 2025, we turn our attention to the US and Asia, where executive job markets are experiencing contrasting but equally complex challenges as we move through 2025. In the US, economic uncertainty, political shifts, and the potential for disruptive trade policies have created a cautious hiring environment. Major corporations are scaling back recruitment, job openings have declined, and many executives are finding themselves in an extended search for new opportunities. At the same time, the shift towards freelance and project-based work is reshaping the executive landscape, requiring professionals to rethink traditional career models.

Meanwhile, Asia presents a mix of opportunities and volatility. China’s economy is evolving, but concerns over transparency and global trade tensions continue to loom large. Other parts of the region, however, are emerging as thriving hubs for executive talent, with India, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia seeing strong demand for senior leaders, particularly in technology, finance, and infrastructure. The evolving geopolitical and economic landscape is influencing where and how executives can find success, making strategic career navigation more crucial than ever.

The US:

With Donald Trump back in the White House, it’s difficult to predict which way the US economy will go. There will certainly be winners and losers under his extreme America First agenda. Canada, Mexico and China were immediately hit with greater-than-expected blanket levies. Last-minute deals were made and the world’s biggest economy pulled back from the brink of triggering trade wars with its nearest neighbours, temporarily at least. They still loom, however. At the time of writing, it remained to be seen how it would play out with China, Trump had the EU firmly in his sights and the UK was on a warning. If Trump pulls the trigger, it will make the path to executive success even more treacherous and competitive across the globe.

The green economy, previously at the forefront of policies in Europe and America, may take a back seat across the Atlantic, even while LA burns and scientists warn time is running out to make the difficult economic decisions that might reverse climate change.

The Treasury reported an unexpected slowdown in growth at the end of 2024, partly due to falls in trade and investment and the impact of hurricanes and strikes. While lower than the 3.1% of Q3, the 2.3% growth in Q4 was still higher than in the UK or Europe.

Real growth since the pandemic was higher than any other country, at 11.5% compared to 4.6% in the Eurozone and just 2.9% in the UK.

Consumer confidence also remained high, with spending up 4.3%. However this may have been a rush to buy high-ticket items like cars in anticipation of increasing costs in the event of trade wars. Whether Trump is postulating and using the threat as a bargaining tool or truly committed to tariffs remains to be seen. Economists, manufacturers and importers/exporters fear rising prices could hit hard, push up inflation and see another interest rate spike.

That uncertainty has already reached hiring. So far this year, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce are among those cutting their corporate workforces. A fifth of unemployed US professionals seeking work say they have been looking for at least a year and 40% of them said they weren’t invited to a single interview. Job openings in Q4 were at their lowest level since the pandemic.

IT, finance and software development declined by 10-20% while positions in banking, project management, hospitality, and customer service sectors all saw double-digit falls.

Uncertainty around global trends, the election and, now, Trump’s impact on different sectors of the economy, have instilled a wait-and-see approach. Once the new President has bedded in, and the tariff crusade has settled, companies may be more confident in the direction of flow and willing to invest in big hires.

For now, employers are increasingly hedging their bets by hiring on a freelance basis, enabling them to focus resources on specific projects and adjust them as dynamics and priorities change quickly in the evolving landscape, while reducing costs associated with permanent staff. More than a third of US workers are thought to be working in the gig economy, another sign of a cautious employer’s market, however it does have its benefits, such as bridging gaps between permanent employment, boosting skill and experience and offering flexibility.

Some US regions are doing better than others, of course, and differing salary brackets in senior roles give an idea of what is happening within key economic centres of the US.  A guide to assist job seeking can be found here.

Asia:

China, the world’s second biggest economy, has seen a reversal in the decade-long trend of growing unemployment and under-employment. Sectors such as electric cars, AI chips and platforms continue to drive growth, though the lack of transparency, as demonstrated in suspicions around the development and security of its newly popular Gen AI Deepseek app, can make China a difficult economy to read accurately or trust.

At time of writing, the Chinese government appeared reluctant to engage in any meaningful tit-for-tat tariffs with the US, showing its relative weakness and dependence on international trade.

Any grab for Taiwan, which is leading the world in the production of AI chips, could destabilise the region.

Post-pandemic, there has been a steady outflow in overseas senior workers, particularly those from Europe. Multinationals are moving to alternative regional HQs such as Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, taking professionals and executives with them as they seek to expand into these emerging markets. These more accessible Asian hubs are seeing growth in senior positions open to international candidates. Seven percent of Rialto’s clients are now based in Asia. The continent dominates the global landscape in terms of innovation, claiming more than two thirds of all patents, demonstrating investor confidence and strength in development of new products, technologies and services.

Organisations across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly global investment firms, are actively seeking leaders with cross-cultural experience to effectively manage global teams and navigate the complexities of international markets. Candidates looking to resettle in Asia or to work in Asian markets should demonstrate cultural alignment and adaptability to drive organisational success across different regions.

There is also a notable shift towards flexible leadership structures, with organisations embracing interim executive roles. This approach allows companies to access specialised expertise as needed, providing agility in addressing specific challenges or growth phases without long-term commitments.

India is seeing growth of between 6-7% GDP per year as its strong domestic market, characterised by increasing middle class wealth and improving supply chain logistics, provides a cushion from global shocks and trade winds. The healthy, growing market, demand for international leadership talent, high-quality work and wages, is making India increasingly attractive to executives struggling in traditional markets.

Japan is returning to growth and getting inflation under control and could be a market to watch for executive opportunities, which are primarily concentrated in large, established corporations across sectors including automotive, technology, finance and retail, in areas like business development, strategy, operations management, and technology innovation.  Japanese language skills are essential.

For executives looking to secure senior roles in the US and Asia, the ability to adapt to a shifting global economy has never been more important.  In the US, hiring caution and economic unpredictability are prompting many companies to favour flexible, short-term engagements over permanent leadership appointments. This trend, while challenging, also offers executives new ways to remain active in the market, gain exposure to different industries, and position themselves for long-term opportunities when conditions stabilise.

In Asia, the demand for leadership talent remains strong, but the opportunities are concentrated in specific markets and sectors. Executives with cross-cultural experience, digital expertise, and an ability to drive transformation will be in the highest demand.

While there are many complex factors that account for the difficulties facing those seeking new positions at higher levels, candidates who are open-minded and adaptable can thrive by responding to emerging trends and developing their skill sets in alignment within growth areas.

It’s little wonder that this volatile and competitive global marketplace, with an ever-accelerating pace of evolution, has seen Google searches for “coaching” increase by 50% year-on-year, up to 60.7 million in 2024.  Trying to navigate it alone can be daunting and ultimately, fruitless.

Rialto director Richard Chiumento said: “It’s critical for candidates to be open-minded about new ways of seeking and preparing for work. Firing off dozens of applications to familiar roles that are likely to attract hundreds of applicants, take months to resolve, and possibly not even exist, can leave highly talented individuals despondent and desperate. Many come to us having wasted months taking the same, traditional actions – but expecting different results.

