Crisis in leadership underscores global challenges, WEF report finds

A serious challenge to prospects for tackling the world’s most dire challenges is a lack of confidence in global leadership, according to new research published on Monday by the World Economic Forum.

WEF’s Global Leadership Index, based on a survey of over 1,200 experts from the Forum’s Network of Global Agenda Councils, says that 86 percent of the respondents agree that the world is facing a leadership crisis.

The index also says that there are lower levels of confidence in leaders from religious organizations than any other sector. Over half of the respondents (56 percent) doubt religious leaders’ ability to play a constructive role in addressing global problems.

“This research reveals a massive shake-up of traditional values, which is underlined by civil society emerging as the most trusted stakeholder. To reclaim leadership status, politicians need to be seen to be serving the greater good again, while international organizations must find new models of governance to demonstrate that they are capable of meeting expectations,” said WEF’s Martina Larkin, Senior Director, Head of Global Knowledge Networks in a statement.

The results were announced during WEF’s Global Agenda 2015 summit taking place this week in Dubai, bringing together prominent current and former governmental figures from countries around the world to discuss around 80 global issues of concern.

Prominent figures taking part in the three-day event include José Manuel Barroso, the former president of the European Commission; Olli Rehn, Vice-President and Member of the European Parliament and Carl Bildt, a member of parliament and former Swedish Foreign Minister.