7 July 2025
Marianne Egelund Siig, CEO, Mannaz
This article was first published in POV on 7 July 2025.
“In the next 10 years, we will experience more changes in the world than we have in our entire lifetime so far.” This was the message from historian Bo Lidegaard, as quoted by TV host and commentator Clement Behrendt Kjersgaard at an international conference.
I agree. Continuity, forecasts and long-term strategies are replaced by geopolitical disruptions, climate crises, war, migration, and fragile perceptions of democracy. Polarizations, paradoxes and mental dissatisfaction. Although no one knows what the future holds, we are undeniably in a global crisis and feel the consequences more and more close.
The good news is that our challenges define a very specific to-do list for everyone with influence; The leader’s job is to restore, redefine and restore balance enabling us to even talk about a real sustainable future. If Kierkegaard was right, we are heading toward a future of leadership where we may only fully understand the impact of our leadership when looking back.
That is why I would offer an addition to Professor Emeritus Steen Hildebrandt’s advice: “Stay awake, curious, and open” – with the words “… and educate yourself to act and lead in practice in a time of radical change.” And at the same time, let’s focus on what will be needed over the next 50 years to ensure we can look back and be proud of the leadership paths we chose “back” in 2025.
Mannaz’s 50-year history is reflected in Hildebrandt’s narrative. In collaboration with all those who have participated in our leadership programs over the years or been part of our work with the implementation of strategy and facilitation of transformations in companies and organizations. Several hundred thousand people contributed to the courses, facilitated by Mannaz.
Mannaz’ strongest competence is precisely to understand what drives leaders – and what they are looking for in the future. To develop the courage, the ethics and strategic, relational judgment that is needed, together. To sharpen the ability to act and the ability to make a positive difference. There is not one future, there are many – and we must create them together. We are the ones who have created the crises we face. Therefore, we must also be the ones to untangle them.
A fundamental part of the pact between generations and the foundation of our civilisation can be summarised as “Always leave more than you take.” We have the knowledge, resources and technology to create the most extraordinary things for humanity and for the planet. To rebuild and solve the most complex challenges.
That need for a leadership shift is evident in numerous formats; books, programmes and conferences currently exploring the future of leadership. From political leaders to young activists to classical thinkers, the message is unanimous: We must rethink what leadership should be – and who and what it should serve. We must break free from decades where the dominant leadership ideal has celebrated the individual, performance and profit maximization, regardless of the cost. Now, other voices are emerging, and the examples are sprouting up.
Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, reflects on her leadership style, based on empathy, authenticity and humanity in her new memoir A Different Kind of Power (2025). She describes how courage and vulnerability should go hand in hand in modern leadership, and how it is not a weakness, but a strength, to lead with presence and consideration.
Amanda Litman, a voice among the new generation of American opinion leaders, challenges the traditional “boomer boss” model in her book When We’re in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership (2025). She emphasizes three principles: Compassion and inclusion – the workplace must be a place where you are seen, heard and respected. Courage to rethink systems – the younger generation will not inherit outdated structures; and leadership as social responsibility – companies must take responsibility for social welfare, equality and sustainability.
Completely in line with Emma Holten, who in Underskud – værdien af omsorg, shows how society’s economic and social systems undervalue care work, both in the home and in professional life. Care is the foundation of our collective well-being, and this is too often made invisible. Emma Holten has spoken to full houses since the book’s release, urging a break from growth-driven logic and advocating for the recognition of care’s essential role in building a sustainable society.
Also, Laura Storm has created one of our time’s leadership bestsellers with her in-depth study of “The Regenerative Leadership – the DNA of the Life-Giving Organizations and Societies of the Future”. The book has been translated into several languages and recognized for its depth in the field. Together with co-author Giles Hutchins, she shows that the leadership we long for already exists – and has been here as long as there has been life on Earth. Nature’s own ecosystem is the most productive and efficient system we know – it creates infinite resources in a balanced cycle without waste or pollution. This is where we should find our inspiration. By letting ourselves be guided by the earth’s life-giving systems, we can find our way to a form of leadership that is not only sustainable, but regenerative.
New perspectives also emerge from the think tank at Copenhagen Business School, in the report “Leadership for the future (2024)”. The report concludes that the leadership of the future requires a new composition of competences. Leaders must balance quick decision-making with time for reflection, create environments for employee engagement and knowledge sharing, and embrace both cultural and intellectual diversity. At the same time, the need for a strong ethical compass as a guideline in a complex and changing world is emphasized. The report highlights that all these competencies are interdependent and essential for building resilient and meaningful organisations. Future leadership is not about holding authority at the top but about facilitating from the centre.
Charles Handy, Charles Handy, the 92-year-old leadership thinker and author, delivered a clear message in his final book The View From Ninety (2024) Organisations should be run “for the benefit of others, not for yourself”. Inspired by Aristotle’s Eudaimonia, Handy believes leadership should serve the community, not just maximise returns. Leaders must focus on creating conditions where people can fully realise their potential.
“The role of a leader is not to put greatness into people, but to recognise that it already exists – and to create the conditions under which it can emerge and flourish.”
– Charles Handy, The Hungry Spirit (1997).