“It doesn’t work anymore. A new mindset, new strategies and toolkits are required for an increasingly disrupted and digital Executive marketplace.

“Senior people need to be prepared to invest time and resources in updating and aligning  their value proposition offering, explore new regions, markets, industries and functions, possibly think about short-term contracts and adapt and upgrade their skillsets. The world is changing faster than most executives think and they need to change with it or be left behind.”

In our 2025 Quarter 1 Executive Outlook, one feature stood out for us: Hiring is down almost across the board but executive level positions are being hit hardest. Even the most talented, experienced and highly-qualified candidates or those who are more used to being headhunted with their biggest issues deciding which offer to accept, are struggling to get to interview.

But are analysts predicting it will get better or worse in 2025?

Here, we take a deeper dive into the executive and wider recruitment landscape and look at conditions, trends and forecasts. In part one, we focus on the UK and Europe and in second part, Asia and the US.

As we enter 2025, the UK and European executive job markets are facing one of the most challenging landscapes in recent memory.

The whole world is paying the price for the economic hiatus of the pandemic, the financial cost, cultural change and mental health legacy, while geopolitical tensions are on a knife-edge. Globally, markets are more volatile than was the case a few years ago, leaving many executives in a prolonged state of transition.

The pandemic-inspired trend for distributed team working has expanded the higher end recruitment market to a global pool of executive and emerging leadership talent, creating greater competition, but also opening new opportunities for candidates.

Meanwhile, organisations everywhere are getting to grips with the increasingly complex challenges and opportunities presented by digital and AI technologies, especially Generative AI. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey 2025 found 86% of employers expect their business to be transformed by AI by 2030. This means that in-demand leadership skillsets are in constant flux with executives are now facing a more urgent requirement to upskill to stay relevant.

Some legacy roles are disappearing to be replaced by positions that did not even exist a decade ago. In fact, a 70% change in required job skills is anticipated by 2030. This shift in emphasis towards newly in-demand skills, character and enterprise leaders – who account for fewer than a sixth of executives – has left many established senior leaders struggling to understand their place in this new world order.

Executive search organisations, meanwhile, say there is a shortage of leaders with the required skillsets, outlook, confidence and capacity to drive innovation and oversee transformation, especially in growth areas of technology, healthcare and fintech. The dial has moved; executives need to develop an understanding of what is now required of them, adjust their offering, upskill and repivot. The consequences of not doing so could lead to obsolescence.

To top it all off, a trend is emerging among some organisations to attempt to obscure any difficulties they may be having by posting “ghost jobs”- positions which have never existed. They may give the appearance that the business is thriving – but waste the valuable time and resources of the candidates who apply. Meanwhile, AI-powered recruitment tools mean employers and headhunters can scan worldwide talent pools to look for the right candidates, requiring everyone to better understand the new rules of the executive marketplace and up their game and digital presence. Executive profiles are essentially data points which need to be found.

Those that make the first cut may then be asked to perform through multiple stages of interviews, dragging the process out for months and extending time out of work.

This summary explores the trends shaping the UK and European executive hiring landscape, from the sectors experiencing the sharpest declines to those showing signs of resilience and growth. For executives navigating this turbulent period, understanding these dynamics will be critical to securing their next opportunity in an increasingly selective and competitive market.

Trends, forecasts and opportunities by region: the UK

Headlines in the UK have made grim reading for business leaders since the October 2024 budget, with some right-leaning media warning of a possible meltdown as companies face a quadruple threat from high running costs, an increasing employer tax burden, a crisis in consumer confidence and likely further destabilising action by the Chancellor to try to fill that infamous £22 billion government spending black hole.

The EY ITEM Club is the latest influencer to downgrade predicted UK GDP from 1.5% to 1% in 2025. If the Chancellor is forced to make more cuts, some economists warn the UK could head into a “doom loop” between debt and growth. Much will come down to what happens next in the global economy.

Even if the UK escapes direct US trade tariffs, the potential international impact of increased prices and trade wars could ripple across the Atlantic and the English Channel. More uncertainty in an already edgy recruitment market will only make conditions more difficult to navigate. That market is already tough with the latest figures showing a 22% rise in job applications in Q3, 2024, with 24 candidates per role, up from 19 in Q2, while the number of jobs posted saw a 10.6% drop compared to the 2023 average. Two fifths of recruiters report more candidates but 56% say there has been a slowdown in hiring.

Overall, predictions point to a very challenging and competitive market for the top jobs in a fast-changing environment.  All eyes will be on the next round of economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility in March and whether the PM Sir Keir Starmer’s can successfully forge stronger trade links with the EU while keeping Trump tariffs at bay. Key business organisations are forecasting the following:

CBI anticipates more interest rate cuts to offset sluggish growth and weak hiring with inflation coming down: “Business surveys have softened, with the CBI’s own growth indicator pointing to a significant fall in output over the quarter ahead. Hiring intentions also deteriorated – now at their weakest since the COVID pandemic – and price expectations have ticked higher.”

IoD:  “The significant increases in employer NI, the forthcoming increase in the minimum wage and concerns over the cost of employment rights continue to sap demand for workers.” A quarter of directors told an IoD survey they expect their headcounts to be lower through 2025 but the same amount said they would go up, while almost half expected wages to increase.

British Chambers of Commerce: “Our latest survey paints a worrying picture of weak workforce growth, persistent hiring difficulties and cuts in workplace training. It also revealed that 55% of firms are planning to put up prices, with labour costs the main driver.”

The IMF: Predicts higher growth of 1.6%.

Despite these challenges, opportunities do exist and lie in addressing the UK’s significant skills gap. While familiar roles and functions may be in short supply, almost two thirds of recruiters report skills gaps in the UK.  At senior level, they are struggling to fill roles that involve AI-led transformation, a gap that Rialto focus on preparing clients for. Such future-facing, in-demand roles can offer faster resettlement, higher remuneration and greater  security for executives open to adapt.

Infrastructure and utilities, property development and capital delivery are also among the sectors with the greatest demand and lowest supply but equally require a stand out proposition.

The EU:

The Eurozone experienced zero growth in Q4, 2024. Goldman Sachs warned it could yet take a “sizeable hit” amid uncertainty over Trump’s threatened trade tariffs, especially around growth and confidence.

Germany, the largest economy, has seen two years of contraction reducing its 2025 growth forecast from 1.1% to 0.3%, largely due to high energy costs and labour shortages.  Its manufacturing and export-heavy economy has been hit by high energy prices and labour shortages and would be extremely vulnerable to US trade levies.

The IMF has forecast 1% growth across the zone in 2025, with 2.3% in Spain, 3.5% in Poland, 0.8% in France and 1.6% in the Netherlands. Those figures will be revised downwards if tariffs are imposed.

