Torsten Ringberg on the Mindsets of Modern Leadership
How do leaders make sense of uncertainty? Torsten Ringberg explores how mindsets shape decisions, arguing that modern leadership requires courage, calm, and collective sensemaking, where leaders guide not alone, but together with others in an increasingly complex world.
Torsten Ringberg is a Professor at the Department of Marketing at Copenhagen Business School, where his research explores the social and cognitive dimensions of decision-making. He studies how leaders make sense of the world through mental models – the frameworks that shape perception, behaviour, and strategic thinking. “Leadership,” he explains, “looks very different depending on the mindset you operate from.” In his research, he describes four distinct leadership mindsets – promote and sell, listen and learn, connect and collaborate, and empower and engage – each offering a different lens through which leaders make sense of challenges and opportunities.
For Torsten, the essence of modern leadership lies in navigating uncertainty. “How do you prepare for something you don’t know will happen?” he asks. In today’s interconnected world, leadership is no longer confined to the boundaries of a company. It demands awareness of broader societal and political dynamics, as well as the courage to act responsibly even when it challenges short-term interests. “We have to rely on business leaders to be courageous and take the first step,” he says, suggesting that companies often need to move ahead of regulation to drive sustainable progress. True courage, in his view, means making decisions that might not be popular or immediately profitable – such as investing in circular economy practices or stepping away from fast fashion – because they align with the broader direction society must take.
Torsten draws a parallel between leadership and sailing. Having spent years navigating oceans, he compares leading through complexity to steering through unpredictable waters. “You have to be ready for whatever storm you’re sailing into,” he reflects, “but you can’t live like that all the time.” Leadership, therefore, also means creating moments of calmness and continuity – giving people a sense of safety, grounding, and clarity about where they are heading. Without that anchor, ongoing turbulence can quickly turn into fatigue and disorientation.
Ultimately, Torsten believes that no individual leader can manage the growing complexity of the modern world alone. “People are human beings, but we expect them to be superhuman,” he says. The future of leadership, in his view, will be increasingly collective – shared across teams that can challenge, support, and complement each other. “It’s going to be more collaborative leadership now,” he concludes, “and collaborative responsibility of leadership.” His reflections remind us that in an era of uncertainty, courage and calm must coexist – and leadership becomes not a solitary act of control, but a shared practice of sensemaking and care.