What are the top 20 questions leaders need to ask in 2025?

Most organisations talk about growth, innovation, and workplace safety, but the real question is—are they actually willing to change?

In the Chinese zodiac, the snake symbolises transformation, adaptability, and evolution, thriving by shedding its skin – essentially letting go to grow.

If your team is stuck in old habits, you’re not evolving—you’re falling behind. The best leaders don’t just ask, “What’s working?” They ask, “What’s holding us back?”

In 2025, the challenges are bigger, and the risks are higher—from leadership burnout and high staff turnover to compliance failures and safety risks. If you’re serious about building a stronger, safer, and more effective workplace, start with these 20 critical leadership and safety questions.

Brace yourself. These might sting.

Leadership reflection questions

Are your leaders evolving with the needs of your workforce, or are they stuck in “the way we’ve always done it”?
Do employees feel safe to speak up, or does your culture make people hesitant to share concerns?
When things change fast, do your leaders adapt with confidence, or do they struggle to keep up?
Do leaders trust their teams, or do they rely too much on control and micromanagement?
Are employees encouraged to call out unsafe or unethical behaviours, or any form of harmful behaviour at work and be upstanders?
Does your organisation’s hierarchy support collaboration and fresh ideas, or is it stifling innovation?
Are useful success measures helping your organisation grow, or do outdated KPIs get in the way of progress?
Do leaders communicate with clarity and purpose, or does unclear communication slow everyone down?
Are employees regularly recognised and rewarded in meaningful ways, or is their hard work going unnoticed?
Does diversity and inclusion actually shape how your organisation operates, or is it just a buzzword?

Leadership and organisational growth

Strong leadership isn’t about holding onto power—it’s about adapting, growing, and future-proofing your organisation.

Are we actually growing, or just recycling old strategies?
Do our leaders embrace change, or do they resist until it’s too late? Learn how leaders can foster change
Are we attracting and retaining top talent, or are our best people leaving for better opportunities?
Do we reward innovation and new ideas, or is failure punished?

Hard truth: If your leadership and management training programs aren’t evolving, neither is your organisation.

Workplace culture, inclusion & the employee Experience

A safe, inclusive, and engaged workplace doesn’t happen by accident—it’s built through deliberate leadership and action.

Do employees feel psychologically safe speaking up, or is silence the safer option?
Are we recognising great work, or assuming people feel valued?
Does diversity and inclusion actually shape our decisions, or is it just a PR checkbox? See how diversity attracts talent
Are we proactively preventing burnout, or waiting until it’s too late?

Hard truth: If your employees feel unheard, unrecognised, and unsupported, your culture is broken—and your best people will leave.

Leadership Development & Team Performance

Leadership isn’t about titles or authority—it’s about trust, influence, and clarity. Are your leaders actually leading?

Are our leaders inspiring, or are they micromanaging?
Do our leaders build trust, or do they just pull rank?
Are we actively developing future leaders, or just hoping the right people step up?
Do our teams actually understand our vision, or are they just clocking in and out?

Hard truth: If you’re not investing in leadership training courses, don’t be surprised when your organisation lacks direction and accountability.

Learning & Development – Are We Actually Growing?

Great workplaces don’t just train employees—they develop future leaders and safety champions. But is your training delivering real impact?

Is our corporate training actually making a difference, or is it just another box-ticking exercise?
Do our learning programs engage different learning styles, or are we leaving people behind? Explore learning styles
Are we giving our leaders and teams the training they actually need, or just hoping they figure it out?
Do our safety and leadership programs inspire action, or are they forgotten by the next day? Learn how safety training connects with hearts and minds

Hard truth: If your leadership and workplace safety training isn’t engaging and effective, it’s a waste of time and money.

Workplace Safety, Risk & Compliance

A safe workplace isn’t about having policies on paper—it’s about real behaviour change that protects employees before accidents happen.

Are our workplace safety training programs practical, or are they outdated and ignored?
Do employees genuinely participate in safety conversations, or is it just a compliance exercise?
Are we learning from incidents and near-misses, or are we repeating the same mistakes? Low near-miss reporting—good or bad?
Do leaders understand their legal obligations in workplace safety, or are they relying on ‘common sense’? Understand your safety legal obligations

Safety reflection questions

Are your safety policies and procedures practical, or are they outdated rules that no one follows?
Are employees genuinely involved in safety decisions, or is it more of a tick-the-box exercise?
When incidents and near-misses happen, does your organisation learn and improve, or do the same mistakes keep happening?
Do your safety training programs engage all learning styles, capture hearts and minds, and drive real behaviour change, or are they outdated, boring, and ineffective?
Do leaders and teams spot risks before they escalate, or is your organisation always reacting to problems too late?
Do your leaders have training in safety, and do they fully understand both their personal and organisational legal obligations, or are they relying on experience alone?
Are unclear roles, clunky processes, or poor communication making safety harder than it needs to be?
Do your SOPs actually reflect what happens on the ground, or are they ignored because they’re unclear or unrealistic?
Do reporting systems make it easy for employees to raise safety concerns, or do they feel like too much hassle?
What more can your organisation be doing to proactively tackle the 14 psychosocial hazards in your workplace and support wellness at work?

As a leader, reflecting on these questions can help you pinpoint what could be improved and start building a commitment to meaningful change. It’s not about discarding everything, but about understanding where you stand so you can make informed, effective adjustments that lead to a workplace where every team member feels safe, valued and has the tools to thrive.