The European Central Bank expects inflation to hover around 2.5% with cost pressures easing and rising household incomes being the main driver of growth. Unemployment is predicted to sit at around 6.5% while exports are expected to remain subdued, picking up in 2026, again, depending on tariffs. Employment is expected to maintain modest growth.

The Eurozone’s financial industry is looking precarious for executive recruitment. Several major banks announced a wave of redundancies including shaving board membership, with Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing warning 2025 will be “the year of reckoning”.  Stagnation is likely to be exacerbated by Trump lifting regulations in the US to promote unfettered growth

For executives, looking to Europe for their next opportunity, the best opportunities lie in ESG and digital transformation. Predictions are that professionals demonstrating expertise in green transitions, AI ethics, and digital transformation will remain in demand.   As well as seeking to drive efficiencies and growth in these areas, organisations need to adjust their operations in accordance with new environmental and AI regulations around security and ethics.

According to Business Research Insights: “European organisations are increasingly prioritising sustainability and moral leadership” to drive successful transformation. A WTW survey found 94% of European firms surveyed included one or more ESG metrics in their executive pay programmes.

In summary, the executive job market in the UK and Europe is undergoing a profound transformation, with traditional career pathways continuing to be less predictable and competition for senior roles intensifying. Economic pressures, regulatory shifts, and evolving corporate priorities mean that organisations are being increasingly selective in their hiring, prioritising leaders with the skills and strategic vision to drive efficiency, innovation, and transformation. The days of relying on experience alone to secure senior roles are over; executives must take a proactive approach to redefine their value proposition in this evolving landscape. Those who fail to align with these changing demands risk being left behind.

Executive Summary

There is no silver bullet when it comes to measuring demand in the U.K. financial services job market.

Over the years we have looked at everything from indices from recruitment agencies, aggregated job board data as well as government/ONS data. All of them are useful indicators but fail to offer an accurate reflection of what’s happening across Financial Services as well as individual and significant sub-sectors.

The City Career LAB & Rialto job market index captures data directly from corporate careers sites as a way of measuring jobs activity – specifically demand. It’s not perfect, but is perhaps the most accurate indicator of hiring demand in the U.K. financial services jobs market.

Each month we collect and analyse data from a broad and diverse basket of handpicked employers that represent a particular sub-sector of Financial Services in the U.K. These results which include all permanent and fixed term contract positions across all functions of the chosen organisations will be published on our website and LinkedIn – to show and explain the direction of the hiring market(s) from month to month.

Our observations this month include:

• Notably, there were gains this month for Wealth & Private Banking again (5%) and Fintech (6%), and Insurance (1%), which were more than offset by falls elsewhere in Banking & Markets(-5%) and Investment Management(-12%).
• In terms of Year-on-Year results – the overall index is 1% up versus this time last year and down significantly from January 2023/2022/2021.
• Whilst this is a disappointing start to the year, all is not lost, as most budgets and hiring plans don’t usually get going until February as employers focus on closing out 2024 business and people processes.

As a reminder – the Job Market Index is intended to be the most accurate read on hiring demand in the UK financial services sector.

The indicators show:

Banking & Markets: Corporate & Investment Banking, Markets, Securities Services (excl. Consumer/retail) -5%
Investment management: Asset Management, Alternatives -12%
Insurance: General, Life, Reinsurance, Broking +1%
Wealth & Private Banking +5%
Fintech: Banking, Lending, Payments, Insurtech, Crowdfunding +6%
Information Services: Data Providers, Ratings Agencies, Risk 0%

Successful Leaders do not fall into place; they plan, prospect, listen, collaborate, self-reflect and seek to improve continuously. They develop a leadership mindset, a set of attitudes, beliefs, and practices that shape how they will think, behave, and inspire others in alignment with organisational goals.

Some may make the mistake of believing a leadership mindset is a fixed set of traits, techniques, skills and a commanding authority. That mode of leadership is outdated and counterproductive in today’s fast-evolving, unpredictable and human-centred business landscape.

Different leadership styles are required for different circumstances and the most influential and impactful leaders will ask themselves not, what is my leadership mindset, but what is my leadership mindset today?

This should be a conscious thought process, where the senior leader behaves like the captain of a ship, continuously considering all of the prevailing challenges and opportunities before adjusting course and ensuring every member of the crew and every instrument at their disposal is set precisely to navigate with confidence while preparing for any unforeseen storms ahead.

The leader must first examine their own skillsets and abilities against the current and future needs of the organisation to set a personal professional development programme. This might need objective structured support from an executive coach.

Leadership mindsets directly influence organisational culture. A leader with an inclusive mindset can foster a diverse, high-performing workplace, while one with an agile mindset can instil a sense of confidence and experimentation during periods of transformation or trust and stability in more difficult times. Regular reflection ensures leaders remain effective role models.

There are four main types of leadership mindset: growth, inclusive, agile and enterprise. Depending on an individual’s position, some may be more relevant than others. Here we look at the four, why and when they might be important and share some of the tips and insights Rialto consultants use when supporting c-suite and senior leadership in professional development coaching.

Growth Mindset

Coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is the belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents can be developed through dedication and hard work. Leaders with a growth mindset view failures as opportunities to learn, encourage innovation, and foster a culture where their teams are unafraid to take risks and grow. This is the mindset for CEOs taking the organisation to the next level and senior leadership taking their teams into new territories, whether they be geographical, new markets, new products and services or technology-led business transformation.

For senior leaders, adopting a growth mindset ensures adaptability in the face of technological advancements and market disruptions. By continuously learning and evolving, they model behaviour that encourages teams to innovate and excel.

Leaders with a growth mindset will avoid negatives, using words such as yet and not yet – as in, we have not yet reached our objective to penetrate the new market – and avoiding not as in can not, have not, will not.

They will build energy, drive and positivity into the workforce, celebrating wins and always showing appreciation for the efforts, persistence and attitude of employees rather than focusing on outcomes and failures. When things go wrong, leaders with a growth mindset take responsibility and invite collaboration to learn from the mistake and improve the next iteration.

One prominent example is Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. Upon taking the helm in 2014, Nadella transformed Microsoft’s culture from one rooted in internal competition to one focused on collaboration, learning, and experimentation. Under his leadership, Microsoft embraced cloud computing, pivoted toward AI innovation, and regained its position as one of the most valuable companies globally. Nadella’s focus on “learn-it-all” instead of “know-it-all” is a hallmark of a growth mindset.

Inclusive Mindset

An inclusive mindset prioritises creating a workplace where diversity is celebrated and every individual feels valued and empowered. Leaders with this mindset proactively address biases, promote equity, and foster environments where diverse perspectives drive better decision-making.

Research consistently shows that inclusive organisations outperform their peers in innovation. Diverse viewpoints lead to richer ideas, better decision-making, and novel solutions. They also achieve better financial results. Teams that feel more valued and included collaborate better offering peer-to-peer support, reducing unproductive silos and encouraging team loyalty and investment in shared goals.

