In this episode, Scott Allen sits down with Dr. Cynthia Cherrey, President and CEO of the International Leadership Association, and Elisa Mallis, Global Vice President of Research, Innovation and New Content Creation at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The conversation grew out of a groundbreaking ILA-CCL partnership that brought together scholars, government officials, and business leaders in Singapore — including a World Café on AI with 40–50 participants — to explore what global leadership demands in an era of intensifying complexity.

Drawing on insights from Singapore, India, Europe, and ongoing leader interviews, Cherrey and Mallis identify four knowledge shifts reshaping global leadership today, and preview a forthcoming research report on global leadership trends through 2050.

Key Takeaways:

• Know your challenges. In a world of overlapping crises, discerning what requires attention today versus later is itself a leadership skill.
• Know what’s possible. Leadership is increasingly about identifying realistic possibilities, not just aspirational visions.
• Know your networks. Leadership has become a team sport — collaboration and partnership are no longer optional.
• Know your competence. The emphasis is shifting from skills to broader capacity and capability development.
• Double down on human connection. As AI accelerates, trust-based relationships are emerging as the irreplaceable core of effective leadership.
• Wisdom as a skill. Judgment, foresight, and meaning-making are becoming the defining leadership capacities for an uncertain future.