In our AI-enabled world of tech disruption and constant change, one leadership quality stands timelessly apart: authenticity. My prediction for 2025 and beyond is simple, but the repercussions are profound — leading with soul will become the ultimate competitive advantage.

Unlike technical skills or market conditions, this alignment between values and actions remains completely within your control as a leader. A company’s culture, developed through authentic leadership and meaningful interactions, will be the cornerstone of its long-term success.

The Power of Soul-Centered Leadership

Leading with soul isn’t just about being nice or empathetic. It’s about bringing your authentic self to leadership while creating space for others to do the same. It’s about making decisions that align with your core values, even when those decisions are difficult or unpopular. Here are three tips to bring this leadership style to life:

Know your values as a leader. Document your values clearly and explicitly, and intentionally take time to regularly review and reflect on them to assess how you’re living those values. When you have a critical choice to make, use those values as a framework to make your decision. Share your values openly with your team and encourage conversations about them so you can address questions or concerns and explain your reasoning.

Never outsource your leadership. Resist the temptation to hide behind processes, policies or other people in a challenging conversation. Big news, whether good or bad, should be delivered transparently, empathetically and, most importantly, personally. Though it can feel easier to have someone else share bad news or blame a group rather than taking responsibility, delegating leadership tasks erodes trust over time. Remember that trust is built through a consistent presence in both easy and difficult moments.

Never allow others to outsource their leadership tasks to you. This point is especially important in HR. If a stay interview needs to be conducted with top talent, their leader should be the one doing it. If a RIF is necessary, the news should come straight from that employee’s leader. If an individual needs a PIP put in place, their leader needs to be the one to have that discussion. Leaders — not HR, not an automated system or an email — must be the center of every critical decision within the organization, from hiring to compensation to exits to promotions.

Culture really does eat strategy for breakfast, and culture must be built into every interaction, every decision and every moment of truth. As leaders, our actions speak louder than words, and how we show up will create far-reaching ripples throughout the organization. Though the future of work will keep changing, leading with soul will never go out of style, and the uniquely human elements of authenticity, empathy and heart will be crucial differentiators that drive long-term success.