Globally fit leadership: four steps forward

Purpose: Businesses operate in a world facing a range of urgent global issues (UGIs). Unless an effective response is made in the near future, extremely damaging consequences are forecast. The purpose of this paper is to offer assistance to business leaders in balancing the short-term local pressures with the long-term global demands from these urgent issues. Design/methodology/approach: The paper offers proposals for four initial steps that can be considered by leaders for responding effectively to this global crisis. Findings: Four initial steps are proposed, and these steps are interconnected. The proposal includes a new conceptualisation of fitness and highlights the need for leadership fitness to responding effectively to this global crisis. Practical implications: The paper offers powerful reasons why business leaders have to engage more fully with global issues and proposes four pragmatic initial steps that will enable them to do this effectively. Social implications: The paper will encourage business leaders to engage more with resolving UGIs, which may ultimately save our planet. Originality/value: The paper provides an original and valuable contribution through the combination of the four initial steps that are proposed for moving towards a resolution of these UGIs.