Can the next generation close the leadership trust gap?

This article was first published by Forbes.

What will it take to close the growing trust gap in leadership? Faced with a host of pressing global challenges – from intractable conflicts and a fragmenting world economy to the climate crisis and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) – trust has become essential. Not only trust that leaders will make sound decisions, but that young people will be included in shaping them. This matters all the more since the young are disproportionately affected by declining trust, given the long-term impact of global problems in areas like mental health, education, unemployment and rising housing costs.

In a new book, The Seven Rules of Trust – Why It Is Today’s Most Essential Super Power, co-written by Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, the authors explain why trust is so important. In particular, innovators from the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders community – Wales himself an alum – have understood this message and are representative of a new generation of young leaders who are helping to narrow the trust gap. Through fresh ideas and initiatives, they are building bridges and fostering a sense of belonging in an increasingly fractured world, as the examples below illustrate.

New technologies – such as AI, computing, robotics, space technologies and other frontier innovations – present both opportunities and challenges. While they can spur innovation, economic growth and industry and country transformation, these advances must serve society as a whole, without exacerbating inequality or bias. Innovation should involve a broad group of stakeholders, including civil society, government, business and academia, but particularly young people. Indeed, YGLs are pioneering multiple new initiatives, and while some efforts have yet to stand the test of time, each offers a fresh perspective.

For example, a YGL initiative in Mexico seeks to enable Latin America’s economic recovery and its transformation towards a digital society by combining public interest technology and agile policymaking. In Trinidad and Tobago, a YGL-backed government programme is integrating AI into public services, focusing on data ethics, algorithmic transparency, procurement standards and citizen redress mechanisms, ensuring that AI is used to empower citizens.

In the US, another project is driving transparency in digital advertising, tackling misinformation and restoring trust in online ecosystems, while in Switzerland, a YGL is harnessing AI to support survivors of domestic violence, showing how technology can directly protect and empower vulnerable communities.

Bridge-building, bi-partisan dialogue and peace-building efforts are key to providing healing, platforms for exchange and constructive solutions that promote connection between religions, political beliefs, identities and values.

Diverse YGLs are finding ways to create a shared sense of community and belonging, such as a project that aims to build cultural bridges and representation by reshaping narratives and fostering inclusion across communities in Asian-Pacific culture.

In Somalia, the rehabilitation of former child soldiers and fostering trust across deeply divided communities is promoting grassroots peacebuilding, and in Libya, there is an attempt by a YGL to bridge faith, gender and policy to advance inclusive peacebuilding and cross-cultural dialogue globally.

Since economic progress is best accompanied by solutions that benefit nature, leaders should integrate such considerations into their practices – both to inspire others and drive positive change.

One pioneering YGL initiative in this area aims to create a new nature-based leadership concept that can be integrated into different leadership styles. Another seeks to bridge the trust gap between two traditional antagonists in Latin America – big multinationals and small farmers – while in Iraq, renewable-energy solutions are being built by combining green infrastructure with cloud technology.

Furthermore, a project in Iceland is driving Arctic innovation and advising on global energy policy while empowering emerging leaders, helping rebuild confidence in climate leadership through inclusive and credible action.

Mental health, resilience and care are increasingly recognized as drivers of the new economy. Ensuring that growing societies also thrive should be at the core of policy discussions, given the importance of social determinants in shaping youth mental health and well-being.

As societies adapt to new realities, YGLs are helping to close gaps and rethink ways of providing care and mental support. One innovative solution from Thailand is an app designed to enable empathetic listening to people in need and destigmatize mental health issues. In Singapore, another mental health platform helps to make such issues more accessible and stigma-free.

In the US, a programme addresses worker well-being and social determinants of health at scale, strengthening trust in labour systems. Another initiative aims to expand access to quality childcare in East Africa by supporting early development and family well-being.

As new ways of governing, political alliances and regulatory frontiers emerge, alongside the spread of misinformation and the rise of AI, it is crucial to introduce a new curriculum for government leaders through training and knowledge sharing.

Helping towards this goal, one YGL is developing civic technology that reconnects citizens with institutions, strengthening democratic dialogue and citizen-government interaction. In Namibia, a new generation of leaders is shaping inclusive digital policy and rebuilding trust in public institutions.

In addition, a YGL is helping Japan’s government to bring a multicultural perspective to diplomacy, strengthening inclusive representation in leadership, while in Malaysia, the government is creating a space for open, cross-partisan dialogue with YGL support by using an influential political podcast to engage younger audiences in nuanced conversations and helping rebuild trust in democratic discourse.

Undoubtedly, for the next generation of leaders to rebuild trust, the global leadership curriculum should be updated. The World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Leadership recently published a report highlighting the importance of cultivating the leadership pipeline to strengthen future generations of leaders.

Since the programme was established in 2004, there are now more than 1400 YGLs. We will continue to grow this community and equip it with the necessary insights, tools and networks, at a time when the world needs trustworthy leaders more than ever.