Leadership Lessons from the Osaka World Expo 2025

In September I had the privilege to visit the Osaka World Expo 2025 as part of my trip to Japan. It was hot and the whole place pulsed with energy and purpose - all focused on one big question: How do we design a future society that delivers on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? 

Everywhere I looked, there were stories of economic development being reimagined to focus on communities, systems of inequality being challenged, and innovation being harnessed for real people.

A standout was visiting the United Nations Pavilion. Walking through the Pavilion, the SDGs weren’t presented as far-off goals, they were alive in every display. It was both humbling and energising to see how far we’ve come, but also how far we still have left to go, and how much depends on the leadership we choose now.

SDG Leadership Insights from Expo 2025

• Systems leadership is non-negotiable. The Senegal Pavilion, themed “A crossroads of interconnection of peoples for sustainable and equitable development”, made it clear that sustainable futures can’t ignore inequality or leave education behind. Senegal’s vision for 2050 weaves together education, community participation, and social inclusion. Leadership means holding all these threads in view, not privileging one while the others unravel.

  
  

• Collaboration is courage. The Nordic Pavilion (“Nordic Circle”) brought together multiple countries with shared programming. It was a great example of education and culture can be powerful vehicles for sustainability. This kind of cross-country collaboration doesn’t happen without courage and humility and an ability to work with not those who aren't always on the same page as you.

  
  

• Accountability matters. The UN Pavilion itself didn’t only showcase successes; it was honest about where the SDGs are lagging and how much effort is required in the next five years to achieve the 169 targets and 17 goals.

  Leaders who are transparent about data, willing to measure progress, and unafraid to admit what isn’t working are the ones who can create real change.

  
  
  
  

• Local voices matter. In the Togo Pavilion, stories of education for vulnerable communities and efforts to reduce social inequality took centre stage. For a smaller nation to put these challenges on display — and call for support and partnership — is an act of leadership in itself. Local voices, when amplified, enrich the global SDG conversation.

  
  

Building a Future with Collective Leadership

At CoLEAD, when I say “Leading together. Impacting together.”, I’m talking about exactly this. Leadership that listens, holds complexity, is transparent, collaborates, and inspires.

The Osaka World Expo 2025, and especially the UN Pavilion, were vivid reminders of why leadership matters in the pursuit of the SDGs. Whether it’s tackling inequality, reimagining sustainability, or creating spaces for global collaboration, the message is clear:

The future isn’t something we wait for; it’s something we build together.