Leadership with an inclusive mindset understands the value of diversity and equality in promoting organisational reputation, attracting the best talent from the widest possible pool and making companies more competitive globally. They are committed to ensuring diverse voices are heard and incorporated, that individuals from any background, age, culture, gender, sexuality or race and those with physical and mental health issues are genuinely valued equally, not just in tick boxes. They will interrogate their own unconscious bias and ensure all staff are trained to do the same.

Arundhati Bhattacharya, the former Chair of the State Bank of India (SBI), exemplifies inclusivity. As the first woman to lead SBI, she implemented policies to support working mothers, including sabbaticals for childcare and championed diversity in leadership roles. Her efforts helped create a more equitable workplace, breaking barriers for women in the banking industry.

Leaders should always maintain an inclusive mindset but there are times when it should become the priority. For example, where a company works in an especially diverse market or territory or is expanding into a new culture or region. Also, where equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) have become an issue risking organisational and reputational damage. Of course maintaining a constant inclusive mindset – and ensuring you have the correct employment procedures and accountable leaders in place to oversee robust EDI framework – should prevent any such issues arising.

Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, had to prioritise an inclusive mindset to address racial bias during the company’s global  expansion. Research showed people with African-American names were less likely to be accepted as guests in some regions and received lower rent. It invited open collaboration from anyone in the Airbnb community to collaborate to find solutions. The property rental platform was transparent about the issue and what it was trying to do. It introduced new features to minimise the issue, enhancing its pro-diversity credentials in an incredibly diverse market.

Agile Mindset

This has become increasingly important in the wake of the economic shock of the pandemic and the rapid advances and economic transformation propelled by the AI revolution. This has left senior leadership in almost all roles and functions having to learn and adapt quickly. AI is changing the way all processes are done so it is imperative that every senior leader stays ahead of the curve on what is happening in their zone.

An agile mindset is characterised by flexibility, responsiveness, speed, learning, innovation and adaptability. Leaders with this mindset embrace change, experiment with new approaches and are comfortable pivoting strategies when faced with uncertainty or emerging customer needs. It emphasises iterative progress over rigid plans.

It allows leaders to respond quickly to emerging trends and disruptions, ensuring their organisations remain competitive, relevant and resilient. Companies looking to exploit new technologies need to prioritise an agile mindset but agility can also help buffer any unforeseen shocks and issues.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is renowned for his agile approach to leadership. He famously fostered a “Day 1” mindset, encouraging constant reinvention to avoid stagnation. Amazon’s willingness to experiment, such as moving from book sales to an ever-increasing online market, more recently launching the incredibly successful AWS (Amazon Web Services) and pivoting to prioritise Prime membership, reflects its agility in meeting customer needs and staying ahead of competitors.

Leaders with an agile mindset will also empower employees to respond and adapt to change and have confidence in their decision-making. Leaders will free their paths by minimising decision-by-committee, reducing time spent in unnecessary meetings and duplicating work. They will use data-driven processes to create real time feedback loops to help the workforce learn and improve continuously. Mistakes will be reframed as opportunities for learning.

Guardrails must be put in place to spot any outliers or actions likely to lead to serious issues, but that safety net will enable quick responses and the ability to repivot as an organisation when new opportunities or challenges arise, taking along the workforce.

Enterprise Mindset

An enterprise mindset involves thinking beyond individual roles, departments, or business units to focus on the bigger picture and organisation’s overall goals. Leaders with this mindset prioritise cross-functional collaboration, align resources to strategic priorities and maintain a holistic perspective  to spot and seize opportunities for business success and that of the whole ecosystem. They have a deep understanding of what makes a business work and can think laterally or horizontally as well as vertically.

Being an enterprise leader is like constantly balancing dozens or even hundreds of spinning plates. Recent research by Korn Ferry found that just 15 percent of executives have the quality and skills to do it. Organisations led by enterprise leaders grow 6.7% faster. So, this is an area that leaders should be focusing on developing, demonstrating and exploiting in their careers when looking at executive transition and promotion. It is an elusive skill so may require external support.

Senior leaders with an enterprise mindset can break down silos, foster collaboration and ensure that all parts of the organisation work together towards common objectives. This is particularly important in large organisations where misalignment can hinder progress.

They encourage and support collective decision-making, see the connectivity between different parts of the business and can look forward, like a chess player, at how different moves by different players can be made at the right time to achieve an objective. They can tweak and adjust the strategy effectively in response to incoming pressures and unforeseen issues.

They are, therefore, considerate as to how decisions they make will affect the whole organisation.

Enterprise leaders adopt technology to help stay on top of developments and issues across the organisation. AI-driven platforms are developing sophisticated tools that analyse huge amounts of data for specific prompted questions and uses. Predictive analytics identify issues before they arise or opportunities for new products or markets. They can help isolate areas of underperformance and suggest ways to improve.

They will also think carefully about talent acquisition and retention with an eye always on preparing for the future as well as protecting the brand through compassionate and ethical governance.

However, being an enterprise leader does not mean being an autocratic, micromanaging leader. Jack Ma, co-founder of Chinese retailer Alibaba, knows every inch of his business but empowers and inspires his people to make good decisions to drive growth. He guides and oversees every section, taking responsibility for outcomes. He can see what customers want now and will want in the future and how to deliver it. Unusually He incorporates all four mindsets.

As noted above, these mindsets can not be assumed, they must be developed and constantly adjusted and refined to reflect changing circumstances, organisational goals, stakeholder expectation and other market forces.

Leaders must build periods of self-reflection into their schedules and seek regular, honest feedback from trusted colleagues and mentors to identify blind spots, any personal behaviours or feelings which might be impacting judgement, and look at areas for professional growth. Humility is essential and the ability to take on constructive criticism and advice. A coach can help hold up a mirror and create structured learning opportunities

The leadership mindset is a powerful driver of organisational success, shaping how leaders inspire teams, navigate challenges, and pursue opportunities. From the growth mindset to inclusive, agile to enterprise thinking, each perspective brings unique strengths to the table. However, the true hallmark of effective leadership lies in adaptability—continuously reassessing and refining one’s mindset to align with the demands of an ever-changing world.

Senior leaders who embrace this philosophy not only position themselves for personal growth but also empower their organisations to thrive amidst uncertainty. By adopting the right mindset at the right time, they can lead with vision, innovation, and purpose, ensuring sustained success in a complex, dynamic environment.

If you would like support to develop your leadership mindset, our team of Coaches and Leadership Development specialists can customise a personalised programme, aligned with your personal and organisational goals.

As we move into year three of Generative AI, its potential for enhancing operations, driving innovation and building a competitive edge is becoming ever clearer, as are the challenges and risks.

The world’s most innovative companies have moved, or are moving, beyond experimentation to integrate AI-first models, adjusting spending and recalibrating business strategies to maximise ROI and stay ahead of the curve. PwC found almost half of the US’s Fortune 1000 companies now have AI fully embedded in their workflows, with a third using it in their products and services.

