Lucy Gernon (00:05.742)
Leadership is changing fast. And if you don’t adopt as a female director or VP in the corporate space, you are risking getting left behind. In this week’s episode of the Three Six Leadership podcast, I’m sharing three major leadership trends I’m seeing in 2025 that will separate those women who rise quickly in their careers from those who stay stuck in execution mode, feeling frustrated. And here’s the thing. If you’re not aware of these shifts, you could unknowingly be holding yourself back.
So today I’m gonna break down based on my years and years of experience in coaching women leaders in the corporate space, I am gonna share what’s changing in leadership right now, what this means for women in senior roles like you, and how you can make sure you are positioning yourself for success, not stagnation. And if you are listening to this episode of the show live, I have a free masterclass coming up soon where I’m gonna dive even deeper.
and give you the leadership psychology hack that will shift how you show up forever. I’m going to get into that more in the show, but for now, let’s dive in.
Lucy Gernon (01:14.766)
Hi there and welcome back to another episode of the 360 Leadership Podcast. I’m Lucy Gurnan, your host and multi-award winning executive coach from Ireland and a mom of three. And I am here today with you to talk about some trends I’ve noticed in leadership. So let me back up a little bit. I worked in the corporate world for two decades, okay? Most of it was spent in the pharmaceutical industry.
But prior to that, I worked in places like Diageo. I worked in food companies as well. So I have been through a lot of different industries. I have met a lot of different people. And my very, very, very first role, I was actually a leader when I was about 18. I was actually a manager in a restaurant. So I have been in this industry for a long, long time. And I’m starting to see some huge shifts happening. And I wanted to share that with you today because I feel like
I’m exposed to women in leadership daily. I hear their innermost struggles. I hear their successes. I’m hearing what’s working and I’m hearing what’s not working across so many different industries. Like my clients in 360 Leaders Club would be from life sciences and pharmaceuticals and med tech and financial services and consulting and FMCG. We have a whole diverse consulting. We’ve got like an array, a range of
industries in there, everything from accountants to quality leaders to executive vice presidents to directors. So I’m hearing it at all levels across multiple different industries. And in the last few months in particular, I’ve noticed a really clear pattern that the women who are skyrocketing their careers are now the ones who are thinking and communicating like senior executives.
before they even get the title. So here’s what that means. They don’t just execute tasks, they set direction. They don’t wait to be told what to do. They influence decisions and they own their opinions. They don’t stay in the weeds. They elevate conversations to strategy and impact. So if you are stuck in the habit of being the go-to problem solver,
Lucy Gernon (03:38.766)
constantly firefighting and fixing things, instead of leading big picture conversations, this will hold you back in 2025. And if this is resonating with you, I talked about exactly how to shift this back in episode 173, which was five power phrases every female leader needs to sound more strategic and confident. So definitely go back and check that one out after this because
those phrases will immediately help you step into CEO level thinking. Okay. That is the very, very first trends that I have seen. And that is like so, so important is that the women who get ahead are thinking like CEOs. They’re not just high performers. Okay. The second trend then is that influence is matters right now more than hard work. And most women are actually missing the skill. So here’s
What I’m going to back up a little again, I’ve shared how I’ve worked with multiple women from multiple industries and I’ve been there myself. We take great pride in solving problems. We take great pride in ensuring the business runs and that everybody hits the goals and our team is happy. And God forbid, we might ruffle a few feathers because we want everybody to like us. OK. But if you’re down at this level.
and you’re not influencing at higher levels. that hard work is not going to get you to the next level anymore. Now, whether you want to promotion or whether you’re really happy at this current level, I know you want to get that sense of accomplishment, right? You want that sense of achievement. You want the recognition. And God forbid, you might even want the reward that comes with that. Because if you’re shown up to work every single day.
amid hormones and periods and kids and elderly parents and, you know, bereavements and like all of this stuff that we deal with. You may as well be making the biggest impact you can make and you may as well be being compensated for it. So the women who I can tell you are going to dominate leadership in 2025 and 2026 are absolutely not the ones who are going to be working the long hours, responding to the most emails or taking the most things off their to do list. They’re the ones who know
Lucy Gernon (06:00.75)
how to build a high performing team that is more self sufficient. They’re the ones that are gonna be leveraging AI. Like we are leveraging AI so much in my company right now and automation, I cannot even tell you because I cannot be in the weeds of my team. I cannot do it because I do not have capacity. So we are trying to structure everything so that we are leveraging everything to available to us because I’m scaling my company massively right now this year. Okay, it’s going at a speed of light. So it’s the same for you. It’s like there is
There are tools and support out there for you that’s going to free you up. And that’s what we need to do. Right. This is what we need to do, which is why I teach all of this in 360Liters Club. I teach you exactly what’s working in my business right now. I teach you exactly what’s working for other women. You’re going to hear it from them yourself as well, because if you are stuck doing all of that work, you you’ve got to realize that the women who are getting ahead are the ones that know how to get out there.
