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Why we need boldness, courageous leadership and leaders with a vision – going beyond managing complexity to driving true transformation.

Co-authored by Geoff Hudson-Searle, and Senior Board member professional Kruthika Anastasia Bala.

It is always a pleasure to join thoughts with my good friend Kruthika Anastasia Bala. I have always said the biggest issues in the world today is Leadership without Purpose, Trust, and Community – which has an obvious correlation to Societal and its Impact to the World.

“Dedicated, and aware of themselves and their contexts, bold leaders act out of integrity as opposed to conformity. This accompanies a values-based vision that inspires others to excel.” – Geoff Hudson-Searle

“Fortune favours the bold” is a common translation of an old Latin proverb – a proverb that could also be seen as an apt sentiment for anyone envisioning solutions to significant problems or the biggest opportunities. Generally speaking, boldness is a concept virtually everyone is familiar with.

Boldness is a concept virtually everyone is familiar with. But how many of us have the capacity to be bold in these troubling times? This extended period of disruption has been a challenge for many businesses, causing trials and tribulations still not yet fully overcome.

Amid ongoing volatility and uncertainty, businesses are faced with more insecurity, more global unrest, geopolitical risk, and more technology and data concerns than ever before. In turn, this places extra pressure on business leaders to act faster, more decisively and with more purpose; essentially, a call to arms for leadership to be bold.

But how should we define bold leadership? A standard dictionary defines the adjective ‘bold’ as:
(i) not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff;
(ii) necessitating courage and daring; and (iii) beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action.

Other definitions characterise bold leadership as the art of motivating others to act toward a common goal.

Naturally, of course, different leadership styles achieve this through different behaviours, and bold leaders are no exception.

Bold leadership should not be mistaken with the controlling command style of leadership, it is not ‘my way or the highway’. It is the idea of togetherness, even when we do not 100 percent agree but do share our purpose, vision and sense of humanity.

If we are going to lead in such a bold way, we need to understand the importance of self-development and learning.

Only by deepening the relationship with self can we create bold connections with others and lead courageously.

In recent years, there has been a call for leaders to be less demanding and more empathetic toward individual employees. The idea is that employees want and need leaders who listen, who are compassionate, who put people first, and inspire and motivate their direct reports.

The world of business today is extremely competitive, and to stand out from the crowd, leaders need to have the courage to be bold. Boldness in leadership is about taking risks, making tough decisions and charting new courses for the company. It’s about being fearless in the face of uncertainty and being willing to trust your instincts.

The other point I wish to raise is the importance of resiliency, like trust, resiliency is in great demand at the individual, team, manager, executive, and organizational levels. It is the ability to bounce back from any setback or contingency encountered. Resiliency is a skill that can be learned, and the more one exercises their resiliency fibres, the more adaptable a person or entity becomes in a world brimming with opportunity, yet subject to grave risk.

Eric Greitens, a former Navy Seal and Naval Officer once said about resilience:
“We all have battles to fight. And it’s often in those battles that we are most alive: it’s on the frontlines of our lives that we earn wisdom, create joy, forge friendships, discover happiness, find love, and do purposeful work.”

That ability to inspire resilience through words is becoming a lost art. Theodore Roosevelt talked about individuals being able to “dare mighty things” in pursuit of “glorious triumphs”, and stated it’s not the critic who counts, it is the person “in the arena” who is to be admired, even if they fail in their pursuit. It only takes one dynamic leader with the right vision and words to inspire a generation to overcome setbacks.

We also need to recognize that trust is personal, In the words of British writer George Eliot, “Those who trust us, educate us.” Truly building trust with our stakeholders understanding their concerns and their priorities involves a willingness to listen, learn, and hear. Building trust requires business leaders to make conscious daily choices, and especially to act on those choices.

And it needs to be mutual. When leaders trust their stakeholders, they enter an exchange that engenders opportunity: Leaders can prove their trustworthiness, and stakeholders in return can empower their strategic choices and innovations. In essence, mutual trust creates a followership that allows organizations to break new ground, traverse the seismic changes taking place, and emerge thriving on the other side of crisis.

