World Economic Forum Archives

The upheavals of 2020, triggered mostly but not only by the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic shutdown required to try to stop the spread of it, forced leaders to see their places in the economy and their organizations very differently, and to respond. Fast. In this new reality, almost none of the existing policies and practices applied, because they were too slow, irrelevant or ineffective. This tumultuous year also taught us of all – and especially the world’s leaders across sectors many of whom gathered virtually for the WEF 2021 for the first time – many lessons that we will need to both eliminate covid-19 and to emerge from it stronger and better. Here are 9 lessons leaders learned from 2020 and Covid-19, so far, as reflected in WEF 2021:

“In a crisis time, you need the most creative ideas and the most differing experiences and perspectives, which is obviously what diversity provides…So, particularly companies need to be ever-vigilant in that they don’t skimp in their focus around diversity,” Laura Liswood, Secretary General of the Counsel of Women World Leaders warned in a World Economic Forum’s Davos 2021. As our economies seek ways to emerge stronger from this covid pandemic and the economic crisis it caused, it is shocking that so few women (and under-represented groups) are at the leadership tables planning this recovery.
Listen to this fascinating interview with Laura Liswood on the benefits women bring simply because they have NOT been in control. Liswood is Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders and has studied, interviewed and worked with dozens of female heads of state and ministers, Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofits, including having led diversity programs. Laura spoke at the World Economic Forum 2021 about these issues, and this interview was recorded prior to the pandemic.

“Your biggest challenge is your biggest opportunity. Get people into the system so they can change the culture and the industry to clean energy” – Katie Mehnert on Green Connections Radio podcast.
At the 2020 World Economic Forum where global leaders across industry gather in Davos, Switzerland every January, climate change took “center stage,” as The New York Times headline put it. A key topic of debate was the conundrum of providing clean energy to everyone on the planet and it is abundantly clear much more rapid innovation is needed, including of the oil and gas sector. But how?
Listen to Katie Mehnert, who spent 20 years in the oil and gas sector and remains devoted to it, in this surprisingly candid interview on Green Connections Radio podcast with Joan Michelson. Katie passionately lays out the urgent need for the sector to innovate and why bringing more women into the industry is key. Katie left a job in Big Oil that she loved to start Pink Petro to get more women into energy industry leadership.

Tag: World Economic Forum

9 Leadership Lessons From 2020, Per The World Economic Forum

Benefits of Women’s Non-Dominant Role – Laura Liswood, Council of Women World Leaders

Energy Innovation Needs Women – Katie Mehnert, Pink Petro