Two major international publications - Forbes and the European Business Review - recently featured the insights of Nicole de Fontaines, Executive Director of CEMS Global Office, on the future skills leaders will need to thrive in an increasingly complex and fast-changing world.
To better understand this changing landscape, CEMS worked with 20 of our multinational corporate partners to explore what skillsets will be required of business leaders by 2030. The findings were striking: analytical capabilities and business acumen remain essential, but they must now be embedded in a broader, more adaptable leadership framework
What skillsets will be required of business leaders by 2030?
Based on this exploration, five core competencies stand out as critical for the next generation of leaders:
- Analytical rigour with creativity - going beyond data to generate innovative, value-driven insights
- An entrepreneurial mindset - challenging the status quo, taking smart risks and building new pathways
- Cultural intelligence (CQ) - leading diverse global teams with empathy, curiosity and collaboration
- Specialisation meets management expertise - combining deep technical knowledge with strategic vision
- Digital fluency - understanding digital transformation and translating it into concrete business strategies
Alongside these skills, Nicole highlights the enduring human qualities that will define successful leaders: resilience, empathy, humility and a strong commitment to sustainability - for people and planet alike.
Read the full articles:
- European Business Review — The next-level leadership skillset: Preparing business leaders for 2030 and beyond
- Forbes — Tomorrow’s leaders: Critical skills to succeed in 2050 and beyond