The Future of Leadership and Culture: Insights from QMS COO, Sara Lappage
- Written by: Authentic Leaders Group, featuring insights from Sara Lappage, COO at QMS Media
The way organisations approach people and culture is shifting dramatically. Leaders are being asked to create workplaces that not only deliver results but also foster trust, collaboration, and well-being.
We spoke with our long-term client, Sara Lappage, Chief Operating Officer at QMS, to hear her perspective on the priorities shaping culture and leadership this year, and the shifts she’s seeing in today’s modern leader.
Three priorities for people and culture in 2025
According to Sara, three focus areas stand out:
1. Fostering a culture of psychological safety
“At QMS, it’s imperative that our people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, ideas, and concerns-—without fear of judgment. When we nurture that kind of environment, collaboration and alignment is heightened, creativity flourishes, and innovation becomes part of the everyday.”
2. Creating and encouraging a high-performance mindset
“Creating a high-performance mindset is all about encouraging everyone to bring their best, every day. It’s not about being perfect, but about striving for continuous improvement and pushing ourselves and each other to grow, not just as individuals, but as a team. Having clear company goals that departments and individuals can align to is critical for the overall success of the business, and when underpinned by a set of behaviours and standards that everyone buys into, you give yourself the best chance to succeed. When everyone is committed and aligned, there’s no limit to what can be achieved together.”
3. Providing reward and recognition
“Finally, for me, reward and recognition ties it all together. It’s crucial that we celebrate our achievements, big and small, and acknowledge the collective hard work that goes into reaching our company goals. When people feel valued and supported, it motivates us all to go that extra mile and reinforces the behaviours that help our culture thrive.”
The shift in modern leadership
For Sara, one of the biggest changes in leadership has been moving away from traditional, command-and-control styles to more people-centric, purpose-driven leadership.
“Leaders today require an enhanced set of skills centered around emotional intelligence, adaptability and a commitment to cultivating an inclusive and innovative environment. Whilst it used to be all about authority and control, now, it’s more about being open, empathetic, empowering teams and individuals to succeed and fostering an environment of collaboration.”
Final thoughts
The leadership landscape is changing and so too are the cultures that support it. As Sara notes, success in 2025 and beyond won’t come from control, but from connection, trust, and empowerment.
Is your organisation ready? Book your company’s Leadership & Culture Health Check with ALG today.