CBS Leadership Centre

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About us

Responsible leadership is key to value creation and prosperity in companies and organisations. It is essential for businesses and the public sector to assume their growing responsibility for addressing societal challenges that affect individual countries and the planet as a whole.

CBS Leadership Centre facilitates these advancements in leadership practice. The Centre is a meeting place for leadership researchers and professionals in Denmark and internationally.

We assemble, strengthen, and communicate CBS leadership research, and we enable interaction with practitioners in both private and public sectors.

The ambition is to inspire the transformation needed to address agendas such as geopolitical risk, sustainability, digitalisation, and diversity.

With the CBS Leadership Centre, CBS aims to make the university the Nordic centre for leadership knowledge and inspiration by strengthening and mobilising leadership research, education, and outreach.

Our purpose and raison d'être

We develop insights on new leadership frontiers to inspire leadership for a positive future.

We support CBS’ ambition to inspire and support responsible leadership through knowledge, education, and engagement with practice and society.

Our vision

To become a nexus for novel leadership insights in Denmark and the Nordic countries, and globally acknowledged.

Our work

We convene a vibrant community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to encourage research, strengthen education, and create opportunities for the development and sharing of insights on new leadership frontiers.

Where you’ll meet us

CBS Leadership Centre is a portal for accessing leadership research and knowledge produced in different areas of the university.

Focus areas

CBS Leadership Centre explores leadership from multiple perspectives. The focus areas highlight how leadership is shaped in organisations, how it evolves in times of change, and how it responds to major societal agendas such as digitalisation, sustainability, diversity, and uncertainty.

Leadership and Organisation

Leadership is about inspiring and involving people, but also about balancing concerns and finding solutions that fit the organisational purpose and context. CBS research explores core challenges in leadership practice, including change management, leadership in teams and networks, and leadership training and evaluation.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into CBS research on core challenges in leadership and ways to handle them:

CHANGE MANAGEMENT:

Read more Change management research stories here.

LEADERSHIP IN TEAMS AND NETWORKS:

LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND EVALUATION:

Read more Leadership training and evaluation research stories here.

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with Leadership and organisation:

The Leadership Role

Being a leader means balancing multiple roles under constant scrutiny. CBS research highlights the personal aspects of leadership, from hubris and narcissism to authenticity and followership. The work shows how leadership identity is shaped in interaction and under pressure.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into research on the personal aspects of leadership and leadership development:

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with The leadership role:

Leadership Ethics

Taking the lead involves making difficult decisions that are often subject to criticism. CBS research addresses the ethical dimensions of leadership and investigates what it means to act responsibly, and what distinguishes good leadership from bad leadership.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into research on leadership ethics:

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with leadership ethics:

Leadership in Times of Digitalisation

Digitalisation and new technologies are transforming organisations and business models. CBS research investigates how leadership can navigate these transformations and explores how digital tools shape communication, interaction, and decision-making.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into research on Leadership in times of digitalisation:

Accomplishing Leadership-in-Interaction by Mobilizing Available Information and Communication Technology Objects in a Virtual Context

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with Leadership in times of digitalisation:

Leading in Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Innovation and entrepreneurship are vital for both start-ups and established organisations. CBS research and activities at Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship examine how leadership enables growth, drives creativity, and supports founders in moving from small teams to larger organisations.

Leading start-ups and moving from being a small team of founders to an organisation with a larger number of employees implies leadership knowledge that is often not part of the founders DNA. Leadership is crucial for continued innovation growth and for maintaining energy and drive of both founders and the company’s growing workforce. The latter is the focus of research in leadership of entrepreneurship at CBS and the hands-on experience at our Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE) – the CBS entrepreneurship centre with incubator, accelerator programme, educational offerings and numerous activities that focus on how to succeed as an entrepreneur.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into research on Leading in entrepreneurship and innovation:

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with Leading in entrepreneurship and innovation:

Leading for Green Transition

Climate change demands a radical green transition in economy and society. CBS brings together researchers, students, and external partners through CBS Green Office and other initiatives. Leadership research focuses on how leaders can connect the right people to create sustainable solutions.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into research on Leading for green transition.

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with Leading for green transition:

LEARN MORE

Read about Green Transition at CBS here

Leading for Diversity

Diversity requires an interdisciplinary approach. CBS Diversity and Difference Platform consolidates and advances research on inclusion and difference. CBS research addresses how leadership interacts with issues such as gender, culture, and identity, and how leaders can foster more inclusive organisations.

CBS RESEARCH

Dive into inspiring research on Leading for diversity:

CBS RESEARCHERS

Researchers working with Leading for diversity:

LEARN MORE

The Diversity and Difference Platform works to consolidate, advance, and disseminate research on diversity and difference in order to have an impact on society through strong partnerships with policy makers, business leaders, NGOs, and public organisations. Our research aims at contributing to better and more inclusive societal solutions.

Read about Diversity at CBS here

Leading through Uncertainty

Leadership in uncertain times requires both overview and insight. CBS research investigates how leaders handle crises, balance immediate challenges with long-term perspectives, and develop resilience and adaptability in organisations.