Leadership trust creates the stable foundation for employees and their organizations to flex, adapt, and thrive in times of continuous change.

The behaviours that build trust are the very behaviours that manage change. Trust building helps teams’ step into ambiguity, stay committed to managing the unknown with confidence, and embrace change as an opportunity to learn, grow, and do great work together.
• Trust is an essential part of a functioning society.
• Public trust has eroded dramatically in the last two decades.
• Leaders can take steps to build trust and improve performance within their organizations.

Trust is an essential component of a free, democratic society. Faith in the process of laws and elections leads to a decrease in violence, an increase in social programs, and a willingness to sacrifice temporary individual interests in favour of collective societal interests. Political trust is especially important in times of crisis when citizens need reliable guidance from political leadership. For example, in the event of an epidemic, which always carries risk and uncertainty, it is essential that citizens trust the advice of public health officials to protect themselves and their communities.

Unfortunately, political trust has declined dramatically in the last few decades.

There has also been a decrease in trust in employer leadership, with workers decreasingly confident in employers’ leadership abilities, and willingness to deal fairly and honestly with them.

This is a problem because trust is associated with better performance. People perform at their peak when they can trust their coworkers to do their part, and they believe in management’s plan, and they think management has at least some interest in their well-being. Trust in the organization encourages workers to invest their best efforts rather than just getting by and follow guidance from leadership even when they may not see an immediate benefit.

Rebuilding trust is a long-term project that will require a massive collective effort, and long-term policy success. In the meantime, there are some steps that leaders can take to build trust locally in their own organizations.

A shared understanding and language to talk about the specific behaviours that affect trust can result in more productive conversations about team performance. Those conversations can even create stronger bonds between leaders and employees.

But leadership trust isn’t a one-off initiative. It requires continued effort from all team members. And it takes leaders who are willing to show integrity, change behaviour, and take on the hard work of collaborating across boundaries and dealing with differences.

Today I have the distinct pleasure of introducing a fellow senior Board member and good friend – she is a speaker at international forums and government, trusted and respected globally.

Over to you Kruthika!

Thank you, Geoff.

“GRIT and Leadership”

I would like to start the discussion today by saying that the world is no longer in need of leaders who simply manage the chaos. It needs leaders who can transform that chaos into progress.

Grit matters because transformation is messy, trust is fragile, and purpose without action is meaningless.

Leaders who embody grit are not defined by their position but by their impact. They have the strength to lead when it’s hard, the courage to act when it’s risky, and the persistence to see it through when others quit.

In a dynamic business environment, leadership today is not about maintaining the status quo, it is about transformation. The brisk pace of change in industries, driven by technology, shifting consumer expectations, and global challenges, demands leaders who can do more than manage complexity.

It demands leaders with GRIT – Growth Mindset, Resilience, Integrity and Tenacity.

Growth Mindset and Purpose: Adaptation in a Dynamic Landscape

A clear, compelling purpose unites teams, sharpens decision-making, and provides direction during uncertainty. For leaders, purpose drives action, especially in challenging times.

However, purpose alone is insufficient as progress is rarely linear, and setbacks are inevitable.

Leaders with grit see challenges as opportunities to adapt and grow. A growth mindset turns obstacles into stepping stones, driving improvement. Achieving a sustainable future requires persistence, flexibility, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Purpose drives growth. Mindset fuels perseverance.

Leaders prioritise long-term sustainability over short-term setbacks. Setbacks become part of the journey, not a reason to abandon the mission. By staying focused, they inspire teams to adapt and remain engaged even when progress slows. Purpose and grit form the foundation of transformative leadership.

Yet, a growth mindset alone cannot address the urgent challenges of 2025.

Leaders must balance long-term sustainability with immediate, critical issues. Supply chain disruptions, energy price volatility, and political uncertainty around climate policies demand swift action, not just visionary thinking.

In 2025, effective leadership means tackling short-term crises while staying focused on long-term goals. It’s about navigating the present while strategically shaping the future.

Resilience: Navigating Heightened Uncertainty

Change is rarely smooth, and transformation often comes with unexpected challenges.

Market disruptions, regulatory shifts, or internal resistance can quickly derail even the most carefully planned strategies. This is where resilience becomes essential for leaders navigating turbulent times.

