In a world marked by profound challenges, responsible leadership has never been more critical. CBS Executive Education, alongside CBS Executive Fonden, CBS Leadership Centre and Navigating 360, recently hosted a conference exploring how leaders can navigate extreme circumstances. Experts and industry leaders shared their insights on geopolitical shifts, the evolving role of business and the information crisis. This article offers a glimpse into the main topics and key takeaways from the conference.
How to Lead Under Extreme Circumstances
In a world of uncertainty, leadership is more critical than ever. CBS Executive Education and collaborators recently gathered experts to explore how leaders can navigate extreme challenges, from misinformation to sustainability. This article highlights key insights on shaping responsible leadership for the future.
by CBS Executive EducationTorben Möger Pedersen, Chairman of the CBS Board, and Peter Møllgaard, CBS President welcomed a crowd of around 80 leadership professionals. Pedersen set the tone by emphasising the core values of CBS, which revolve around addressing societal challenges, and underscoring our obligation to promote and cultivate responsible leadership in times of turmoil.
Møllgaard expanded on this, highlighting how responsible leadership has evolved beyond the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Today’s leaders must be able to navigate a complex web of technological disruption, geopolitical instability and increasing societal polarisation. The ability to balance competitiveness with ethical responsibility is essential in this day and age.
Risk Report 360 has been prepared by Navigating 360 and written for CBS and CBS Executive Fonden. It benefits from valuable and inspiring input from an outstanding panel of scholars from Navigating 360 and CBS, who have served as an advisory editorial board. The report is also based on the work of the CBS Leadership Think Tank ‘Leadership for the Future’.
Next, Erik Rasmussen, Founder of Navigating 360, took the stage to present the Risk Report 360, which laid the groundwork for the conference. He described the current era as the biggest shift in business since World War II. He identified four so-called "perfect storms" shaping the world right now: geopolitical breakdown, climate change, the uncontrolled rise of AI and an information collapse. Due to the impact of these factors on the world, businesses are no longer able to claim neutrality, Rasmussen argued; instead, they must actively decide how they wish to influence the world order. Leadership in this era requires time sensitivity and the ability to use storytelling to drive responsible business transformation.
Rasmussen was joined on stage by two of the contributors to the risk report, University of Copenhagen Professor, Rebecca Adler-Nissen, and Aarhus University Professor, Michael Bang Petersen. The two explored the ways in which social media and AI are reshaping how we consume and trust information. With algorithms influencing public discourse and misinformation on the rise, leaders must develop strategies to maintain authenticity and trust.
Geopolitics, Sustainability and Collaboration
A series of keynote speeches began with CBS Professor Poul Fritz Kjær’s exploration of the transition from a "competition state" to a "security state" where geopolitical considerations are reshaping business strategies. The EU, China and the US are competing for global influence, necessitating a new form of "patriotic leadership" that aligns business goals with broader societal needs.
CBS Professor and Associate Dean for the Full-Time MBA Programme, Andreas Rasche gave the second keynote speech of the day, highlighting the paradox of "sustainability schizophrenia." While there is growing backlash against sustainability initiatives, long-term responsible business strategies remain crucial. According to Rasche, leaders must prioritise moral ambitions over short-term gains and integrate sustainability into core business models.
In the final keynote speech, Professor Laura Empson – who recently joined CBS in November of 2024 – challenged the traditional concept of heroic leadership, arguing that today’s challenges require a more collective, relational approach. Liminal times – periods of transition and uncertainty – offer an opportunity for leaders to foster collaboration and adaptability.
Artist and journalist Frits Ahlefeldt attended the conference, creating a series of drawings inspired by the Risk Report 360, as well as the event’s presentations and discussions. Have a closer look at the drawings and download them here.
Up next on the programme were roundtable discussions in smaller groups, where participants delved into themes such as agility, trust and cross-sector collaboration. The groups presented their concluding remarks during a session led by the moderator of the day, Associate Professor and academic member of the CBS Leadership Centre, Frank Meier. Group representatives highlighted that leadership today is less about individual decision-making and more about facilitating coalitions that drive meaningful change. They also touched on how leadership must embed social responsibility beyond traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) frameworks, breaking down echo chambers within their organisations, fostering inclusion and creating spaces for difficult but necessary conversations.
Drawing inspiration from the questions and points raised during the group discussions, Meier moderated a panel discussion on actionable strategies for shaping the future of leadership practice and capabilities. The panel consisted of Mette Louise Kaagaard, CEO of Microsoft, Claus Andersen, CEO of Bornholm Energy and Utility and CBS EMBA alum, Maria Pejter, Head of HR at A.P. Møller Holding and Harrison Krampe, President of CBS Students. The panellists shared their thoughts on a range of questions: How can we improve leadership capacity in dimensions that address the multiple crises that we face today? Are collective forms of leadership replacing the traditional idea of a heroic leader? And who really defines what kind of leadership is needed?
The Need for Courageous Leaders
Peter Møllgaard – joined by CEO of CBS Executive Fonden, Anne Marie Jess Hansen – returned to the stage to deliver the closing remarks of the day. In his speech, Møllgaard remarked: “May you live in interesting times,” revoking memories of the famous Day of Affirmation Address held by John F. Kennedy at the University of Capetown in June of 1966. This nod to the past reminds us that leading through extreme circumstances requires courage and an unwavering commitment to responsible decision-making. In a world defined by volatility, the role of the leader is not just to navigate but to inspire, create meaning and drive forward-looking solutions.
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