Prof. Wayne F. Cascio: Today we live in a world that is enormously complex
and much more interdependent than in any time in history.
We are confronted with global issues that we have never faced before
and it transcends geographical boundaries.
Hi I'm Wayne Cascio. The problems of today and of tomorrow
demand a more wide ranging interdisciplinary approach to finding solutions.
Leaders of tomorrow will have to collaborate and operate in an environment
where they can navigate cultural, regional and political differences.
This will be even more critical to achieving lasting success than it has ever been before.
The World Economic Forum: Creating Future Global Leadres
Founded in 1971, the purpose of the World Economic Forum is not to make decisions,
but rather to act as a force for reflection connecting ideas,
stakeholders, countries and cultures.
Not only does the forum bring leaders together, it also recognizes the need to
develop a new generation of leaders whose goal is to improve the state of the world.
This year, the SHRM Foundation traveled to Geneva, Switzerland to learn first hand
about this new approach to leadership. We spoke with leaders of business,
government and academia to appreciate their perspectives and we focused special
attention on a leadership incubator - the forum's global leadership fellow's program
that is helping to shape the next generation of world leaders.
Why the World Needs Global Leaders? Prof. Klaus Schwab: I think what we need today
for most is global leaders who really can act as a global community.
Robert Greenhill: The forum brings people together in order to share their
understandings of what is going on in the world and in order to identify ways to improve it.
Sushant Plakurthi Rao: All of us have a opportunities to be global leaders
and it needn't be in a large forum such as the United Nations or a multinational corporation.
One can be a global leader even in a smaller outfit or in an NGO.
What Fellows Do
Cynthia Hansen: My role is essentially to act as a liaison
for a broad range of civil society organizations.
Michele Petochi: I'm heading the University Community for the World Economic Forum,
which basically includes a core group of university presidents.
Jennifer Baarn: I work for the team that focuses on business solutions
that address chronic hunger.
Jessie Yan: My work is engaging foundation members
from Chinese side to the World Economic Forum
Sean Doherty: I manage the logistics and transport community so in other words
I work with executives from that industry and with them I try to identify to areas
in which they can help improve the impact of their industry in terms of social
environmental goals.
Prof. Gilbert Probst: We help them to do their self assessment as leaders.
They get exposure in so called retreats where they go on a global retreat in
nations with global issues that we look at.
They also have clear and regular exposure to leaders, not only in Davos or in
regional meetings but here literally weekly where they meet one of the top
leaders of business, of government religious leaders social entrepreneurs you name it.
Why the World Needs Global Leaders?
Prof. Klaus Schwab: If you look at the challenges in our world that have problems
they cannot be solved by governments alone, by business alone or by civil society alone.
What we need is cooperation, what we need is partnerships.
Prof. Gilbert Probst: There is a huge need for the global leaders to be aware
and create awareness to recognize the interdependencies and the complexity that
is related to what the global issues, but also the need for collaboration.
Sushant Plakurthi Rao: There are numerous global challenges which cannot be resolved
by any one global actor alone be that poverty reduction, climate change,
the global economic crisis and in many cases when one can leverage the strategies
and resources of these different actors together then probably we are in better
position to address those challenges.
Broadening Leadership Competencies
Robert Greenhill: I think the leaders of tomorrow have to be prepared to deal with
a great deal of dynamic complexity. Prof. Klaus Schwab: Today you have to act
practically like a guerilla fighter. You have to have of course a mission
and you have to follow a mission, but you have to adapt constantly to the changes in your
environment. So adaptability is today probably the key
leadership factor, but adaptability based on a long term vision.
A Leadership Incubator
Carsten Sudhoff: People who ask for a job here who have a chance of being offered
a job really need to have this global understanding and we not only assess their
professional or academic achievements, but particularly that kind of global mindset.
Marcello Mastioni: We have so many angles that you can look at.
It is really fascinating how people from different cultures look at a problem in so
many different ways and can come up with so many solutions that you hadn't thought off.
Peer Coaching
Cynthia Hansen: I think part of the value of the pure coaching is that you get to be
both the coach and the coachee and so this opportunity to listen to somebody else's
issues and sort of put on your advisor hat.
Sean Doherty: You try and emulate what you see other people doing that appears to
work very well and within the fellows program and within the forum at large
there are a lot of people who I have high respect for and so I see I try and learn
from their example. Prof. Gilbert Probst: Fellows coach each
other so that they have groups that are pure coaching groups.
They have their coaching training and for two years they as a team meet and help
each other to improve as leaders. Marcello Mastioni: The forum is a neutral
platform and we think that honesty, transparency and integrity are key values
so one of the things that I found most useful for me has been the level of
honesty in the feedback that my peers provided me.
Advice to Organizations
Hanneke Frese: I think the most important of it is the dedication to a particular
way of acting and to giving a space and with that the resources, the budget
and everything that comes with it to helping young people understand
what their strength are and what their weaknesses are.
So I think any organization can basically do that.
It isn't all that difficult, but it requires foresight, vision and it requires resources.
Advice to Future Global Leaders Carsten
Sudhoff: The single most influencing experience that I have had in my life was 3 years in China.
The last 6, 12 months of showing that china or Asia is not somewhere far away, it is here.
So I would recommend anybody if the chances available to grab that chance
and get exposed to Asia.
Prof. Klaus Schwab: Always be learning, always be curious, if you do learning just
as a professional duty it is not enough. You have to have a nature of curiosity
which allows you to absorb and to enjoy learning.
The world today is completely transparent. You cannot hide away whatever you do
will be known and if you want to be a leader reputation is the key.
Your ethics, say form your reputation so you cannot make any compromise
and today we are proud if we speak three or four western languages as I am doing, but I think our
children and particularly our grand children have to learn a language or at least
one language which does not belong to our culture's field in order to be
really capable not only to speak the language but deeply understand those difficult cultures.
Five Lessons
Prof. Wayne F. Cascio: Here are five lessons from the World Economic Forum's experience
in developing global leaders for tomorrow's organizations.
1- Seize opportunities to learn about different cultures, values and perspectives
so that you can navigate and bridge those differences.
2- Get a coach and a mentor early in your career
if possible work with a coach to help you recognize
your personal strengths and weaknesses and to learn from your mistakes.
Meet regularly with your mentor. Watch how he or she acts as a leader.
3- Understand that to lead leaders you must be authentic and genuine, demonstrating strong,
moral and ethical values in all that you say and in all that you do.
4- Recognize the interdependence among global issues, countries, communities and people.
5- Practice collaborative leadership.
Make the effort to hear everyone's voice and actively seek input from all stakeholders.
As the American humorist Will Rogers once said,
"Even if you are on the right track you will get run over if you just sit there."
In today's fast moving world none of us can afford to just sit there
basking in the status quo. Through its global leadership fellows program
the World Economic Forum is showing all of us a new approach to global leadership
for tomorrow's organizations.
That train is leaving the station, isn't it time that we all get on board.