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Leadership: The Key to Ensuring a Viable Future for Business and Government
International terrorism, the threat of a Grexit and the growing number of refugees – those are just three of the complex challenges facing policymakers, business leaders and civil society around the world. Today, the 2015 Trilogue Salzburg is taking a look at the kind of leaders that will be needed to respond effectively to these challenges.
The public often has a negative opinion of how leaders perform, especially in the political sphere. Examples include the difficult negotiations for resolving the Greek debt crisis and dealing with refugees, or how long it takes to reach decisions on the appropriate measures for combating terrorism. Business leaders also do not receive the best marks these days, something that was evident during the financial crisis or can be seen in the transformation companies are undergoing in our global, digital age. It therefore comes as no surprise that more than 80 percent of the respondents to the Survey on the Global Agenda 2014 feel that the world is currently undergoing a leadership crisis, which has led to a loss of trust in politicians and other government and institutional leaders.
This Friday, the 2015 Trilogue Salzburg will therefore be focusing on the issues of which leadership structures are now required, which types of leaders the world will need in the future, what kind of expertise those leaders must have and how they can deal with a highly complex world. Answers to those questions are being discussed in Salzburg by prominent decision makers from the political, business, cultural and academic spheres. The gathering's participants are developing strategic recommendations which will be communicated to Europe’s policymakers.
A Bertelsmann Stiftung study shows that there are a limited number of factors that make leadership difficult in politics and business, factors that are all the more significant for being so few. First, the complexity of processes and interdependencies is increasing. Second, many processes are becoming more enmeshed with each other – not least because of digitization – and decisions must now be made at an ever faster pace. Finally, it is becoming increasingly difficult for leaders to reconcile their goals with the issue of sustainability and thereby act in a socially responsible manner.
Renowned institutions of higher education are offering more and more courses of study, and it is now possible in many countries for the general population to participate directly in political processes, making it easier for people to begin careers. Innovation cycles in the business world are becoming shorter and shorter, giving next generation leaders timely opportunities to develop. In sum, the conditions are favourable for responding to the global leadership crisis. Yet that depends on there being enough leaders able to tackle current and coming challenges.
To the right please find the complete Background Paper of the Trilogue Salzburg and its single analysis.
