"At Fortune, we've spent almost a century studying what separates the good leaders from the great ones; the ones who don't just survive disruption, but shape it. The next wave of corporate chiefs is emerging from a radically different playbook. They're products of an economy defined by technological acceleration, and operate with fluency across disciplines that didn't even exist in the CEO vocabulary a decade ago: data science, AI governance, cybersecurity, social trust, geopolitical volatility, and shifting expectations of what leadership should look like."
"The CEO role has evolved into something closer to orchestration than command and control. Modern chiefs are asked to anticipate crises, manage global workforces, and make irreversible decisions under public scrutiny. The best ones lead with precision and restraint: knowing when to move fast, when to listen, and when to let the data inform-but not dictate-their instincts. It's within that reality that the 2025 Fortune Next to Lead list takes shape."
"Last year's honorees reflected the expanding definition of executive leadership. Some were finance leaders driving growth through disciplined transformation, operators mastering complexity across global supply chains, and commercial strategists balancing brand, data, and distribution in real time. They were from different industries, united by a common thread: Each showed that modern leadership demands cross-functional fluency, sound judgment under pressure, and an understanding that the CEO role now carries moral and societal weight alongside managerial authority."
Fortune identifies a new generation of executives shaped by technological acceleration and fluency in disciplines such as data science, AI governance, cybersecurity, social trust, and geopolitical volatility. The CEO role now centers on orchestration: anticipating crises, managing global workforces, and making irreversible decisions under public scrutiny. Effective leaders act with precision and restraint, knowing when to move quickly, listen, or let data inform instincts. Rising executives are modernizing operations, integrating AI responsibly, and expanding leadership within large corporations. Recent honorees include finance leaders, operators across global supply chains, and commercial strategists, all demonstrating cross-functional fluency, sound judgment, and recognition of leadership's moral and societal weight.
Read at Fortune
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