(This is my perspective on the next generation of leadership, a manifesto for the Leader of Tomorrow)

Leaders of Tomorrow are not discovered, they are built. Forged by boundless missions and tall challenges, their reason for being is to enhance the fortunes of others: developing unheard-of solutions to delight customers/communities every single day; creating diverse pathways for employee engagement and fulfillment; and coaxing an extra percentage of profitability out of unbearably tight quarters.

Ego-less? Far from it. Such sure-footed leadership demands a healthy sense of self. A personal identity that is rooted in timeless beliefs, as well as in bold visions. While forever true to core values, the best and brightest continually scan the horizon for the next leap forward. And this is what ultimately sets the strongest leaders apart from the rest of the pack: their uncanny ability to marry “who we’ve been” with “where we’re headed”, yielding a culture that is steeped in foundations, yet forward leaning in its aspirations.

Tomorrow’s leaders will be as conversant in problem-solving as they are in profit-making. As versed in the mathematical as they are in the managerial. As steeped in the laws of nature as they are in the principles of economics. Bridging thought from fields like architecture and anthropology, neuroscience and nanotechnology (to name just a few) will allow us to expand and elevate the standard of leadership.

Here’s to shaping the future of leadership, the world over

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