The Future of Leadership: From Command to Collaboration

In an age where volatility has become the default and hierarchies are flattening under the weight of technology, leadership must shift from command-and-control to collaboration and influence. At a recent joint session of the India CEO, CFO, CHRO and CMO Forums in Delhi, Shiv Shivakumar, Operating Partner at Advent International, drew on decades of experience leading some of India’s most recognised companies to outline how leaders, Boards and organisations must reinvent themselves. He emphasised that the future would belong not to managers who issue directives but to leaders capable of fostering collaboration, cutting through complexity and anchoring resilience.

The attached podcast summarises these discussions, but in brief:

• Leadership in the 21st century is being shaped by volatility, with uncertainty rising in both frequency and magnitude.
• Companies that anticipate change significantly outperform the laggards; agility and foresight are now the decisive differentiators.
• Organisations must move from vertical integration and over-management to flatter structures, horizontal careers and true leadership rather than instruction.
• CEOs face shorter tenures, greater regulatory oversight and rising pressure to build personal brands, making authenticity, courage and collaboration indispensable.
• Boards must shift from passive oversight to active value creation, aligning themselves with strategic pillars and contributing domain expertise.
• Sustainable leadership rests on self-accountability, honest conversations and building collaborative cultures where dissent fuels progress.