Whether we listen to a former prime minister, a progressive leadership thinker, a young changemaker, a Business School report or a senior leadership expert, a clear picture emerges: The leadership of the future will be sustainable, humane and meaningful. Meaning and sustainability are key leadership parameters in the future. Meaning is created through connection, not in isolation. The future belongs to those who can create a sense of direction where people, the planet, and the greater purpose thrive.
Looking at contemporary trends in philosophy provides valuable insights. German philosophers Hannah Arendt and Hartmut Rosa are gaining renewed attention.
In Resonans: A Sociology of Relations to the World (2016), Hartmut Rosa clearly states that we, as modern people, long for a different kind of connection than the one characterized by the acceleration of time. The role of the leader is to facilitate resonant spaces. These are spaces where we are in meaningful connection with people, tasks, and the world around us. The German-American philosopher and political scientist Hannah Arendt is also relevant today. In her work The Human Condition (1958), she describes what she calls “Vita Activa” as opposed to “Vita Contemplativa.” In other words, the active, acting life over the passive, contemplative life. She emphasizes the importance of an active, engaged life in collaboration with others as the path to freedom.
In celebration of Mannaz’s 50th anniversary, the publication Ingeniøren (The Engineer) featured an article presenting Mannaz’s perspective on five leadership competencies that will shape the future.
First and foremost, we must recognise that leadership is needed in many forms. For the past decade, we have talked about self-leadership and co-leadership. We welcome it all – informal leadership, self-leadership, co-leadership, operational leadership, project management, team leadership, the strategic leadership, and more.
We don’t need more titles. We need everyone to take responsibility – right where they are – with the resources and skills they can offer. The classic leader as a “heroic problem solver” has long had to give way to a new role: facilitator, partnership builder, catalyst for the unfolding of our collective intelligence. We need the entire leadership toolbox and should not be stingy with it. We must become better at passing on decision-making power, so that everyone can share the responsibility. And at the same time, we must take much greater responsibility for the strategic directions that can truly make a difference. Act purposefully with decision-making power to exploit the opportunities offered by new technologies. And take leadership on the complex challenges we face in our organizations and society.
Systemic leadership has been around for a long time. To lead systemically is to balance decisiveness with humility of recognising that “no problem is an island. We need more perspectives, a holistic view of stakeholders, structures, systems and relationships to solve challenges. Instead of focusing solely on the individual leaders, we need to elevate the overall leadership capacity throughout the organisation.
This way of thinking is reflected in five core competencies that define sustainable leadership for the future;
Strategic thinking and decisiveness: In a rapidly changing world, long-term, purpose- and values-based strategy is our anchor. The ability to think strategically, work with scenarios and act purposefully is crucial. We must master translating complex trends and data into clear strategic direction and clear priorities, while adapting the organization along the way.
Sustainable management, ethical and value-based: Future leadership must be rooted in responsibility, ethics and sustainability. It is about creating organisations, products and processes that are profitable, and contribute positively to society and the planet.
Leadership across systems, cultures and technologies. In a world defined by multi-dimensional challenges, leaders must be able to act and unify force across organisational, cultural and technological boundaries. This requires systemic thinking and the inclusion of collective intelligence in the collaboration between people, networks, partnerships, AI, quantum technologies, and robotics.
Create motivating work cultures and shared direction. Integrating diversity and inclusion in our decisions fosters innovation, well-being, and performance. Relational intelligence, empathy, and the ability to build trust are essential. Leaders must be able to create inclusive, meaningful communities where leadership and shared direction go hand in hand. Navigating complex networks, collaborating internationally, and valuing cultural differences will be key.
Focus on learning, curiosity and innovation. Leaders must foster cultures where curiosity and experimentation are natural elements. This will be crucial for the organization’s future relevance and ability to deliver in the moment.
The future calls for a new leadership compass, where responsibility and community are the guiding principles – and where shared action speaks louder than individual distinction.
Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, puts it this way: “What we do the next 50 years will determine the next 10,000 years”. Limits to Growth, published in 1972, the Brundtland Report and the Club of Rome’s warnings from the 1980s still point to one unchanged truth: Our sustainable future stands or falls on whether we learn to think in terms of long-term committed communities. That’s why we should stop thinking of leadership in the singular. The future calls for positive work communities where we solve problems together and unlock the potential they hold. It’s not about being perfect – it’s about being on the journey together. About creating feedback loops between decision and experience. About learning together and along the way, rather than waiting for the perfect answer.
Fundamentally, it is about deciding to dare to believe in and hope for a sustainable future for people and the planet.
Hope is not passive; as psychologist C.R. Snyder describes it, it is a drive that combines goals, willpower, and action. Above all, hope is a verb, as a student reminded me the other day. It touched me. Hope is not something we passively wait for – it is something we actively do. We have an obligation to imagine how things could be different. It should not be easier for us to imagine the end of the world than to envision a more sustainable one. It is the leader’s task to create hope as a daily, responsible, and active motivator for action.
I don’t know what the future looks like. But I know that it has already begun – and that it, along with future generations, is counting on us. The potential is people.
Since 1975, we have created movement and results with people and for people. New knowledge brings new opportunities to act.