This year, priorities should include solidifying foundational structures, measuring outcomes and adjusting programmes to make Gen AI work effectively and safely and secure that advantage. Those late to the party or failing to understand the critical need to constantly evolve and manage Gen AI may struggle to ever catch up.

In a recent survey by Ernst & Young (EY), 97% of senior business leaders reported positive returns on their AI investments with a third planning to spend £8 million or more on AI initiatives this year while UK software buyers expect to increase spending by an average 5-15%. Organisations that commit 5% or more of their total budget toward AI are seeing more positive returns than more cautious investors with the biggest in operational efficiencies, (84%) and employee productivity (83%).

It is essential for c-suite executives to have a full and proper understanding of the AI landscape, both within their sector or industry and beyond. Trying to experiment or get to grips with Generative AI in a bubble or silo is like constantly trying to reinvent the wheel when budgets would be better spent targeting funding to improve its performance. Progressive organisations will research thoroughly the tools, programmes and platforms used by competitors and sector leaders to learn what has and has not worked for them and how they are prioritising their AI budgets in 2025 and beyond.

Chaotic implementation has led to lost ROI and confidence in some early iterations of Gen AI-powered programmes as over-eager organisations put the cart before the horse, buying the latest hyped-up tools or platforms through FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) without really understanding their value, testing them or building sound foundational infrastructure. Only 12% reported using sandboxes in one survey, for example, leaving too much to chance and increasing risks of damaging failures. Getting it right demands a disciplined approach with co-operation and collaboration from every department and at every level.

UK senior decision makers told Capterra’s 2025 Tech Trends that successful technological implementation was the greatest challenge they now faced as they moved onto the next phase of adoption, followed by training and upskilling employees, economic and geopolitical pressures, assessing value and risk of AI and identifying the right technologies to invest in.

The most innovative companies will be patient, appreciating that real returns on investment may take years to materialise in terms of profit, but that agile, future-focused and strategically aligned Gen AI-led programmes will ensure long term competitive growth.

(See our previous insight on the five stages of AI maturity)

Here we look at trends within the three main focuses for the AI spending priorities c-suite executives should be considering over the next 12 months: Tech, data and upskilling the workforce.

Spending on Tech:

Globally, spending on hardware and devices, including computers and smartphones, is likely to grow by £10 billion to £118.5 billion, with Covid lockdown working-from-home technology nearing the end of its useful life and new AI-powered devices offering far more possibilities.
Spending on software is expected to see an even greater increase, accelerating by 13.2% in 2025 to £230.5 billion.

Most software buyers in the UK expect to spend between 5-15% more on digital systems this year as they seek to increase ROI on their AI investments, according to the Capterra research. Six in 10 will dedicate one to four months choosing the right product and 38% see implementation as a key challenge.

The survey found security will be the highest priority, followed by AI, IT management, IT architecture and business intelligence and data analytics.

Automation: Justina Nixon-Saintil, vice president and chief impact officer at IBM, believes AI automation will be the story of 2025. “Any tasks or jobs in the company that could be automated by AI will happen within the next year,” she said.

Alicia Pittman, global people team chair at the Boston Consulting Group said a priority should be custom GPTs and mini-automations to build bottom-up power, enabling entire knowledge-based workforces to boost productivity and quality. She said: “It’s super quick, and it doesn’t require big investments or processes.”

CRMs: This year, more companies are expected to move away from in-house Gen AI solutions towards buying partner solutions. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms such as HubSpot, Salesforce and Amazon AWS are constantly improving their AI-powered offerings with broad options for customised integrated systems that can enhance almost all business objectives, from identifying new product or market opportunities and analysing big data to hyper-personalised marketing and sales which vastly improve customer experience, boost sales and build loyalty.

Fortune Business Insights predicts that the CRM market will more than double from the £50 billion spent in 2022 to £120 billion by 2029. Most platforms offer free, simplified versions of subscription models which can keep costs down, such as Microsoft Pilot and Salesforce Einstein, enabling smaller businesses and start-ups to capitalise on these fast-evolving Gen-AI powered technologies.

Spending on Data:

As the AI landscape matures, decision-makers at innovative organisations will look to upscale, standardise and refine AI use with connected, clean data across all functions and lines of their organisations to ensure it remains relevant, agile and that risks are understood and managed.

Two in five UK companies identified data quality as the greatest challenge to successful AI adoption in a survey by Hitachi Vantara. Nearly half reported significant challenges with data storage and 56% admitted to using less than half their data. Meanwhile 83% of senior business leaders say stronger data infrastructure would enable faster AI adoption.

Gen AI is only as good as the data on which it is trained and building scalable and flexible data architecture that can manage speed, variety and volume of data is critical to enable any organisation to scale up programmes and ensure maximum ROI, potentially accelerating adoption by 30%. The IBM Institute for Business Value found that poor data quality costs the US economy around $3.1 trillion a year.

Companies like Netflix and Tesco have shown the value of substantial investment in data and data infrastructure, able to process huge datasets to hyper-personalise their services, innovate, and get closer to their markets. Innovative enterprises are investing in tools including ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, data lakes, or iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) solutions to optimise the value of their data.

Cloud storage: More than half of IT spending in key market segments is projected to shift to the cloud by the end of 2025, with global spending on cloud computing services expected to reach £1 trillion. Organisations are moving towards multicloud, open data storage to avoid vendor lock-in.

The UK government has welcomed news of £25 billion investment in data centres which will provide more computing power and data storage building infrastructure to boost AI development and innovation.

Businesses will need to manage 150% more data by 2026 and Gartner predicts that spending on data centres will climb by 15.5% in 2025 on top of a 35% rise in 2024.

Security: With this increasing reliance on data and cloud storage, security becomes ever more essential, especially in sensitive sectors such as finance, defence and healthcare. IBM reported the average cost of a data breach at more than £3.5 million in 2021. Gartner expects cybersecurity spending to increase 15% in 2025.

ESG: Organisations also need to think about the energy costs and impact on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials of increased use of Gen AI and other technologies, investing in renewable sources wherever possible. Two thirds of senior leaders fear the negative impact of increased AI use on their sustainability targets and energy supply.

Steve Wanner, EY head of Americas Industrials & Energy said: “Leaders are waking up to the energy challenges inherent in scaling AI. To create innovative solutions that enable energy efficient and sustainable AI growth, companies must collaborate across the value chain, connecting the dots from energy providers to the end-use AI customer.”

Technology could also be part of the answer. Deloitte found three quarters of public companies planned to invest in AI-powered reporting tools to help them evaluate, analyse and share ESG data to comply with tightening regulations worldwide.

However, the biggest rewards are likely to be found in the joining up and safe (anonymised) data-sharing of and between AI systems, which demands greater collaboration within and between organisations, sectors and industries.