Resilient leaders remain composed under pressure, viewing setbacks as opportunities to refine strategies and recalibrate goals. In the renewable energy sector, delays or funding challenges can push timelines back, but resilient leaders adapt and stay focused on long-term vision, understanding that obstacles are part of the process.

Resilience is contagious.

When leaders stay steady in adversity, they inspire their teams to do the same, creating a culture where challenges become opportunities for innovation and growth. Resilience isn’t just individual persistence; it’s about cultivating a resilient, forward-thinking team.

However, resilience alone may not be enough in 2025.

While it is important for dealing with immediate disruptions, the sector faces deeper, systemic challenges such as extreme weather, political instability, and market volatility. Leaders must go beyond “bouncing back” and adopt a proactive leadership approach. This means anticipating and mitigating risks before they escalate into crises.

Focusing too much on resilience risks ignoring the need for transformational leadership.

Resilience alone cannot dictate the pace or direction of change. Leaders must also engage proactively, driving change and collaboration to shape the future of the industry.

Integrity: Building Trust Amid Scrutiny

Transformation requires buy-in from teams, investors, and communities. That buy-in relies on trust and trust is earned through consistent action, transparency, and integrity. Leaders with grit prioritise these qualities, even when the stakes are high.

Trust is fundamental for driving change.

Leaders who value trust understand that meaningful transformation depends on the support of all stakeholders.

However, trust is not granted, it must be earned through transparent, principled actions. Even under pressure, leaders stay true to their values.

This is especially critical in industries under scrutiny, such as energy, mining, and technology. Stakeholders seek responsible leadership, not just results. When organisations face environmental or labour challenges, gritty leaders address issues openly, acknowledge setbacks, and foster collaboration for sustainable solutions. This transparency builds trust and engages stakeholders in the process.

Trust is not an outcome of success. It is a prerequisite.

By maintaining integrity under pressure, leaders build credibility and demonstrate commitment to doing what is right, even when difficult. This foundation ensures loyalty and support, helping organisations navigate turbulence and achieve sustainable progress. Trust, earned through integrity, is the foundation of transformative leadership.

However, integrity alone is not enough without structural accountability.

Leaders must institutionalise integrity through consistent, systemic action. In the energy sector, for example, declarations of sustainability often clash with practices like greenwashing and misaligned incentives. Leaders must embed integrity into business models and operations, ensuring that profits do not undermine environmental goals and that accountability systems are in place.

The challenge, therefore, is that integrity, while foundational, can become a buzzword unless it leads to measurable, enforceable commitments and clear accountability frameworks that align corporate action with global sustainability imperatives.

Tenacity: Driving Long-Term transformation

Transformative leadership in industries like energy and mining requires sustained effort. Change initiatives often take time to yield results. Whether introducing new technologies, navigating regulatory shifts, or adapting business models, long-term success is driven by tenacity, the persistence that keeps these efforts moving forward despite obstacles.

In the energy sector, transitioning to renewables presents significant challenges, including technological limitations, market uncertainties, and financial pressures. Tenacity is essential in overcoming these barriers. Leaders must stay committed to sustainability, continuously adapting their strategies to refine solutions and move past setbacks.

Similarly, in mining, pursuing sustainable practices requires overcoming environmental concerns and fluctuating market conditions. Success in this sector hinges on the ability to maintain a long-term focus while adjusting to changing circumstances.

Tenacity is not just about working harder but doing so with a clear purpose.

Leaders who demonstrate this persistence inspire their teams to stay committed, ensuring progress even when results are slow.

However, blind persistence can be counterproductive.

Particularly in industries shaped by market shifts, regulatory changes, and technological advancements. Leaders who are too rigid in their vision risk missing opportunities, especially as demand for sustainable solutions grows.

In 2025, tenacity must be paired with strategic flexibility. Leaders need the ability to adapt and pivot when circumstances change, or better alternatives arise. While tenacity is valuable, without flexibility, it can hinder progress and innovation in a rapidly changing world.

GRIT is not a vague notion of toughness.

