Developing leaders for a global business environment

Businesses are among the most influential institutions worldwide, and increasing globalisation affords them an opportunity to shape a better world for existing and future generations. Business schools and centres of leadership learning must play a pivotal role, in partnership with businesses, to develop future leaders who can ensure that business is a force for good. Globally responsible leaders must think and act in a global context, broaden their corporate purpose to reflect accountability to society around the world, and put ethics at the centre of their thoughts, words and deeds. Leadership development must give corporate global responsibility the centrality it deserves.

If anything can be learned from the recent world financial crisis and economic downturn, it is that the future business environment will present those responsible for leading companies with continuous turbulence, requiring them to implement major change in the ways in which they organise work and manage people. Managers of the future will face a radically transforming business world, increasing competitive pressures and ever higher levels of personal challenge.

Come and listen to Prof Osbaldeston exploring the development needs of our future business leaders and how these may best be achieved.

More about Michael Osbaldeston

Prof Michael Osbaldeston is a former director of Cranfield School of Management, where he provided strategic leadership for the School's research, teaching, professional and administrative staff. He retired in April 2009 and became an Emeritus Professor of Cranfield University.