Spending on upskilling:

This year, CEOs and other c-suite decision-makers will be more hands on and, hopefully, AI-literate, and therefore committed to restructuring operations so that departments have access to data scientists and AI leads as well as focusing on educating and upskilling all knowledge-based workers and ensuring investment is more disciplined, methodical and targeted.

The speed of Gen AI evolution has taken even tech experts by surprise since ChatGPT opened it up to the masses in November 2022, so it’s hardly surprising that most of the workforce, from CEOs to customer agents and even IT managers, often feel overwhelmed and even intimidated by it.

Almost half of companies admit to lacking the know-how to integrate AI while 90% of executives say they do not know their workforce’s AI skill and proficiency. Four in five IT professionals say they are confident they can adapt but just 12% have significant experience working with AI. Organisations should consider the users of the technology before they buy it and the current skills landscape to avoid workforce burnout and unsafe or under-use of the tools and platforms.

This skills gap threatens to seriously destabilise and restrict the opportunities offered by Gen AI while increasing risk. Babies born in 2025 will be the first of Generation Beta and will grow up with AI all around them. Until they mature, businesses need to retrain their own workforces and bring in data science and Gen-AI planning expertise where it is lacking.

Tech companies are ahead of the curve on this. Amazon developed a Machine Learning University, investing heavily in training and development programs to build its internal capabilities.

IBM has made a commitment to scale up two million of its workers in AI by 2026. Nixon-Saintil said. “There’s a sense of urgency in making sure we are not leaving people behind.”

The growing sophistication of Natural Language Processing (NLP) will continue to enable employees at all levels to leverage AI, so the workforce needs to undergo continuous learning to keep up with new and evolving tools, platforms and emerging risks. Staff who will be using Gen AI models such as Chat GPT, Microsoft CoPilot and Google’s Gemini need to learn to craft clear prompts, interrogate the responses and use them to augment their own productivity and quality of work while understanding the inherent risks and having a clear chain of supervision.

EY says 59% of organisation are planning to increase training for workers on the responsible use of AI in 2025, up from 49% six months ago.

Investment in AI is only expected to absorb around a fifth of IT spending next year. Much more, then, will go into infrastructure and the people required to make it work. Both programmes need to be organisation-wide to enable AI-first business models.

Senior leadership also need to prioritise investing in their own AI literacy to make rational, evidence-based decisions before spending on AI programmes. In the EY survey, 54% of respondents said they felt they were failing as a leader as they struggled to keep up with AI’s rapid growth.

The pressure to act decisively is intensifying. Yet many leaders find themselves navigating incremental changes, unsure of how to transform their business models or confidently prove GenAI’s ROI.

Responding to feedback from our c-suite and senior leadership clients, Rialto are facilitating a virtual strategic collaboration programme between leaders from across the globe, to share experiences, perspectives, and best practices on GenAI adoption. It is designed to support leaders with the critical insights, tools, and actionable strategies needed to broaden their understanding of the complexities & opportunities of GenAI.

All participants in the programme will receive a personalised and group alignment report, to support them to more confidently lead their organisation in the GenAI era

To find more details and register onto the Adoption of GenAI Global Virtual Dialogue click here.

Our Q1 2025 analysis of the executive market, reviews the UK and wider economies, recent performance, projections for the next few months and beyond, the market for c-suite and senior leadership positions and trends that executives need to be aware of to stay ahead of the curve and promote both organisational and personal professional growth.

Economic Outlook

It might feel as though storms have moved in permanently over the UK economy, casting a long shadow over prospects of growth in the near term but there are breaks in the cloud and some bright spots too.

Let’s start with the challenges, and then focus on the positives.

The October 2024 budget continues to weigh heavily with rising business costs stifling growth. Inflation, though nowhere near the double digit figures we saw in recent years, did not fall quickly enough in Q4 2024 to allow the hoped-for interest rate falls that might have triggered greater investment and lower operational costs. In April, companies may have to increase prices further to accommodate employer National Insurance contribution rises, risking further inflation hikes.

Latest data shows UK GDP flatlined at 0% in Q3, slower than the Eurozone, 0.4% in Q3 and the US, 0.8%.

UK government borrowing reached record highs, and all eyes are now on Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s next move: will she be forced to break her election promises and raise taxes, undermining consumer and business confidence further, or cut public services?

There was a shock drop in retail sales over Christmas and new export sales were down for the first time in more than 14 months at the end of 2024. The fact that this was felt hardest in trade with the EU is especially concerning when the second coming of US President Donald Trump threatens to bring in blanket international tariffs of up to 20%. Meanwhile, the Pound has been falling against the Dollar.

However, there are some green shoots, if you look hard enough. UK inflation did fall marginally, raising the prospect of an imminent interest rate cut, and economic output shifted upwards slightly.

A precarious truce (at the time of writing) in the Middle East could lift global markets and there is a chance Trump’s tariff threats will not come to anything. Most economists agree they would harm US economic interests in the long term, plus the UK’s service industry-based economy would be hit much less severely than manufacturing countries like Germany.

New IMF predictions published on January 17 projected UK growth at 1.6% for 2025, up marginally on previous forecasts, and higher than the Eurozone, but lower than the “steady” global growth it anticipates of 3.3%.

GfK’s Consumer Confidence Index, conducted on behalf of the European Commission, also rose a little in December.

Growth remains stronger than expected in the US and sentiment could pick up on this side of the Atlantic with some decent tailwinds, especially as more forward-looking organisations start to reap the returns on early and disciplined AI spending.

The government says its commitment to “mainlining” AI into the veins of the British economy, which includes seeking investment in datacentres and building a super-computer, will turbocharge the economy and cement the UK, already third behind the US and China, as a leading place to do AI-based business.

It is also seeking to fix the industrial bottlenecks that have impeded growth such as planning and infrastructure, which could attract more global investment and boost growth in the medium to longer term.

UK Job Market

That economic uncertainty and pessimism around the autumn budget translated into slow hiring in Q4 2024, with permanent jobs falling at the fastest rate in December since the Covid pandemic. Vacancies were down in all sectors, but the steepest decline was seen in executive and professional roles.

However, there is hope for those willing to reskill and repivot into new growth sectors, particularly AI and sustainability, as we shall see in our analysis of executive trends.

The pace of job cuts in December was higher than in 15 years (except for the pandemic) with a quarter of private sector businesses freezing hiring and cutting vacancies. January, traditionally a time for hiring to pick up, remains muted so far.  It is likely to remain so, as a general picture, until organisations have assessed the impact of those higher NI costs, inflationary trends and have a better idea of where interest rates and US trade are headed.

Two thirds of employers said the NI hike would make it harder to increase wages and offer bonuses, demonstrating the need for senior leaders and executives to upskill and increase their value proposition to stay relevant and competitively rewarded.

Candidates say securing the most senior positions is getting harder, competition is fiercer, and many are not sure exactly what companies are looking for and cannot understand why they are not getting responses from applications for jobs for which they believe they are qualified.