It is a comprehensive, actionable framework for leadership. The challenges ahead are formidable, but not insurmountable. Leaders who combine grit with strategic foresight will not only navigate the turbulence but will lead the transformation.

This article is the expressed opinions and collaboration between two senior-level industry board professionals on their views and perceptions on the subject matter:

KRUTHIKA ANASTASIA BALA
Managing Director, Resources Now

Kruthika brings over twenty years of experience in growth and leadership across strategy, revenue, process and people with a particular focus on industrial, energy, natural resources and sustainability. She has led strategic initiatives in fast-paced, complex organisations with deep expertise in international consulting and advisory roles, she is a trusted advisor in solving complex business challenges. In addition to her advisory board roles, she also serves as the Head of Energy Transition and Critical Minerals for Lean in Equity & Sustainability and as

Vice-Chair of the Women’s Energy Network Alliance.
Contact details: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kruthikabala/

Geoff Hudson-Searle is a senior independent digital non-executive director across regulation, technology, and internet security, C-Suite executive on private and listed companies, and serial business advisor for growth-phase tech companies.
With more than 30 years of experience in international business and management he is the author of seven books: Freedom After the Sharks; Meaningful Conversations; Journeys to Success: Volume 9, GOD in Business, Purposeful Discussions, The Trust Paradigm and Scars to Stars Volume 3 and lectures at business forums, conferences, and universities. He has been the focus of radio/podcasts and TV with London Live, Talk TV, TEDx and RT Europe’s business documentary across various thought leadership topics and print media with The Executive Magazine, Headspring/FT, Huffington Post, The Sunday Times, Raconteur, AMBA, BCS, EuropeanCEO, CEOToday across his authorisms.
A member and fellow of the Institute of Directors, associate of The Business Institute of Management, a cofounder and board member of the Neustar International Security Council (NISC) and a distinguished member of the Advisory Council for The Global Cyber Academy. He holds a master’s degree in business administration. Having worked for corporate companies Citibank N.A, MICE Group Plc, Enigma Design, MMT Inc, Kaspersky Laboratory, Bartercard Plc, and RG Group around the world, Geoff has vast international experience working with SME and multinational international clients. International clients with which Geoff has worked include the British Government, HP, Compaq, BT, Powergen, Intel, ARM, Wartsila Group, Atari, Barclays Bank, Societe Generale, Western Union, Chase and Volvo.
Geoff has worked in a broad range of industries including software, technology and banking which has given him a range of different experiences and perspectives of what can work, the importance of good people, process and how these can be applied and amplified to deliver results in different scenarios and paradigms. Geoff is known for bringing in a fresh viewpoint and sometimes challenging the status-quo with a strategic approach delivering successful change management programmes and launching companies and products internationally that deliver results. Geoff’s areas of expertise lie in brand strategy, business communications, business integration, business development and improvement, capital raise activities, pre-IPO planning, capital raise transactions, M&A with full P&L responsibility, which ideally equips him to strengthen global companies, develop SME and international business, and marketing strategies.
The Trust Paradigm
At Amazon on all formats including Audible: buy now
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/geoffsearle

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The True magic of a Hot Air Balloon over Sri Lanka – and the value of an introspective mindset

I had the fortuitous opportunity to travel in a hot air balloon recently – the destination was Dambulla-Kandalama, Sri Lanka.

My excellent driver Shaminda drove me from Negombo to Dambulla, a very early start, but so worth the experience with Sri Lanka Balloon – https://www.srilankaballoon.com, truly magic in the air across the beautiful forestry and landscapes, a real adventure.

A hot air balloon gives us the time and space to see the world from a different perspective. You get a 360°-view whilst watching the sunrise – akin to standing on the peak of a mountain you took the time to climb up.

Experienced mountain climbers know one only gets breathtaking views at the summit.

Flying a hot Air Balloon in Dumbella

And did you know that hot air balloons were the first means for humans to fly?

We have Leonardo Da Vinci’s curiosity and ideas to thank for this. He was interested in how birds could fly for longer periods of time without constantly having to flap their wings, and started drawing gliders and the likes.

These were followed by complex calculations to understand the physics of flying. His sketches were used as an inspiration by the Montgolfier brothers for inventing the hot air balloon later on.

