Conn@ctions 2025 | Leadership and Relationships in the Age of Uncertainty

• At the heart of the event, the presentation of the white paper developed by Buono & Partners in collaboration with Rome Business School, based on a dual survey targeting managers and students
• Three thematic panels on shared purpose, leadership in complex contexts, and the evolution of the hybrid workforce
• Key topics included: values-driven talent acquisition, skill-based organizational models, and a culture that embraces learning from failure
• The research introduces a six-step framework designed to support companies in transforming their leadership culture

On June 25, Rome Business School’s campus hosted the third edition of Conn@ctions, an event conceived by Buono & Partners and dedicated to the evolution of professional relationships and leadership models. The 2025 edition focused on the transformations reshaping the way individuals and organizations lead in a world marked by geopolitical instability, technological acceleration, and deep cultural change.

The event opened with institutional greetings from Benedetto Buono, Founding Partner of Buono & Partners, and Massimo Scarcello, Associate Dean of Rome Business School. Their remarks highlighted the strategic importance of intergenerational dialogue and the role of education as a bridge between current and future leadership.

The core of the event was the presentation of the white paper Better Leaders of Tomorrow, the result of a joint research project conducted by Buono & Partners with the contribution of Rome Business School. The research, carried out between April and May 2025, was based on two parallel surveys: one addressed to Italian managers from the business school’s relational ecosystem, and the other to a representative sample of master’s students in economics, marketing, management, and international relations. The surveys combined closed and open-ended questions to gather data, perceptions, and expectations on leadership skills, vision, and future-readiness.

The report highlights three key dimensions for effective leadership today and in the future: purpose as a driver of authentic and sustainable relationships; the ability to navigate complexity and uncertainty with flexibility, vision, and listening; and the transformation of work through emerging hybrid models that demand adaptive, digitally literate, and skill-based leadership.

Building on these themes, the day featured three thematic panels, each moderated by academic and business experts, offering complementary perspectives on the organizational and cultural implications of leadership evolution.

1. The first panel focused on the role of purpose in professional networking. Speakers Maria Giulia Garcea (CEO Lab11), Giuseppe Iamele (The European House – Ambrosetti), and Duccio Vitali (CEO, Alkemy) explored how shared meaning, values, and social impact are now central in building professional relationships. The discussion highlighted the convergence of ethical intent and competitiveness, and the growing importance of hiring and leading people aligned with the organization’s core values.
2. The second panel, moderated by Katiusha Gabriele, Program Director of the Executive Master in Human Resources Management at Rome Business School, addressed leadership in uncertain contexts. Alfredo Adamo (Frontiere), Maria Rosaria Raspanti (Pavia e Ansaldo), and Diego Bosco (ItalBiotech) shared experiences on adaptability, continuous strategy revision, and the pivotal role of middle management in transmitting organizational culture. The session underscored the need for leadership that listens, evolves, and challenges its own assumptions in volatile environments.
3. The third panel, focused on the hybrid workforce and moderated by Valentino Megale, Program Director of the Master in eHealth Management, examined the impact of digitalization and AI on work culture.
   Valeria Borrelli (SIMEST), Laura Carletti (Randstad Italia), and Cristian De Mitri (Eggup | Zucchetti) discussed continuous learning, error-positive cultures, skill-based structures, and the decline of traditional hierarchical models. The dialogue centered on the need for fluid, horizontal organizations that unlock talent and competencies in an evolutionary way.

The white paper concludes by presenting a six-phase operational framework designed to support companies and institutions in transforming their leadership culture. From internal analysis to outcome measurement, the model provides actionable tools to navigate change with awareness and to build leadership styles aligned with current and future challenges.