They’re not doing all of the to do lists and all the emails and all of the non-value add work. They know how to get buy in on their ideas without over explaining because sometimes less is more. They know how to communicate in a way that senior leaders instantly respect. And communication is not just talking. They know how to navigate corporate politics and confidence with ease. And this is why I decided I’m bringing back my free masterclass. So if you are listening to this live.
I am going to be running a free masterclass in next month in May where you can come along for free. And I’m going to get into this with slides and beautiful graphics. I’m going to take your questions. I’m going to like stay on for as long as it takes because we need more women to own their voice at the leadership table. OK. And most women are not taught the leadership influence skills that actually matter at the top.
So in the masterclass, I’m gonna be talking all about why executive presence isn’t about being louder, it’s all about understanding the psychology behind leadership. I’m gonna be talking about how to shift the way people perceive you without being inauthentic or changing who you are. And one leadership hack that will literally change how you communicate forever. So if you want to fast track your career goals in 2025 and 2026 and beyond, you need to learn these skills now.
Lucy Gernon (08:21.004)
All you’ve got to do is go to lucygarnon.com forward slash masterclass, sign up, prioritize yourself and come along. We’re going to get into this in so much more detail. Okay, let’s move on to trend number three. The best leaders will be masters of emotional and psychological influence. If you want to truly stand out as a leader in 2025 and beyond, here’s what’s going to separate you from the good, from the exceptional.
The best leaders understand and prioritize understanding human behavior. They know how to read the room. They know how to respond to different personality types. They know how to navigate high pressure situations without losing their credibility, their composure or their authority. And this is where understanding the psychological hack I shared earlier is an ultimate game changer. Because if you don’t know how to shift power dynamics in a room, you will
always struggle to be heard, no matter how great your ideas are. So be sure to come along to my masterclass, lucygarnon.com forward slash masterclass, where I’m going to get into this in more detail if you’re listening to this live, because I guarantee you once you learn this, honestly, you’ll never show up in the same way again. So definitely go and grab your spot. So then the last kind of trend that I’m noticing as well is that women who are succeeding
are not apologizing anymore for investing in themselves. They’re not apologizing for putting themselves first. They are taking the time for strategic thinking. They are investing in coaching. They are investing in their health. They are prioritizing their fitness. They are not stuck in the weeds and they are not apologizing for it anymore. And that’s what I want for you. That’s what I want for every woman who listens to this show.
is to just let it be easier. Allow yourself to be supported. Allow yourself to be held. Allow yourself to have a cheerleader, a support system around you. Allow yourself to grow and learn as a leader so that you can show up more fully as a leader at work, but also as to be the best mother, the best sister, the best partner, the best friend. You deserve that. The world needs you.
Lucy Gernon (10:48.766)
and you deserve to reach your potential. And if you’re listening to this show, I know that’s something that you want. So that is it for this week’s episode of the show. Please, please come along to my masterclass, because honestly, the 2025 year end calibration process is coming, right? It’s going to be upon us before you even know it. And if you don’t start making these shifts now, your arrogant counterpart.
who gets things done through brute force will take that outperforming spot or take that initiative that you want or become your boss. It’s happened. Like women have come to me to work with me because they’re like, my God, my peer is now my boss. How am I going to handle this? And I’m like, why didn’t you come to me six months ago? We could have made sure that you were his boss, right? Because it’s it’s anything is possible, guys, when you work with me, anything is possible. So let’s begin to change that today for you. I’ll see you at the master class.
go to lucygernon.com forward slash masterclass. And I cannot wait to share all my secrets with you. Okay, that’s it for this week’s episode of the 360 Leadership Podcast. I’ll see you again next week, same time, same place. Bye for now.
