Meet The Leader

Platon has made over 20 Time magazine covers with his portraits of people such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George Clooney, Silvio Berlusconi, Mohammed Ali, Adele and Sinead O'Connor. But he has also photographed people who are the opposite of famous and powerful - and recently published a book called The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights - which contains work done over 15 years around the world telling the stories of refugees and other oppressed people. He tells us what makes a true leader, and how the meaning of a photograph can change over time, and depending on who is looking at it. Video version of this interview:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIUGFUza2ec&t=37s Links:  https://www.platonphoto.com/ Platon is a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader https://www.weforum.org/communities/artsandculture/ Transcript:  https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/platon-power-photography-humanity   Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader’s most ‘vital’ role: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNwmJJMRt4o&t=337s   Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub  

How can we live more sustainably? OMV's Alfred Stern takes us through the big innovations the Austrian energy and chemicals company has in progress, including a geothermal heating project that will help to decarbonise Vienna by 2040. But he also shares the bigger tactical pieces that must be in place for real change, from updating mundane practices like permitting to continually educating staff (from execs to those in the field) on topics like measuring methane and ways to curb emissions. This former research scientist who got his start in academia also shares what his background taught him about the difference between inventing and innovating, how he weighs evidence and honest feedback, and the mindset that leaders will need need to build nimble teams empowered to drive change for the future.  About this episode:  OMV: https://www.omv.com/en About OMV's climate neutral heating districts: https://www.omv.com/en/news/231106-climate-neutral-district-heating-wien-energie-and-omv-establish-joint-venture-for-deep-geothermal-energy Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/alfred-stern-omv-sustainable-energy Related podcasts:  How one founder's design background is helping to rethink EV charging in cities: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/tiya-gordon-ev-cities-energy-transition/ An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/mark-lundstrom-radia-climate-change/

Lily Vittayarukskul was a college student at just 14 and on track for a career in aerospace engineering. However, an aunt’s cancer battle later upended those plans, wreaking havoc on her family and their finances. The experience inspired her to launch the AI-powered startup Waterlily, helping people better predict expenses for getting older, including eldercare or assisted living, costs most don’t realize aren’t fully covered by either health insurance or Medicare. In this talk, Lily wades through the mounting data showing how super-ageing societies will struggle to afford long-term care needs. She also shares the tough lessons her personal story taught her and what others can do to prepare for an aging economy. This interview was recorded January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland About this episode: Waterlily: https://www.waterlily.com/ Related World Economic Forum Initiatives: Waterlily is an Uplink Innovator About Uplink: https://uplink.weforum.org/ About the Uplink / Manulife - Prosperity in Longevity Challenge https://uplink.weforum.org/uplink/s/uplink-issue/a00TE000003HcDrYAK/prospering-in-longevity-challenge World Economic Forum Longevity Economy Initiative: https://initiatives.weforum.org/financial-resilience-for-every-generation/home Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA Meet The Leader - How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShvNPomJ4mE&t=508s    

Renowned Harvard cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker studies the big questions facing human nature: Why do we fight? What helps us get along? How do we understand the world around us? His research has uncovered an insight we might not expect – that humanity is doing better than we might think. Despite host of major challenges that still exist, from geopolitical unrest to climate change, data shows that humans today live longer, face fewer wars, and live more comfortable lives than in preceding generations. He explains why a better understanding of progress and its uneven nature can help us better appreciate the unique moment of time in which we live, avoid decision-making blindspots and strengthen leaders’ confidence to solve the big complex problems we still face. This interview was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland in January 2025.  About this episode: Steven Pinker: https://stevenpinker.com/ Future of Jobs report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ Video podcast version of this interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2IJjZs4E7A Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/steven-pinker-harvard-humanity-doing-better Related Podcasts: Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buVVIpttzUA How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShvNPomJ4mE&t=508s 

How can we recognize potential and unlock it? Misty Copeland was the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. But as a child she almost quit after her first class – until an early teacher convinced her to return. Misty talks to Meet The Leader about the ways dance changed how she navigated life and how it taught her key skills such as resilience, empathy and curiosity. She shares how she uses her perspective and experience to found the Misty Copeland Foundation and develop a free afterschool program that reinvents how dance is taught to bridge diversity gaps while also teaching key leadership skills. She shares why these skills and approaches are vital to driving future change and what any leader can learn about elevating others.  This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. To learn more:  Misty Copeland Foundation: https://www.mistycopelandfoundation.org/ Arts & Culture at the World Economic Forum: https://www.weforum.org/communities/artsandculture/ Special Open Forum Screening: Flower: https://www.weforum.org/de/open-forum/event_sessions/special-open-forum-screening-flower/ Dancing Through Adversity: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2025/sessions/dancing-through-adversity/ How can art drive equality for women? Two cultural trailblazers weigh in: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/how-can-art-drive-equality-for-women-misty-copeland-yana-peel/ About this episode:  Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/misty-copeland-ballet-leadership-skills Related Podcasts:  Radio Davos: Dance or die: the ballet dancer who faced down Al Qaeda to become the voice of stateless refugees: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/dance-or-die-the-ballet-dancer-who-faced-down-al-qaeda-to-become-the-voice-of-stateless-refugees/

