As 2024 with all its election noise comes to a close, there’s one thing we can all agree is looming on the horizon: Uncertainty. How the economic policies of the incoming Trump administration will play out is yet to be seen, but will certainly be felt by all – especially business owners.
To that end, we decided to check in with entrepreneurs we’ve featured as part of our 1,000 Stories Project to see what leadership qualities they believe CEOs and founders should adopt as we enter the new year. We spoke with six women, all of whom emphasized a need for adaptability –in fact, two respondents quoted this as their No. 1 leadership quality for 2025 – while some mentioned integrity. Across the board, female founders say they are planning to be flexible, yet firm, and ready to roll with any unforeseen changes as they arise.
Whatever your leadership goals are for January and beyond, here are four leadership qualities to consider in the new year.
1. Adaptability
If there is one constant in business (and life), “it’s change,” says Allyson Conklin, who runs her own eponymous PR firm from her home in Atlanta, Georgia. That’s why adaptability will be “critical” for 2025. “Founders and CEOs know the power of nimbleness — it’s what we ask of our own teams.” She added: “The magic of adaptability comes from consistent observation, analysis, reflection and of course, pivoting when necessary. Getting too attached to a plan, process or system that’s not working can be a one-way ticket to frustration and disappointment.”
Diana Ackurina, who started up her Barcelona-based marketing agency, Easy Communications, in 2016 also cited adaptability as the leadership quality she believes CEOs should strive for in 2025. “We live in a world where everything is changing at an incredible speed—new AI tools emerge daily, people’s values and attitudes towards work are evolving, and political and economic situations are shifting unpredictably,” Akchurina told us. Adaptability is what “allows us to survive, stay afloat, and recognize new opportunities to make the most of them. It’s the key to thriving in uncertainty and turning change into growth.”
2. Ability to Set Boundaries
In Richmond, Virginia, Kristin Richardson, founder of Sherah, a personal assistant service for moms, believes “firmly” that boundaries are critical for founders and CEOs. “We have to set boundaries with our time, energy, schedule and even certain people in our life, so we don’t burn out and have energy left for what’s important outside of the business,” she says, “including ourselves.”
3. Resiliency
Joyce Tsang, whose Portland, Oregon, production company Only Today creates content-branded short films, is looking to remain resilient in 2025. “We set the expectations with our team that any significant task or project will inevitably involve challenges, uncertainty and the occasional setback,” she says. Instead of viewing obstacles as a stumbling block, leaders should work on “staying calm” and embracing them as “opportunities to learn and grow,” she says. “We can foster a mindset of growth and problem solving, keep morale high, and shift everyone’s attention away from problems and toward progress.”
4. Integrity
Given the state of politics today, it might be easy to forget this particular leadership quality, but female founders certainly aren’t. In Miami, Florida, GG Mirvis, founder and CEO of Desolas Mezcal, a line of artisanally crafted spirits, says she will be keeping integrity top of mind in 2025. Mervis told us, “Being honest and transparent builds trust and creates a positive and authentic energy within the company.”
Those thoughts were echoed by Shannon O’Malley, founder of strategic storytelling firm, Shan&, in Brooklyn, New York. She cited integrity as the leadership quality she’s most looking to embody this coming year. “Holding true to your values and consistently aligning your actions and work with them” requires integrity, she says, “regardless of who’s watching, but especially when no one is.” And that’s what “every leader should strive for.”
