Leadership for the Future Report
The Leadership for the Future report examines how leaders can navigate rising complexity, rapid change, and growing societal expectations through new capabilities and organizational drivers.
Leaders today are navigating a world of fundamental change and uncertainty. The Leadership for the Future report from the CBS Leadership Think Tank underscores that leaders face “a strong … demand to take on societal responsibility” and must guide transformation amid geopolitical uncertainty, conflict, and social pressures (p. 4).
In response to these shifts, CBS Leadership Centre convened a diverse Think Tank of around 50 acknowledged practitioners and researchers to examine how leadership must evolve. Across 2023 and 2024, this group engaged in a collaborative process to explore new leadership demands and share experiences across sectors.
The result is a forward-looking report that distills academic insight and real-world knowledge into a set of reflections for future-ready leadership.
Growing demands and expectations on leaders
The Think Tank’s work showed that leadership conditions are more demanding than ever. Gone are the periods when leaders could operate in relative peace within their organizations.
Today, leaders face multiple expectations from stakeholders, media, investors, and broader communities. They are asked to respond rapidly to change while grounding decisions in values.
CBS Professor Louise Mors describes this context as “orchestrating different rhythms at the same time” and balancing speed with reflection (pp. 19–20).
Participants also saw opportunity in this moment. Professor Silviya Svejenova noted that societal disruptions generate energy and goodwill to build more sustainable leadership models (p. 19). By stepping up, leaders can help shape inclusive and regenerative futures.
A new vocabulary for leadership capabilities
Leadership for the Future introduces a new vocabulary for leadership. The report identifies four sets of capabilities needed in today’s dynamic environment: Orchestrating Speed and Rhythm, Sustaining a Moral Compass, Enabling the Organisation, and Bridging Diversities (p. 35).
These capabilities are presented as practical orientations that leaders must develop and balance, rather than abstract ideals.
Organizational drivers that support leadership
Five organizational drivers—continuity, courage, creativity, coherence, and collaboration—are highlighted as essential for institutions seeking to remain agile and aligned (p. 52).
These drivers function as interdependent levers that must be adjusted in harmony with organizational culture. Overemphasizing one driver can create imbalance, confusion, or resistance.
When these drivers work together, supported by a shared culture, they create fertile ground for innovation, inclusion, and sustainable performance.
Think Tank participants emphasized that organizations investing in both people and purpose are better positioned to adapt and lead in complexity.
A contribution to leadership for positive futures
Leadership for the Future reflects the mission of the CBS Leadership Centre: to develop insights on new leadership frontiers and inspire leadership for a positive future.
The report brings together ideas, examples, and perspectives from keynote talks, research-based articles, and interviews with Think Tank members.
Leaders seeking to grow their capabilities and contribute to sustainable futures will find both reference material and inspiration in the report. As the report states, “we must all become leaders for the future” (p. 4).