Global Leadership in the Age of Turbulence

22 April 2024 - In response to the challenges faced by society and those in positions of leadership, CISL convened a multi-sectoral Global Leadership Summit in February 2024.

It brought together leaders from a broad range of sectors internationally for open, challenging and necessary dialogue.

Through discussions ranging across geopolitics, global governance, domestic politics, economics, finance and technology, the Summit sought to answer the question: what leadership is needed now, and from whom? This report provides a summary of the main insights from the Summit (conducted under the Chatham House Rule), all of which offer hope for the way forward.

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The context

Responsible, effective leadership is never easy. But the challenges facing today’s leaders are of a different order than generations past. Crises no longer present themselves in isolation, but as part of an interconnected and hugely complex web of crises.

As well as lacking clear pathways to a sustainable future, leaders face a barrage of market, political and media pressures, together with high geopolitical and social instability and exponential tech-driven change.

There will be no quick or easy fixes. Global Leadership in the Age of Turbulence report considers this background and explores the tough and courageous decisions needed from leaders to inspire and empower action at scale.

While the stakes could not be higher, with such leadership at the helm, achieving monumental change remains very much possible. 

Citing this report:

University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). (2024). Global Leadership in the Age of Turbulence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

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