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/

Climate change is one of 5 forces reshaping the world order, according to Ray Dalio, the founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates and a student of history who has tracked centuries of patterns in economics and geopolitics for his series of best-selling books. He explains how climate change will power a global transformation of economies and societies that’s both “existential” and potentially “catastrophic.” He’ll share how bridging climate finance gaps can mitigate the worst impacts of a warming planet and how smart use of climate philanthropy can de-risk the investments needed for critical innovations and progress. This interview was recorded August 2024 in the World Economic Forum Headquarters in Geneva About this episode:  GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action): https://initiatives.weforum.org/giving-to-amplify-earth-action/home

Changes in demographics, technologies and geopolitics will create a net 78 million new jobs by 2030. But current workforces are not yet skilled for these jobs and 40% of the skills needed on the job are set to change. ADP’s Chief Economist Nela Richardson breaks down research from the latest World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report and key findings from ADP data - including the dramatic boost to wages upskilling could bring to some workers. She’ll explain why experts might soon be focused on task creation, not job creation, what soft skills will be valued more than ever and how leaders can help prepare their teams for a new future. She’ll also share lessons learned from her own professional journey including how competing on her high school debate team has shaped how she communicates and connects with people to this day – and the two words she uses more than any other as a leader. About this episode: ADP: https://www.adp.com/ ADP Research Institute: https://www.adpresearch.com/ Article, ADP CEO Maria Black, Solving for human connection in the Intelligent Age: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/01/solving-for-human-connection-in-the-intelligent-age/ Future of Jobs Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ Related Podcasts:  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/

Around the world, affordable housing is becoming less and less easy to attain. Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford lays out in plain language the state of global housing, the barriers to affordability and the practical steps that can tackle this crisis, including the solutions this global housing organization is helping get into place. He also shares lessons from his unique career journey - one that included talking himself into a job at an investment bank after college and later coaching the South Korean Olympic rowing team - and what he learned from the leaders who shaped him, including the late US president Jimmy Carter and grandmother Millicent Fenwick, the fashion editor and former US representative.

Workplaces are poised for a step change in how they leverage (and partner with) technology and how they tap human talents. Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar shares insights from special research the company commissioned on how enterprise organizations can better harness tech disruptions. He discusses this research that mapped thousands of occupations and tasks and how they’ll shape our need for upskilling. He also shares lessons learned from his own background, including his training as a nuclear scientist, and how that helps him embed curiosity and experimentation into teams and why a collaborative approach that empowers people with a variety of backgrounds will be key to driving innovation in the years ahead. About this episode: Cognizant: https://www.cognizant.com/us/en Future of Jobs Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/ Reskilling Revolution: https://initiatives.weforum.org/reskilling-revolution/home