Those looking for new positions need to gain an understanding of how the job market has changed since they were last out there and look at areas of growth and key skills in demand.

However, the tension is exacerbated by the fact that 45% of HR professionals and employers admit they do not have a full grasp of what skills their organisations need to take them into an AI-first future.

It is, therefore, equally critical for HR and other team leaders doing the hiring to be literate in how AI is impacting roles so they can align talent acquisition and upskilling with technology-driven strategic objectives and budgetary considerations. To optimise and update workforce skills bases, they should be using the latest AI tools and platforms to gain data-driven insights.

Candidates who have thoroughly researched how they believe AI can support their target employers’ organisations will shine.

Salary inflation at the highest levels shows that while there may be fewer vacancies, especially in legacy c-suite and senior leadership roles, companies are willing to pay more to acquire and retain the right talent that are able to demonstrate in demand skills which include AI and digital literacy but also include complex problem solving and softer skills like social perspective and emotional intelligence.

Economic growth is forecast later into 2025, and organisations will need to boost hiring as it happens. Whether employer or potential candidate, constant awareness and analysis of, and adjustment to, emerging trends will be crucial to seizing opportunities that arise.

Executive Trends

The country is currently stuck in something of a hiring paradox. Two thirds of UK professionals plan to look for a new job this year, 61% say it is getting harder and 20% fear they lack the skills for the future. Meanwhile, HR professionals are finding it increasingly challenging to find qualified talent. So, the market is flooded with talent, just the wrong kind.

This can be largely attributed to the fast-changing landscape driven by the acceleration of Generative AI and its impact on all aspects of work, which is demanding entirely new approaches. In-demand skills that existed in 2016, when AI was first emerging as a realistic driver of business transformation, are expected to have changed by 65% in 2030, just five years away.

More than half of LinkedIn’s list of jobs on the rise for 2025 did not even exist 25 years ago. The top two, globally, are AI engineer and AI consultant. Sustainability credentials are also becoming more important and jobs that require these skills are more difficult to fill. The two sectors alone account for half the top 10 growing job roles in the LinkedIn UK list.

That does not mean candidates without hard technical skills are unwanted. Executives and senior leaders who can confidently and effectively oversee business transformation driven by emerging technologies are highly sought after. Keywords looked for include soft skills such as curiosity, agility, creativity and empathy.

Reskilling or upskilling to serve the green economy will also pay off in 2025. LinkedIn research showed global demand for talent in sustainability grew twice as quickly as supply in 2023 and 2024, with a 54% higher hiring rate than the average.

Janine Chamberlin, Head of LinkedIn UK, reflected what Rialto has been advising clients and followers: “Resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning will be key to navigating this rapidly changing landscape. And for businesses looking to make the most of the opportunities presented by new and emerging technologies, it’s clear that investing in upskilling initiatives, and AI tools to help their HR teams, will be vital.”

Employers are also struggling to negotiate the conflict between their wish to see staff fully back in the office while talent prioritises hybrid and flexible work. Another HR threat to organisational growth is rising levels of attrition and sickness. Executives need to implement data-driven predictive analytics to maintain productivity levels and keep workforce-associated costs down.

Rialto director Richard Chiumento said: “As we can see, AI and other emerging technologies, including those focussed on the green economy, are the areas seeing real growth as other sectors and legacy roles continue to struggle.

“It has been an especially difficult period for executives looking for their next role, but those who are open to upskilling and to repivot can exploit the increasing demand against limited supply in different growth areas.

“Meanwhile, all the evidence shows that executives and senior leaders wishing to improve their performance within their current organisation will accelerate their own positive career trajectories and organisational success by getting ahead and staying ahead in digital and AI adoption and scaling up. It’s the single most important area for leadership to be focusing on in 2025.”

See our last insight on AI spending strategies.

The pressure to act decisively is intensifying. Yet many leaders find themselves navigating incremental changes, unsure of how to transform their business models or confidently prove GenAI’s ROI.

Responding to feedback from our c-suite and senior leadership clients, Rialto are facilitating a virtual strategic collaboration programme between leaders from across the globe, to share experiences, perspectives, and best practices on GenAI adoption. It is designed to support leaders with the critical insights, tools, and actionable strategies needed to broaden their understanding of the complexities & opportunities of GenAI.

All participants in the programme will receive a personalised and group alignment report, to support them to lead their organisation more confidently in the GenAI era.

To find more details and register onto the Adoption of GenAI Global Virtual Dialogue click here.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year….to find inspiration in surprising places.

The festive season brings with it a host of traditions, both universal and personal to each household, friendship group and family. Among these traditions are the festive films enjoyed year after year. These movies don’t just warm our hearts and get us in the Christmas spirit, many also offer surprisingly astute lessons in leadership, strategy, and business acumen.

Watched through this lens, viewers can gain a whole new perspective and chance to reflect on their own leadership style – plus the perfect excuse to disconnect from work, switch off devices and settle down to spend quality time with loved ones. Here we look at a few of the classics and the insights we might glean from them.

Home Alone: Planning, Creativity, and Agility in Crisis

When eight-year-old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left behind as his family jet off on a Christmas holiday, he demonstrates remarkable ingenuity and courage defending his home against two bumbling burglars. The child gives a masterclass in quick thinking, resourcefulness, and resilience, qualities every executive needs in today’s unpredictable, volatile environment.

Kevin outthinks and outclasses his nemeses, innovatively deploying the resources at his disposal – including toy cars, an iron and paint cans – to stay one step ahead and protect himself and his home. Executives should adopt a similar mindset, making the most of existing assets and strategies to compete, even when rivals may appear to have the natural advantage. The themes of innovation and adaptability chime with business model transformation trends in today’s era of fast-moving Generative-AI driven developments.

Elf: The Power of Culture and Authenticity

Buddy the oversized Elf’s boundless optimism and commitment to spreading Christmas cheer might seem naive, but his authenticity and generosity of spirit transform those around him. For leaders, Elf offers a lesson in the power of staying true to your values, being prepared to show vulnerability and fostering an inclusive culture.

By creating a positive environment and being utterly genuine, Elf inspires a culture of collaboration and trust. Meanwhile, as an outsider, his unique perspective helps him bring fresh ideas to the table, illustrating the value of diverse viewpoints. His father, the buttoned up and authoritarian CEO played by James Caan, seems positively prehistoric next to Elf’s enthusiasm, openness and willingness to do things differently, a reflection of changing leadership styles today.

It’s a Wonderful Life: The Values of Community and Legacy

Many would call this the ultimate Christmas film. The 1946 Frank Capra-directed masterpiece sees James Stewart’s despairing banker, George Bailey, saved from the brink of suicide after giving his all to his business only to see it fail and potentially damage those he has sought to assist throughout his career. Two angels are sent to show him the positive impact he has had on his whole community and how different life would have been for so many had he never existed.

