Leading Through The Storm: 2025 A Year for Focus

2025 is shaping up to be a defining year for business leaders, marked by rapid technological advancements, economic uncertainty, and shifting stakeholder expectations. In this article, Athena member Leilani Latimer explores how CEOs can cut through the noise, sharpen their focus, and lead with clarity, strategic collaboration, and a commitment to rebuilding trust.

March 12, 2025

By Leilani C Latimer – C-suite executive and board director

 

2025 kicked off at full volume, with a whirlwind of AI breakthroughs, geopolitical turbulence, and shifting stakeholder expectations. If you’re a CEO, it probably feels like you’re trying to lead in the middle of a storm, dodging lightning bolts while steering the ship. It’s no wonder that global CEO departures hit a record high in 2024, up 9% from the previous year, according to Russell Reynolds Associates. Forbes called it a “pressure cooker” environment, where leaders are squeezed between activist investors, short-term performance demands, and the need for sustainable, long-term value creation.

With so much noise and uncertainty, I landed on a single word for my 2025 Leadership Manifesto: Focus. The most successful CEOs and Board Directors will be the ones who block out the distractions and zero in on what is most material to their business: purpose, customers, talent, and investors. Clarity, partnerships, and trust will serve as their guiding principles.

Clarity: Breaking Through the Noise

During one of Athena Alliance’s CEO Series, former CEO of Genpact Tiger Tyagarajan said, “It feels like every day there’s an earthquake, and CEOs have to decide which tremors matter. Today’s CEOs need the superpower of an old Nokia phone that could find a signal in a concrete bunker, the ability to detect the true signal amid endless static of disruption, volatility, and conflicting demands.

I’ve seen how easy it is for leaders to get pulled in a hundred different directions, chasing industry trends, reacting to market anxieties, or responding to internal pressures. But the best CEOs always return to clarity of vision and purpose. They align every decision with their company’s mission, values, and long-term goals. They ask: Are we building for sustainable growth, or getting distracted by short-term noise?

Clarity isn’t just about making bold decisions; it’s also about intentional listening. Successful CEOs talk and listen to employees and customers rather than relying solely on reports. E.L.F.’s Chairman and CEO Tarang Amin exemplifies this when he shares how he regularly joins live sessions with customers to hear their feedback on products.  That’s “hard listening” in action, the ability to absorb critical insights while filtering out distractions that do not align with the company’s core purpose. When everything is a priority, nothing is.

Partnerships: Strength in Collaboration

The challenges of 2025 cannot be solved in isolation. Whether tackling market expansion, revenue growth, technology adoption, or sustainability initiatives, partnerships will be a defining strategy for scale, innovation, and resilience.

The “going it alone” mindset is dead. I’ve seen companies fiercely guard their turf and burn cash fighting for the same customers when a strategic partnership would have been a better outcome for both customers and investors. The most recent example we all remember is the Pfizer and BioNTech collaboration that brought COVID-19 vaccines to market in record time. In 2025, smart leaders will see that strategic alliances can accelerate growth, deepen customer value, and create greater impact.

To unlock the full potential of partnerships, CEOs must broaden their vision and reframe competition as collaboration. Not every rival is an adversary. Some can be co-creators, joint venture partners, or ecosystem collaborators who drive sales and product adoption, alleviate market pressures, and create enriched product and service offerings. 

Restoring Trust: The Leadership Imperative

The latest data from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer is alarming. Trust in CEOs is in free fall, and employee trust in business leaders has dropped by 34 percentage points. On top of that, 60% of people surveyed hold grievances against business, government, and the wealthy.

This isn’t just a reputation issue; it’s an existential one. Trust is a business asset and restoring it must be a CEO’s top priority. I’ve spoken to many leaders who are frustrated by this erosion of trust and feel that no matter what they do, skepticism remains high. But trust isn’t built by grand statements, it requires everyday actions. Organizations that embrace transparency, ethical decision-making, and stakeholder accountability will be the ones that retain talent, attract investment, and sustain customer loyalty.

In Edelman’s study, business was the only institution (compared to government, NGOs, and the media) seen as both competent and ethical. However, that reputation is fragile. Maintaining trust requires deliberate action, not corporate slogans. CEOs must confront workforce culture concerns head-on because, while DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) fatigue may be real, fostering an inclusive, values-driven culture is still essential to long-term success. 

Final Thoughts: Leading with Focus in 2025

This is the year for intentional and focused leadership. Leading in 2025 will require an unwavering focus on purpose, people, and long-term value creation. The best CEOs will cut through the chaos by prioritizing clarity, strategic partnerships, and earned trust.  After all, the best leaders don’t just weather storms. They learn to dance in the rain.

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