Trend Shift 9: leadership is redefined in human-centric, inside-out terms
Summary
McKinsey's ninth shift calls for human-centric leadership practices - embedding humility, vulnerability, empathy, resilience, versatility, and caring into how leaders operate - replacing models built on earnings focus, demanded results, and command and control.
Classification
Main topicValues & Lifestyles
Region menusGlobal
Impactscope:global
Time horizon4-10 years (2026-07-26)
Last updated2026-07-29 04:49:52
Evidence 1
- The State of Organizations 2026 McKinsey & Company page=60;section=Workforce shifts: Reinventing leadership - Leading from the inside out 2026-02 accessed 2026-07-26
Observed signals 7
- Signal63% of Schneider Electric employees hold shares in the company
- SignalGen Z leaders show a stronger appetite for daily reflection than older peers
- SignalReflective leaders champion AI adoption at 61% against 43% among the least reflective
- SignalReflective leaders perceive more external pressure than their peers
- SignalReflective leaders report higher confidence in adapting and clearer strategic visibility
- SignalSatisfaction and trust top the reported results of human-centric leadership
- SignalSuccessful leadership development doubles the success rate of transformations
Part of issues 1
- IssueFlattening hierarchies raise the cost of reactive leadership1 trends · 1 signals
Relation types: constitutes · supports
Public id: fm-3f748b03d6f3