Spatial computing will extend computing beyond screens. In the process it could change how we communicate and interact with technology as a whole -- transforming how we work, how we learn, how we preserve memories, and even what can be owned (with issues like virtual air rights highlighting new business opportunities and regulatory challenges). Future Dynamics founder and spatial computing expert Cathy Hackl will share what to expect and what's needed to scale this field further (or what could hold it back). She'll also explain how companies and leaders should be preparing and reveal the advice she gives CEOs to help them get ready for this tech shift and the workforce that will come with it, Gen Alpha. About this episode:  https://www.cathyhackl.com/ Transcript:  https://tinyurl.com/2s37bkmp Related podcast: Radio Davos: Spatial computing: why the future of the internet is 3D https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/metaverse-spatial-computing/

Masculinity is having a moment. Leveraging it - in the right way - can help men and women succeed while bridging the gender gap both at work and at home. Gary Barker is the founder of Equimundo, a non-profit dedicated to research and solutions that help bring men into connected, equitable, caring versions of manhood. He shares the insights gleaned since this organization’s founding more than a decade ago – a group that has collected the largest dataset on men, masculinity and gender equality and that publishes the only global report on men’s involvement in parenting and care work. He breaks down the blindspots that can hold organizations back and the best practices that can drive the much needed norm changes.  To learn more:  Equimundo: https://www.equimundo.org/ World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report, 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/ Related podcasts:  IKEA HR chief shares decades of career lessons learned and what’s needed to bridge the gender equity gap: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ulrika-biesert-ingka-group-gender-equity/ How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/nigina-muntean-design-equity-unpf/

Big shifts must happen to ready teams for a work future that requires agile thinking and new forms of collaboration. Organizational psychologist, best-selling author and Wharton professor Adam Grant shares research-backed strategies that help develop leaders and work relationships across an organization as well as help teams practice critical soft skills like analysis and creativity that are often overlooked and undervalued. He explains why future workers will need to become “job crafters,” and the one trait leaders won’t be able to work without. He’ll also share what a college job as a magician taught him about engaging skeptics (and prompting critical thinking) and why he swears by keeping a “To-Don’t” list. This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland   About this episode: -Adam grant: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@adammgrant Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0uFXKiNiC05GOrjE9AXnkn -Future of Jobs Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ Related Podcasts: -How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist: https://tinyurl.com/mrpm57k6 -Upskilling, tapping human talents, and what's really needed for the future of work: Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ravi-kumar-cognizant-future-technology/

How will inflation, conflict and technological change shape economies in the year ahead? The International Monetary Fund’s First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath sat down with Meet The Leader at the World Economic Forum‘s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland to share what's next for global growth. She identified the statistics that she found most compelling and the risks and opportunities leaders must prioritize in 2025. She also described the pivot countries will need to make in fiscal policy to tackle historic levels of global public debt (levels that could hit the $100 trillion mark) and how "optimism bias" could stand in the way.  This special episode of interview of Meet The Leader was recorded at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About the research cited: IMF World Economic Outlook: https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2025/01/17/world-economic-outlook-update-january-2025 Find a transcript here: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/gita-gopinath-imf-economic-outlook

To truly close the gender gap, we’ll need to address the menstrual health gap. A lack of access to hygiene care, solutions, education and more holds back those who menstruate at school and work, leading to real knock-on effects to the economy. Sahil Tesfu, the Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer for health and hygiene company Essity Group, breaks down how age-old taboos related to women’s health have led to big barriers for social progress and the simple changes that leaders in business can make to boost workplace health, psychological safety and productivity. She also shares lessons learned from her long consulting career including how a different approach to check-ins can be more effective than the standard status update in driving team progress, clarity and empowerment. For more on this episode: Blueprint to Close the Women's Health Gap: How to Improve Lives and Economies for All  Related episodes: How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/nigina-muntean-design-equity-unpf/