Leaders are getting younger, and they’re bringing a new collaborative leadership approach to the workplace — one rooted in empathy, trust, respect and shared accountability.

The recent 2025 Global Shapers Annual Summit took place at the World Economic Forum’s headquarters in Geneva, bringing together 500 young leaders and innovators from over 150 countries and territories. The message at the Summit was clear: “With half of the global population under 30, [young leaders’] insights and actions are not only a matter of inclusion, they are a strategic imperative for building a more sustainable, equitable and innovative future.”

As Gaby Da Silva, master certified coach and senior trainer, mentor and executive coach for Erickson Coaching International, explains, “Younger employees don’t want to be managed; they want to be mentored. They expect their leaders to be facilitators of growth, not gatekeepers of power. Coaching is the language they respond to.”

Fellow Erickson Coaching International facilitator, mentor and professional certified leadership coach, Nancy Boyer, concurs, and as she reflects on the evolution of organizational culture, one theme stands out clearly for her: the growing demand for leaders who listen.

“When I did exit interviews as an HR professional, the thing I heard most often was ‘I wasn’t heard’,” Boyer reflects. “People want to feel that their position is valued in the organization. Once people are heard, organizations not only retain them but also create healthier, more sustainable workplaces.”

Boyer holds an MBA in global management and over 20 years’ experience working for diverse organizations throughout the world to support teams and leaders in implementing coaching techniques (such as active listening) to increase performance. So, she’s seen firsthand how listening and inclusion lie at the heart of collaborative leadership and is passionate about today’s workplaces cultivating innovation and resilience through shared ownership, coaching practices and authenticity in relationships.

The Age of Command-and-Control Leadership Is Fading

In an article about why authenticity is the new next of power of modern leadership, CEO Today hits the nail on the head on the shifting powers we’re seeing with new generations entering the workplace: “Authority, when divorced from genuine connection and clear communication, is increasingly met with disengagement, passive resistance, or quiet cynicism.”

Da Silva echoes this sentiment, sharing, “The new generation of leaders isn’t content with hierarchy for hierarchy’s sake. They’re asking: ‘How do we work together? How do we bring everyone’s voice into the room?’ Coaching supports that shift by giving leaders the tools to ask better questions, not just provide answers.”

Da Silva, who has been certified in leadership training, team development and coaching for over 10 years, worked for the American company Anthony Robbins as an international coach. Thus, she understands the pressures that leaders at all levels are facing and is passionate about coaching them to keep them aligned with their core values.

“With so many of my corporate clients, we’re working on quality — quality of their leadership, of their message, how they can be more true and authentic, even if it’s crazy out there and you know there’s a re-organization happening,” Da Silva shares. “It’s not cheerleading at all, but it is creating a safe space to check in, see if they’ve lost their compass, and, especially when times are tough, to challenge them to not give up on themselves.”

Authenticity — being genuine, transparent and grounded — is a new currency, but it’s not as easily practiced in “the real world.” Because it dovetails so perfectly with the skills that coaching teaches, emphasizing genuineness and self-awareness, and encouraging leaders to act consistently with their values, coaching can be a hugely beneficial process to help leaders and teams stay aligned, and create space for everyone to share ideas, challenge assumptions and enjoy real collaboration.

It’s vital that coaching is viewed not just as a technique but as a leadership stance. Leaders who adopt a “coach position — a neutral, judgment-free posture — are better able to tap into the wisdom and potential of their teams.

Gallup backs this stance, with their latest “State of the Global Workplace 2025 Report,” showing that in 2024, global employee engagement fell to the same levels the world saw during COVID-19, costing the world economy over $438 billion USD in lost productivity.

The solution to address manager breakdown, according to Gallup? “Teach managers effective coaching techniques to boost manager performance by 20 to 28%.” Why? “Because some managers have a natural gift for inspiring and developing people, but many do not. The good news is that effective coaching can be taught.”

Solution-focused coaching emphasizes future-oriented, positive and self-directed outcomes. “When we train corporate leaders,” Da Silva explains, “we focus on how to shift from telling to asking, from solving to evoking. Collaborative leadership emerges when people feel safe to think creatively and be seen as contributors.”

Boyer, too, has seen this in practice. “The more we help leaders bring coaching into their organizations, the more we see retention go up. It saves money, time, and builds loyalty.”

The benefits of happier, healthier, more engaged employees are well documented. According to IE University’s Center for Health and Well-Being, the organization-wide benefits of authentic leadership include up to 18% more productivity, higher retention rates, reduced anxiety, and increased loyalty and commitment to work, to name but a few.

Embedding a Culture of Collaborative Leadership

How can you embed a culture of collaborative leadership in your organization?

Your organization can take several practical steps, such as:

1.    Conduct a self-assessment.

Understand how collaboratively your teams work and how collaborative or not they find your organization’s leadership style to be.

Boyer’s suggestion is for leaders at all levels of the organization to start by answering these solution-focused self-reflective questions:

• How do you show up as a collaborative leader?
• What might be some examples of how you’re currently collaborating?
• What might be something you want to do differently, to collaborate even more?
• Why is collaboration important to you?
• Who else benefits when you collaborate?
• As you reflect on your responses to these questions, what might you consider?

2.    Train leaders on coaching skills.

Contrary to popular belief, studying coaching isn’t always about “becoming a coach.” Non-coaches, leaders and professionals benefit greatly from learning active listening, backtracking, communicating confidently and embracing the art of powerful questions. These skills increase rapport, evoke awareness and prioritize inclusion, and this kind of upskilling is in line with global employers expecting 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030.

3.    Promote authenticity and vulnerability.

Leaders modeling a “coach position” are more comfortable openly sharing their growth areas. This cultivates trust, and that’s when meaningful change arises — from respect, understanding and shared values.

4.    Make listening and feedback a strategic priority.

Design group sessions, feedback loops, surveys and regular one-on-ones where leaders practice active listening and encourage inclusivity, diverse viewpoints, a safe space to give critical feedback and remain open to new ideas.

5.    Reward and embed collaborative behaviors.

Include collaboration metrics in performance reviews. Celebrate leaders who foster high-functioning, inclusive teams where coaching conversations are the norm.

The Road Ahead

At a time when work environments are growing increasingly complex, collaborative leadership offers a competitive edge. It drives innovation, strengthens culture and humanizes leadership.

When people feel heard and valued, they stay, they contribute and they thrive. Coaching gives leaders the tools to make that happen.

As Da Silva reflects, “Collaboration isn’t about diluting leadership — it’s about amplifying it. When leaders coach, they bring out the brilliance in others. And that’s where the real power lies.”

For organizations navigating the future of work, the message is clear: coaching is more than a development tool; it’s the bedrock of collaborative, future-ready leadership.