We all know that the world of work is changing.
And, in an age of AI, automation, and digital transformation, you might assume the most valuable leaders are the most technically capable.
But evidence from the UK and European business press suggests otherwise.
Trust, empathy, and consistency are back at the top of the agenda.
Why character matters
The Financial Times reported in 2024 that “character is back” in leadership.
What that means is that employees, shareholders, and the public are holding leaders to higher ethical and personal standards.
Fail to live up to them, and reputations can quickly collapse.
What this means in practice
It’s all about awareness and responsibility, something we always cover during our ILM-accredited leadership and management training courses.
Awareness: Do you spend time getting to know your people on a personal level? How well do you understand the situation that is unfolding?
Options: Do you help others create options and see the way forward?
Choice: Do you inspire others to make sound decisions and be confident in their decision-making?
Action: Do you role model positive behaviours and follow through on your words? Actions and behaviours are key.
Responsibility: Do you inspire personal responsibility in others? Can you motivate, empower, and create an innovative culture, with empathy and ownership at the core?
Who is doing it well?
We can talk at length about the importance of character, awareness, and responsibility.
But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
So, here are a few examples that have grabbed our attention:
Lloyds Banking Group: Rebuilt its reputation after the financial crisis, not by leaning on technical expertise, but by showing humility, empathy, and consistent behaviour at the top.
Danone (France): Former CEO Emmanuel Faber emphasised purpose and empathy, earning global recognition for people-centred leadership.
NHS: Trust in healthcare leaders rose during the pandemic when they modelled compassion, transparency, and calmness in daily briefings.
If you have been on one of our leadership and management training courses, you’ll know we often include examples from the sporting world.
Gareth Southgate is a good one for this blog.
His calm, empathetic, values-driven leadership during his time as the England football team manager re-established trust with players and fans. Technical skills alone wouldn’t have achieved that cultural shift.
Another excellent example is Ben Hawkins, head of performance at Atlassian Williams Sim Racing.
When he joined us on The Sound Leadership Podcast, he spoke passionately about creating a value-driven culture and why it’s the foundation of success. You can listen to that episode here.
What can go wrong without character?
Leaders who neglect character risk public backlash.
CEOs who deliver tone-deaf apologies or appear defensive under pressure often become the story themselves.
For L&D professionals, this underlines why training in self-awareness and empathy isn’t optional.
Practical steps you can take now to build trust
Practice empathetic leadership: Move beyond being “nice” to showing genuine care - actively listening and responding with action.
Lead by example: Model the behaviours you expect. If you want openness, admit mistakes.
Be transparent in crises: Even partial information builds more trust than silence.
Your first next step
So, what should you do after reading this leadership blog?
Ask your senior leadership team this question: “Where does our leadership fall short on trust?”
Then, pick one behaviour - transparency, empathy, or consistency - and start modelling it.
Final thought
Technology will keep evolving. And the pace of change will only increase.
But people will still judge leaders on character.
Trust is the currency of leadership. And those who ignore it will find their technical expertise counts for little.
The BCF Group has been helping organisations develop their talent, inspire their people and overcome obstacles and challenges for the past 25 years.
We deliver training that makes a difference. Find out more about our business coaching, management training and interpersonal skills options.