10 Of The Best And A Few Of The Rest – Our Wrap Up Of The Articles That Mattered To You In 2025
As December winds down and the calendar resets we’re not only granted a pause from the relentless forward momentum of business-as-usual – a chance to indulge in eating a little too much, hitting the snooze button on a weekday morning and wearing pyjamas past midday, we’re also granted the space to take stock of the year gone by, what has impacted us the most and what we’ve learned from it.
Most importantly, we have the opportunity to consider how these experiences will shape how we move forward into the new year.
At BlueSky Thinking HQ we’re no different, Throughout 2025, we have been fortunate to explore a broad terrain with our community. From the cutting edge of artificial intelligence transforming the way we live, to the irreplicable value of human ingenuity and how this can be protected, enhanced and values both in the workplace and in the classroom.
We’ve delved into the looming dangers of climate change and the consequences of continued societal inaction, to exploring the innovative sustainability initiatives promising to help us turn back the tide.
We’ve explored the mindsets, actions and consequences of world leaders and CEOs alongside the fresh approaches taken by emerging organisations making big waves across their industries.
And, we’ve shone a greater spotlight on the individuals across education and society using their platforms, their intellect and the opportunities afforded to them to make a positive change.
Together, they paint a picture of a world in constant flux and – hopefully – provide the means to keeping on top of the changes we see around us.
Throughout all of this, we’ve watched which articles resonated most with our readers. Some topics sparked immediate engagement, while others built momentum steadily as the year progressed. Others – particularly those focused on rankings and educational opportunities – have remained consistently popular.
What follows is a look back at the articles that defined 2025 for our community, shaped the conversations they wanted to have, built the knowledge they missed, and informed the decisions then then took in their own professional lives. Ten of our best (our BlueSky Thinking Wrapped, so to speak), and a few of those you might have missed, can all be found below.
Whether you’re planning for what comes next, or simply want to revisit the themes that have guided you through the year, we hope this reflection offers both perspective and inspiration for the year ahead.
Female professional development
In a clear example of the themes that will always be important to our readers, this article detailing the best opportunities for women to access study support at MBA level has remained amongst the most popular reads on BlueSky Thinking in 2025.
The article provides readers with a comprehensive list of the best scholarship opportunities on the market; the support they offer, the application and eligibility requirements, application instructions and points you where to go for any further information.
For female applicants keen to explore taking on an MBA in 2026, this list might help take you where you need to go.
How Netflix’s biggest hits can provide value in the classroom
I’m willing to bet that most people who binge-watched the final season of Netflix hit The Summer I Turned Pretty weren’t doing so to see how the trials and tribulations faced by Belly and her family might be of use to them in the boardroom – but perhaps they should have been.
Teaching case studies are at their most effective when they’re relatable. In this deep dive we explore how everything from the dramatic storylines, to the styling and the soundtrack can be used as a masterclass for better business practice.
Tapping into politics, pop, and power
Justin Trudeau going Instagram Official with Katy Perry probably wasn’t on many people’s bingo cards for this year, but it happened. Since July we’ve gone from seeing paparazzi snaps of the pair having dinner together back in a Montreal lobster restaurant to professionally lit formal photographs of the two dining with the former Prime Minister of Japan in December it’s been a swift ascendence for Perry from pop to politics.
To better understand the dynamics of social status, power and influence, we explored the work of ESMT Professor Matthew S. Bothner on how social status flows and evolves through networks, and the benefits – and potential downfalls – that come from leaning on someone else’s good name.
Crunching the numbers
Back to the practicalities of business education, as well as wanting to know what support schemes might be on offer to help students through their studies, applicants are also keen to ensure they enrol at the very best institution they can.
Of course the concept of “best” is somewhat subjective – proven by the fact that every major business school ranking published 2025 churned out different results of which institutions had the edge over others.
To help create some clarity, we broke down and compared each table to provide one all-encompassing list.
Crystal balls and global perspectives
With a keen eye on the movements and moments that shape global biz-ed trends, earlier this year BlueSky Thinking picked up on the declining prominence of US institutions in the most widely revered and respected global MBA ranking.
Almost ten US institutions have disappeared from the top 100 list in the last 10 years, and a similar number in the decade before that. in 2025, only three US schools made the top 10.
