Uncertainty often dominates the headlines, but it is possible to cut through the static to find clear signals in the global trends and demographic shifts shaping the next era of global competition. In this episode, senior partners Chris Bradley and Andy West share their latest research into the strategic realities of a new era: the shift from a unipolar to a multipolar world, rapid technological advancements, demographic changes, the productivity imperative, and the role of energy in shaping the future. Together, these insights can guide business leaders as they design and mobilize today’s strategic moves to thrive in the future.

Andy West is the global coleader of our Strategy and Corporate Finance Practice and a senior partner based in our Boston office. Chris Bradley serves as a director of the McKinsey Global Institute and is a senior partner based in our Sydney Office.

Related insights

The great trade rearrangement

The power of one: How standout firms grow national productivity

The next big arenas of competition

Dependency and depopulation? Confronting the consequences of a new demographic reality

McKinsey Technology Trends Outlook 2025

Support the show: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/mckinsey-strategy-&-corporate-finance/

See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

272. Clear signals in a world of noise: The strategic realities of a new era

Inside the Strategy Room

Intro

The AI-powered Podcast Player