Building strong management skills is important for business leaders in 2025. From learning how to work with AI to improving workplace culture, researchers at Columbia Business School are sharing what leaders should focus on this year.

The workplace is changing quickly. New technology like AI brings both challenges and opportunities. At the same time, employee expectations and workplace culture are shifting. To manage well in this environment, leaders need to sharpen their skills and align their goals with their teams or organizations. The start of a new year is a great time to pause, refocus, and take steps to meet the demands of 2025.

This begins with understanding what is causing these workplace changes and what challenges might come up. When you know the issues and build the right skills, you can become a more effective, creative, and flexible manager.

Here are insights from faculty at Columbia Business School who are experts in workplace trends. Their advice is designed to help you make real improvements in your organization in 2025 and beyond.

1. Use a People-First Approach When Adding AI

Helping your team succeed in the age of AI starts with the basics: motivating employees while easing their fears about being replaced by technology. At the same time, leaders still need to create value for their organizations.

Todd Jick, the Reuben Mark Faculty Director of Organizational Character and Leadership, and Stephan Meier, the James P. Gorman Professor of Business, have studied how AI impacts the workforce. They say leaders need to balance these two goals to build a team that is ready for AI.

Meier points out that the way AI is introduced matters most. “It’s about helping employees see that managers aren’t trying to take their jobs — they want them to do their jobs better,” Meier explains.

To help reduce fear around AI, Jick recommends that leaders be open about what’s happening and include employees in the process of using AI at work. Leaders also need to talk honestly about the fear of job loss, which is a real concern for many workers.

“People resist tools like AI for reasons that have to do with motivation, the rewards they’re offered, how included they feel, and whether they really know how to use the tool,” Jick says.

2. Go Beyond Workplace Culture to Keep Employees

Losing employees who leave on their own can hurt your business. You lose experience and may spend a lot of time and money finding someone new.

Keeping your best people is important, but it also helps to understand why people leave in the first place. Research by Adina Sterling, the Katherine W. Phillips Associate Professor of Business, shows that a person’s decision to leave a job can depend on their race and the resources they have access to.

Her findings show that White workers tend to leave jobs a bit more often than Black workers. Often, they leave because they can — they may have the money or support to go back to school, start a business, or switch jobs. Black workers are more likely to leave because they don’t have what they need — like transportation or healthcare. Sterling points out that one reason may be that White workers often have stronger social networks to help them find new jobs.

Sterling’s research suggests that company leaders should not only look at their own policies and workplace culture. They should also consider how outside factors, like lack of access to public services, may affect why some employees choose to leave.

“You can do a lot to create a safe and welcoming culture inside your company,” Sterling says. “But if people are being affected by problems outside of work, then you’re only solving part of the problem.”

3. Fight Misinformation Created by AI

Misinformation has been around for a long time, but social media and AI have made it spread faster than ever. Gita Johar, the Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business, says that AI and online platforms have made it easier for anyone to create and share false information.

This can be a serious problem for businesses. For example, when a company buys ads online, the ads often appear through hidden systems that the company doesn’t fully control. As a result, ads might show up on websites that spread false stories, which could harm the company’s image. With AI in the mix, the chance of this happening is even higher.

Even businesses that don’t advertise online can be affected. AI tools can be used by competitors or upset customers to create fake stories that damage your brand quickly.

While government rules are important, Johar says business leaders don’t have to wait for them. They can take action by working together in trade groups and choosing not to advertise on sites that do not take misinformation seriously.

“If AI starts creating fake stories about your company, you have to be very careful about protecting your brand,” Johar says.

She adds that when companies come together to demand better standards, it helps both the business world and the public.

Key Reminders for Business Leaders:

• Protect your brand. Be ready for AI to be used by others in ways that may harm your company’s image. Support rules and take part in trade groups that push for safer online spaces.
  
• Understand why employees leave. Sometimes, reasons go beyond the workplace. If people leave because of poor healthcare or transportation, think about offering better benefits or supporting local services.
  
• Invest in your workforce. Support community services like public safety and transportation to help employees stay productive and engaged.
  
• Be clear about AI changes. Talk to your employees about your goals with AI. Get them involved early and give them the training they need to feel comfortable.
  
• Use AI to improve, not just cut costs. AI should help the business run better and support your team — not just save money.
  

By staying informed and taking action, today’s leaders can build stronger, more flexible teams that are ready for the future.