We’re close to halfway through a year that feels heavy with uncertainty – globally and locally. The recent federal election, international volatility is rising, and teams are more emotionally depleted than we’ve seen in years.
As a leadership psychologist, I work closely with CEOs and HR leaders behind the scenes. And I can tell you: beneath the surface of strategy and structure, the real issues are often human.
Here are the top 5 risks I see HR leaders facing this year – and how to respond.
1. Mismatched Leaders: Fix or Exit?
Misaligned leaders don’t just underperform—they create ripple effects across culture, delivery, and morale.
Quick Win: Confidential “temperature checks” help identify leaders who may need support, or a dignified exit.
2. Burnout Is Cultural Now
This isn’t just about resilience workshops. Burnout is baked into systems, especially when leaders role-model urgency but not recovery.
Quick Win: Talk openly at exec meetings about energy levels, not just goals. Highlight examples of recovery behaviours from the top.
3. Capability Gaps Are Hiding in Plain Sight
Some high-potential leaders aren’t coping – but they’re performing just well enough to stay under the radar.
Quick Win: Use light-touch leadership diagnostics and follow up with coaching conversations to surface and address gaps early.
4. Trust Is Your Currency
Strategy fails when trust breaks down – often in subtle ways. It’s not about liking each other; it’s about safe conflict, accountability, and honest feedback.
Quick Win: Bring in a neutral facilitator to observe and lift the quality of executive-level conversations.
5. Exiting Well Is a Strategic Advantage
Every departure sends a message to the rest of the business. Poor exits erode morale. Great ones protect reputation and culture.
Quick Win: Build a graceful exit playbook. Consider external support when dynamics are delicate.
In 2025, Heads of HR aren’t just policy setters – they’re trust-builders, change stewards, and relationship architects.
Let’s stop firefighting and start future-proofing. If you want help behind the scenes with any of this, I’m always happy to chat.
Margie has a particular interest in helping organisations, mitigate and avoid leadership burnout.
Margie Ireland is one of the few Leadership Coaches who is also a registered Psychologist, who has proven to help CEOs, MDs, and HR Executives uncover and identify hidden weaknesses, and the necessary changes and their implementation to steer clear of potential risks and achieve better results. Margie works with medium-sized organisations and large corporates across diverse industries. For more information go to www.margieireland.com
