Purpose -This research paper seeks to identify that leadership is changing and will change even more in the next five years according to a recent study by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). This change is due to the increase in complex challenges that leaders face. Such challenges test the limits of an organization's current strategies and reveal the shortcomings of leadership. This article looks at ways leadership is shifting, the driving force of complexity, and the skills leaders need to be effective in the future.Design/methodology/approach -The study surveyed more than 350 mid-to upper-level managers across the globe to explore the current and future state of leadership. Findings show 84 percent of surveyed participants believe that the definition of effective leadership has changed in the last five years. And more than 60 percent agree that leaders face challenges beyond their individual capabilities.Findings -The four trends that are driving this shift in leadership are globalization, rise of complex challenges, a world of interruption, and leadership for longevity. Leaders in the future will need new skill sets, greater collaboration skills, organizational architect ability, more flexible style, to be open and adaptable to new ideas, and be able to find examples of positive disobedience.Originality/value -Today's leaders must be prepared for the future as globalization intensifies the complexity in an already complex world. With globalization and complexity come a greater temptation of interruption and higher levels of stress. With this increased stress, leaders must create a foundation of health to ensure that they have the energy for the challenging times ahead.

Purpose -Increasingly, organizations are faced with complex challenges stemming from integrating societal change into business. These challenges create new demands for leadership. The paper aims at more clearly identifying these leadership demands and possible courses of development.Design/methodology/approach -Based on an exploratory, multi-method program of research at the Center for Creative Leadership, this paper reports on cross-national data from 157 practicing managers to uncover the patterns that exist between the societal context, organizations, and the changing nature of leadership. Specifically, the paper addresses the following questions: What skills do individual leaders need to be successful in the future? How is leadership at the organizational level different today, and what will it look like in the future? Are there differences between the US and non-US populations in their view of organizational leadership? What is the current capacity of organizations to accomplish leadership?Findings -Results demonstrate a shift in the practice of leadership from more traditional, individual approaches to more innovative, collaborative approaches. Further, the comparison of non-US with US data shows that non-US populations expect more innovative leadership approaches/philosophies in the future.Research limitations/implications -The implications for research are discussed in terms of expanding the definition of leadership, while implications for practice are framed within the context of emerging approaches to leadership development. Originality/value -This paper will be of value to those practicing leaders, researchers, and development specialists who are interested in exploring the frontiers of leadership in times of paradox and complexity.

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Following a successful launch of the groundbreaking Changing Nature of Leadership (CNL) research in 2003, the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL ®) commissioned a second study on the current field of leadership. The goal of the study was to examine any shifts in thinking over the past four years and to collect data on emerging trends important to current and future leaders. The data was compiled in April 2007 by surveying 1,131 people online. All of the respondents were either past participants of CCL programs or members of our online community, myCCL. Results indicate that respondents still believe the definition of leadership has changed over the past five years (76%), and the challenges they face are increasingly complex (91%). This study sheds light on the why and how behind these findings.

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