The 18th Annual Global CEO survey from PwC in some ways mirrors KPMG’s 2015 Global Audit Committee Survey with economic and political uncertainty, the effects of regulation and technology and cyber risk high on the agenda. So much so that in the forward to their report PwC comments that “It’s clear that in 2015, disruptive change will affect all global markets.”
With the landscape shifting rapidly, 80% of CEOs say that mobile technologies are now a key part of their strategies and 56% of CEOs believe that within the next three years their organisations will be competing in new sectors. Little wonder then that according to the PwC report strategic thinking and adaptable leadership come high on the list of ‘must haves’ for CEOs.
Backing this up PwC commented that the CEOs surveyed this year stressed the need for a focus on the ‘soft skills’ of leadership. Vision, agility and flexibility in decision making were all quoted alongside the ability to be curious about the business world. Perhaps most interesting of all was the need to master humility, to listen and learn from the team and to take advantage of diversity of thinking.
Leadership is a journey and those who embrace qualities such as adaptability and vision and who are prepared to learn and teach are best placed to become great leaders. As Alexey Marey, CEO Alfa Bank said in the PwC report: “In today’s world, which is becoming more global and multicultural, whether you like it or not, industries overlap and penetrate each other. If you don’t know how to learn, you will not survive.”