Bailey comes to understand that true wealth isn’t just financial or transactional, but also relational and communal. For executives, this underscores the importance of legacy and purpose in leadership and to maintain perspective and hope, even when things seem to have gone horribly wrong. It shows that honesty and transparency with stakeholders can help avert a reputational and financial crisis. The time, energy and thought Bailey has poured into his community is reciprocated when he is struggling. His customers, colleagues and friends remain loyal even through the most challenging times. The story teaches us to cultivate gratitude, take time to reflect on the sometimes-invisible positive ripples of our work, and build a strong corporate value based on trust and shared values, always considering the long-term impact of policies and actions. In business, nurturing strong relationships with employees, customers and the community can lead to enduring success. Recent trends indicate a shift towards work cultures that prioritise human well-being and organisational flexibility, recognising that strong relationships contribute to overall success.

The Muppet Christmas Carol: Embracing Change and Transformational Leadership

Last year, we presented the Rialto Executive Christmas Carol, exploring how senior leadership can learn from Dickens’ timeless story of redemption. This classic tale has inspired countless Christmas films, including many mentioned here..  Aside from the unsettling image of Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy having a brood of froglets and ringleted piglets, the Muppet version is as true to the original as any other, with Michael Caine as old Ebeneezer Scrooge going through a painful transition as he is confronted with the difficulties of his past and the impact it has had on his miserly behaviour in the present.

The story serves as a powerful reminder for leaders to embrace self-reflection and seek guidance from trusted mentors who can offer honest appraisals and actionable advice. Scrooge may be terrified of the realities revealed by his spectral visitors, but they give him the grace and humility to be able to rebuild sustaining relationships with those important to him in work and outside it. Scrooge also learns to value the people around him and show generosity, which will lead to strengthened business models and longevity and customer and employee loyalty and engagement.

Miracle on 34th Street: The Power of Trust and Reputation

When Kris Kringle is put on trial to prove he’s the real Santa Claus, he shows that belief and reputation can triumph over scepticism. Whether you watch the 1947 black and white original or the 1994 remake starring Richard Attenborough as the man in red and white, this sentimental staple reminds leaders to remain steadfast and believe in their mission and core values, even as they face multiple challenges.

Despairing the loss of the true seasonal messages of love and kindness amid the commercialism, greed and profit-making, Father Christmas comes to earth and gets a job as an in-store version of himself at a New York department store. In the more recent version, as he seeks to restore the spirit of Christmas, he gets caught up in a hostile takeover bid, a business rival’s campaign to twist the narrative in his favour through underhand means, and six-year-old Susan’s personal battle with her own faith.

Kringle unwaveringly insists that he is the real Father Christmas, despite facing a lawsuit and accusations of insanity. He is saved by the little girl’s demonstration of how people regularly place their trust in unprovable concepts, symbolised by the words In God We Trust on the back of a one dollar bill.. Between them, Kringle and Susan get the store owner, customers and community on board by staying true to their values of belief, hope, empathy, generosity, authenticity and understanding, all soft skills required increasingly by executives and senior leaders seeking to navigate through the complex business landscape where the practical and emotional needs of human stakeholders must be balanced with the demands of a fast-paced, high tech, competitive business landscape.

Die Hard: Strategic Thinking and Teamwork in High-Stakes Situations

The arguments can go on around whether Die Hard is truly a Christmas film (it is!), but what we can learn from Bruce Willis’s cynical cop, John McClane, are lessons in quick thinking, agility, strategy and the need to balance clear, independent thinking with trust and collaboration.

McClane gets caught up in a terrorist takeover of a company during its HQ Christmas Eve party and realises only he can save the day and the hostages, including his estranged wife who works there. It’s McClane versus a band of baddies, led by iconic high-cultured German Hans Gruber, played by a scene-stealing Alan Rickman.

Though he’s going solo vs the villains inside the gleaming high-tech skyscraper, he relies on the support and walkie-talkie guidance of an officer on the outside, Sergeant Al Powell, and must place his trust and his life in his hands. Nobody can do it all on their own.

Gruber’s men have planned their evil mission meticulously and know what they want and how they plan to get it – outnumbered McClane can only act by instinct, adapting to every move made by the tooled-up terrorists, showing how true leadership has the chance to shine when facing adversity and threat. McClane has to remain focused on his mission, alert to the changing risks and think on his feet. Of course, it all works out in the end and the shared experience reignites his relationship with his wife.

Executives will learn the most and develop fastest in highly charged, challenging situations and could learn from McClane by seeing potential catastrophes as opportunities for learning, change and building positive team dynamics. Through true collaboration and focus on a mission, organisations that are led by visionaries with courage, conviction and trust in their teams can get through almost anything.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Knowing It Is Never Too Late to Change.

Rubber-faced actor Jim Carey embodied the mean, green monstrous Scrooge in the film version of Dr Seuss’s Christmas classic. The Grinch chooses to live in isolation with his dog, Max, and hates the noisy, bright intrusion of Christmas from the nearby village of Whoville in the alley below, so decides to take it from them, removing every physical trace of the festival.

Of course, The Grinch has a backstory – he never had anyone special with whom to enjoy Christmas and therefore has been unable to understand its sentimental spirit or purpose.

But when the Whos rally together to salvage their celebration, even without the lost trappings of gifts, lights and general excess, the Grinch sees that it is so much more than indulgence and greed. So touched by the compassion, kindness and community he sees for the first time, his heart grows three sizes. He is big enough to admit he was wrong, return all the stolen gifts and join in.

As well as traditional Christmas messages which remind us every year to recognise what is truly important, family, friendship and sharing, the Grinch is a lesson for leadership in knowing when to admit you have been wrong or need to adjust or even abandon your strategy. No matter how far it has gone, how many resources you have devoted to a mission, executives must be open to change and really listening and responding to the views of the people it affects. Humility and compassion are keywords of modern-day leadership, not ivory towers and unilateral decision-making. Instead of looking down on those below, executives and senior leaders should be among the people upon which their organisations are built, truly understanding what makes them want to be part of their community, or they – employees, customers, partners – will move on and carry on.

It is all too easy to lose sight of our purpose, mission and even humanity amid all the commercial and organisational pressures and demands that rarely let up in today’s highly pressured and unpredictable business landscape.

Use the festive season to find inspiration in places you perhaps never thought to look. The very act of mindfully considering these lessons helps to ground us. Taking time to reflect on the weight of our responsibilities, the impact of our decisions on individuals and communities, and the reasons we do what we do—our motivations and rewards, both practical and personal—is not only restorative for the soul but ensures leaders stay relevant and focused on the purpose behind their work and their organisations.

As the year draws to a close, we at Rialto wish all our clients and partners a peaceful, reflective, and joyful festive season. May this time bring connection, renewal, and a fresh perspective for the year ahead. We also hope you find joy in watching your favourite seasonal films with a (post-ghosts) Scrooge-like sense of gratitude and inspiration.

We look forward to resuming our rewarding work with you in the New Year.