Fu­ture lead­er­ship is call­ing for These Com­pet­en­cies

Once a month, researchers at Copenhagen Business School provide Børsen readers with a current and research-based perspective on the challenges facing leaders.

This time, academic co-directors Louise Mors, Professor at the Department of Strategy and Innovation, Silviya Svejenova, Professor at the Department of Organisation, and CBS Leadership Centre Director Eva Fog Bruun, share their views on the Leadership of the Future, and some insights from a report that has just been published as a result of the CBS Leadership Think Tank "Leadership for the Future". 

The world is experiencing dramatic change and instability. A quarter of the global population lives in conflict zones. The climate crisis is on our doorstep. Technological advancements are happening at an unprecedented pace, and for the first time ever, five generations are simultaneously part of the workforce.

Everywhere, challenges and opportunities are on the agenda, and as a result the pressure on leaders is increasing. They are expected to drive change and find solutions in this new reality while also ensuring transparency and authenticity.

What does leadership look like in this new reality? This was the motivating question when the CBS Leadership Centre in 2023 invited 50 acknowledged leaders and researchers to participate in a think tank entitled “Leadership for the Future.” Leaders from NGOs, public and private organisations of various sizes, maturity, and degree of internationalisation participated. We had a strong focus on diversity and included both young and experienced leaders with diverse educational and national backgrounds. The think tank also included expert researchers working on leadership issues that represented all 11 departments at CBS. We aimed to gather a diverse group to create new conversations about leadership and inspire innovative thinking.

Over the past year, the think tank met to discuss future leadership and the underlying premises. In addition to the regular members, CBS researchers and guests from London Business School, INSEAD, Oxford University, University of Southern Denmark, BCG, and Mars Inc. provided input on sustainability, AI, purpose, and creativity.

The result is a recently launched report. The conclusions will form the foundation for a series of future activities, including important research.

Four Key Sets of Leadership Competencies

The report identifies four key sets of leadership competencies that are crucial for robust and adaptable organisations, and for leaders to navigate and thrive in the new dynamics:

• Orchestrating Speed and Rhythm

The rapid and frequent changes in the environment result in continuous transformation that requires immediate action. However, the ability to react quickly must be balanced with a long-term perspective and the need to step back to allow time for reflection and recovery. Additionally, leaders must balance the need to exploit existing activities while exploring new opportunities. This is a challenging tradeoff, as exploiting the existing and exploring the new require different skills, resources, and processes.

• Enabling the Organisation

Future leadership also involves a continued focus on tools and conditions to develop and maintain strong teams. Psychological safety is crucial, as is the ability to create a space to encourage the sharing of ideas and beliefs. By fostering a sense of purpose and empowerment, the organisation can become more agile, innovative, and capable of adapting to rapidly changing market conditions. With growing complexity in capabilities and dilemmas, the need for collaboration across the organisation as well as within the leadership team increases. Collaboration thereby plays a crucial role as a catalyst for realising both the organisation’s and the individual ambitions.

• Sustaining Moral Compass

Leaders today are increasingly expected to be role models for employees and other stakeholders. They are expected to address issues that have a real impact on society, with a growing focus on purpose and ethics, that often starts with the leaders themselves. As a result leaders must be transparent when communicating their personal values. They must navigate with a moral compass, staying true to both themselves and the organisation they represent.

• Bridging Diversities 

Finally, it is essential for future leadership to harness the value of diversity. Diversity in thoughts, experiences, and culture is crucial within the organisation’s boundaries, as well as when working in partnerships and across ecosystems. Leaders must create the optimal conditions with trust and respect when working with a diverse set of partners. They also need to identify relevant partners that are not already part of the existing network.

These four sets of competencies do not stand alone —they are lived within the context of the organisation’s culture, market, and strategy. Not every part of the skillsets is new, but they provide leaders with an awareness of a new language about leadership and allows them to articulate some of the key areas that they (and the leadership team) needs to focus on to create robust and sustainable organisations that are capable of offering solutions to future challenges. As a result, they should be equipped to meet the new reality of future leadership.

Read the whole report here: Leadership for the Future Report | CBS - Copenhagen Business School