Why? and what does a growing absence of the once MBA giant mean for future applicants? We shared our thoughts on what might come next…
Dissecting the mindsets of managers
After stating on Joe Rogan’s podcast that the “fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy“, and lauding his own business wins, BlueSky Thinking decided to see what the experts had to say on the matter.
This piece delves into the research from Durham University Business School which explores how empathy can become a powerful tool for enhancing staff performance, encouraging teamwork, and protecting wellbeing, offering and alternative management style for readers to consider.
Speed, distance and time
This year McLaren’s F1 team celebrated a long-awaited return to the top, as driver Lando Norris claimed his first ever championship. The last time they’d had a champion on the books was nearly two decades ago, with Lewis Hamilton in 2008
The victory, it seems, has been a long time in the making. What went in to building a rookie racer into the best in the world? And, crucially for our audience, what lessons can businesses take away from how McLaren played the long-game? How might their strategies be applied off the track? This piece explores the merits of resilience, growing your own talent, creating the freedom to fail and keeping your eye on the prize. A must-read for F1 fans and aspiring leaders alike.
Pretty trustworthy?
New celeb couples always cause a stir in the media – even more so when they split. But is there a lesson to be learned from the launch – and ultimately the demise of a high profile relationship?
When Sabrina Carpenter separated from Barry Keoghan due to his suspected infidelity, a wave of backlash against the actor by enraged Carpenter fans followed, leaving his reputation in tatters.
What can be learned from this heartbreak? Well, if you’re Keoghan it’s that cheaters never win. For Carpenter, according to academic research, the lesson is perhaps not to trust a pretty face. Research from emlyon business school explores the concept of beauty bias and how it can get you into hot water in the boardroom.
Getting to grips with the machines
We can no longer avoid the AI elephant in the room and educators have come to terms with the need to embrace and envelop the tech into the classroom and the curriculum. For business schools, which build their reputations on being well connected to needs of industry practice, building AI capabilities is not only a necessity for educators but for their students too.
This article explores the most innovative concepts for building AI literacy in learning and provides a guide for others in the biz-ed world on what to consider when structuring AI learning – from not only a practical and technical perspective, but from an ethical standpoint too.
Space, sustainability, and superstars
It’s been a busy year for Katy Perry. Not only has she joined the political elite, she also joined a handful of humans who have ventured to the outermost limits of the earth’s atmosphere – all thanks to Jeff Bezos and the space-tourism arms race.
Whilst news outlets marvelled at Perry and other celebs frolicking in zero gravity, BlueSky Thinking considered the cost of such stunts on the environment. With an estimated 75 tonnes of carbon monoxide per passenger produced during the trip (approx what one person produces in a lifetime) we explored how CEO sustainability behaviours have a ripple effect on others.
Did you miss us?
Even our most diligent readers can’t cover everything. If you’ve already managed to catch every article on the list above, perhaps you might find something you missed in the articles below.
Back to school
When it comes to business education its not only the course curriculum that students want to see at the cutting edge of business practice but the environments they learn in too.
Following a Workplace Intelligence survey sharing that 55% of university leavers felt their university experience did not prepare them adequately for the world of work, we explore the ways in which universities must evolve to ensure their programmes can provide students with the best launchpad to professional success. We also share a few examples of those already getting it right
Amplifying expert voices
With the return of our Digestible Academia podcast, BlueSky Thinking has had the opportunity this year to dig a little deeper into the expertise of academics and consider how their work can create a bigger impact in the world around us.
One such expert is Durham University Business School’s Professor Jackie Ford. In her interview we explored the impact of representation for women seeking routes to leadership, and how small, consistent actions to challenge corporate culture, language and structure can create a powerful, positive difference not just for women but for anyone who exists outside of stereotypical workplace norms.
In pursuit of positive progress for 2026
We close out 2025 after another year of not quite meeting the global climate targets set the year before, and a rather lukewarm commitment to doing better in 2026 after a sparsely attended COP30.
Where global leaders are falling short of pushing for change, actors across industry and society can step forward to take the lead. In helping them find the right path, earlier this month we explored the work of academics embedded in sustainability research to share their ideas of how we can all take simple steps to make the world a better place. If you’re seeking inspiration for the year ahead, this article has plenty to offer.
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