Top 10 Must-Read Strategy and Leadership Articles for 2025

In a year defined by rapid technological shifts, geopolitical uncertainty, and rising expectations on leadership, the ability to make smart, strategic decisions has never been more critical. The European Business Review’s editorial team has carefully curated ten standout articles from our 2025 collection—pieces that not only interpret today’s most pressing challenges but also equip leaders with the tools to act decisively.

These must-reads offer more than commentary:

✔ Actionable strategic frameworks grounded in real-world application
✔ Insightful case studies from global companies redefining their industries
✔ Forward-looking perspectives on AI, talent, innovation, and organizational transformation
✔ Leadership guidance for building resilient, purpose-driven teams

Whether you are an executive steering an enterprise, a manager navigating change, or a strategist shaping the next chapter of your organization, these articles will help you anticipate what’s ahead, unlock new opportunities, and lead with confidence and clarity in 2025 and beyond.

1. On Avoiding AI’s Hidden Human Cost By David De Cremer and Laurence Van Elegem

This article warns that in the rush to adopt AI, businesses often overlook the human side of transformation. Treating AI adoption purely as a technical or efficiency exercise can backfire, increasing workload and emotional burnout, and undermining long-term productivity. Leaders are encouraged to adopt a holistic approach that balances AI deployment with human augmentation, empathy, and organizational purpose. This is a must-read for business leaders, HR professionals, and anyone responsible for organizational transformation who wants to understand the hidden risks that affect employee well-being and the long-term health of their organization.

2. Nine Logics of AI Deployments and the Artificial Integrity Imperative By Hamilton Mann

This article introduces a three by three framework for AI deployment, mapping potential pathways along axes of growth, employment impact, and integrity. It demonstrates that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy, with some paths leading to fragile gains or social disruption while others achieve genuine empowerment. This is essential reading for executives, AI strategists, policymakers, and organizational designers who want to assess not only efficiency and growth but also the ethical and societal consequences of AI adoption.

3. Innovating Your Team’s Conditions for Success Using the Three Cs By Fernanda Arreola and Dan Hammond

This article revisits the leadership framework of the three Cs — Clarity, Climate, and Competence — emphasizing that leaders must create the conditions under which teams can thrive. By clarifying purpose and direction, cultivating a healthy relational and structural environment, and ensuring people have the skills and support to perform, engagement and performance improve significantly. This article is highly relevant for team leaders, middle managers, project heads, and HR professionals who want a practical and proven model for building high-performing teams in fast-changing contexts.

4. The Generative AI Gold Rush Revisited By Jacques Bughin

This article assesses the rapid evolution of generative AI and highlights ten strategic opportunities for enterprises, including embedding AI in business processes, synthetic data, verticalized large language models, and sustainable AI practices. It shows that capturing AI’s full value requires careful investment in complementary assets such as data and people, and deliberate, thoughtful execution. It is ideal for C-suite executives, digital transformation leaders, innovation managers, and business strategists who want a clear roadmap for scalable AI advantage in 2025 and beyond.

5. On Ultraintelligence and Ultra Risks By Dr. Claudio Antonini and Dr. sc. ETH Zurich Kamil Mizgier

This article explores the long-term risks associated with AI evolving beyond human-comprehensible intelligence, referred to as Ultraintelligence, and the potential Ultra Risks that may be beyond human perception. It challenges leaders to expand their focus beyond short-term returns to consider systemic and long-term ethical and strategic implications. This reading is essential for visionary executives, risk officers, AI ethics specialists, and strategists who aim to future-proof their organizations against emerging and unknown risks.

6. How to Set Teams Up for Success By Gina Battye

This article emphasizes that high-performing teams emerge not from trendy frameworks but from attention to the realities of daily work, including clarity, agreed-upon boundaries, shared expectations, and understanding individual personalities. Psychological safety, open communication, and mutual respect are essential. This is particularly valuable for team leaders, project managers, and HR professionals who want practical guidance for building effective, human-centered teams that perform consistently.

7. Negotiating Across Cultures: How Global Differences Shape Expectations at the Bargaining Table By Bhaskar Pant

This article examines the subtleties of cross-cultural negotiation, highlighting differences between high-context and low-context cultures, conceptions of time, communication styles, and trust building. Using a real-world case of a media partnership that failed, it demonstrates how cultural misalignment can derail negotiations. Leaders, international business executives, and managers of cross-border projects will find practical insights here that help them avoid costly mistakes and strengthen partnerships in diverse cultural contexts.

8. Enhancing the Role of Strategic Sourcing for Supply Chains amid Tariffs and Trade Shifts By Guilherme F. Frederico

This article addresses the challenges faced by supply-chain and procurement professionals under new tariffs and trade policy changes. It outlines practical strategies such as diversifying sourcing regions, renegotiating supplier contracts, redesigning products or supply flows, and applying technology such as AI and big-data analytics to reduce costs and maintain margins. Supply-chain managers, procurement directors, and operations executives will benefit from this timely, actionable guide to navigating complex supply-chain disruptions.

9. How to Translate AI Potential Into Corporate Profitability By Louis-David Benyayer and Hao Zhong

This article explains why many companies fail to see significant profit from AI despite widespread adoption. Drawing parallels to historical general-purpose technologies like electricity, it shows that productivity gains require rethinking processes rather than simply applying AI to existing workflows. Companies are advised to experiment boldly, make strategic decisions about automation versus augmentation, invest in both people and technology, and engage stakeholders. Business leaders, digital transformation officers, and operations managers will find a clear framework for turning AI investments into measurable business results.

10. Well-Being at Work – Challenges and Solutions for Mental Health and Risk By Dr. Simon L. Dolan

This article explores the paradox of rising mental-health challenges despite improvements in living standards and technology. It highlights acute and chronic hidden disorders, stresses the importance of diagnostic tools, work-life balance, and organizational support, and discusses AI-related risks such as job displacement anxiety, social isolation, and privacy concerns. HR professionals, wellness officers, organizational psychologists, and company leaders will gain practical guidance for promoting well-being and building humane, resilient workplaces.

Conclusion: Navigating the Future of Strategy

These ten articles demonstrate that competitive advantage comes from the thoughtful integration of technology, processes, and human-centered values. Leaders who recognize that AI, innovation, and transformation are tools that must be balanced with culture, well-being, ethical judgment, and resilience are best positioned to succeed. Strategic success in the years ahead will belong to those who combine bold vision with grounded human judgment and an unwavering focus on the people who make organizations thrive.