A balloon ride can be a great metaphor for life. There is so much we cannot control. We cannot control the direction of the wind and if we struggle against it, we will only waste our energy. When we allow ourselves to surrender to the wind we may notice the things around us in a different way. When we go up or down in the balloon our perspective will change.

The distance from which we look at something impacts our experience. When we are flying low to the ground, everything seems large and appears to be moving quickly. When you are flying high in the air, everything seems small and appears to be moving slowly. We can’t control which direction the wind blows us, but we can choose to rise above the struggles of the day to see them from a distance. When we create distance from our negative thoughts or feelings, they don’t seem so big; mountains become foothills, houses become toys, people become ants.

On our journey towards self-knowledge, our first impulse is often to turn inward, introspect and self-reflect. We give great weight to our introspections. Most of us are confident that our perceptions of ourselves are more accurate than others’ perceptions of them.

Yet psychological research tells us that introspection is often a highly inaccurate source of self-knowledge. An over-reliance on introspection sometimes trips one up and potentially decreases one’s performance, reducing decision quality and even undermining self-insight.

This distance gives us a bigger picture and often we can see things we couldn’t see before. We might notice other details or possibilities.

What I’m describing is a process called cognitive defusion which is a component of acceptance and commitment therapy and has shown to have a huge benefit on mental health and wellness. The goal is not to escape or avoid those difficult thoughts or feelings, it’s just to see them from a different angle. To create some distance, so that we are looking at them rather than from them.

Many of us learn complex information and concepts best through the use of story and metaphor. Metaphors are especially useful when understanding concepts of cognitive defusion. Finding an exercise or metaphor that works for you can be a useful tool for the difficult moments.

The hot air balloon metaphor is one of many ways to practice this technique of defusion. Other common exercises include observing your thoughts as a train on a track, or leaves on a stream, or playing with the words themselves (de-literalizing language).

I watched the pilot going up into the air streams, picking a current of wind, letting the balloon wander and then guiding it towards the landing area. This made me think of the analogy with the life path and realise that there is no correct way to approach life! Each person controls their life until reaching a destination. No matter how difficult the path, it all ends the same! It works with the concept that the universe adjusts to accommodate your decisions.

Embracing life while overcoming hurdles is a continuous learning curve. As you move forward, an open mind and self-awareness will help you respond to what the world throws at you.

You might not have got the life you wanted, but surely you got the life you needed. A life that pushed you in a direction you wouldn’t have selected on your own. A life that taught you lessons you didn’t even realise you needed to learn.

You make so much effort to control every aspect of your life. You always think you know what is best, but when you are faced with the unexpected you are left feeling distressed.

What you should remember is that life knows what is best for you. Therefore, the best thing to do is to embrace it by surrendering and enjoying the ride.

Surrendering is not considered a weakness it requires strength in order to recognize the moment in front of you while surfing the current of life. Learn to trust the process. Learn to let go. Accept what life is presenting you in any given moment.

Perhaps, I could be wrong. It is conceivable that everyone on the earth plain has a meaningful life in their own way, we all make choices, we all have dreams, and we all possess the ability to see out our individual outcomes, our purpose and trusting that the choices we make drive learning, expansion and growth.

Every leader eventually faces difficult circumstances. In these situations, perseverance, determination and courage is a must if you are to be able to achieve your goals. Without these traits, the opportunity to succeed becomes less because you don’t have the ability to persist.

There are countless examples of courageous leaders. The one thing that each has in common is their determination to continue pushing forward, despite what others believe, or what current circumstances continue to throw up at them.

The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, believed courage to be the most important quality in a man. “Courage is the first of human virtues because it makes all others possible.” When we are courageous, we step outside our comfort zone of predictability and familiarity and are exposed to new ideas. We can take in new information and broaden our understanding of the world, an important tool in overcoming adversity.

Having courage enables us to stay our course when external circumstances threaten to challenge our well-being. It empowers us to confront problems head-on, even if having doubts, rather than risk experiencing fear, resignation and victimization.

Through courage, we are better able to control our destiny and honour who we are and in what we believe. We have a chance to avoid even greater problems that might have resulted had we not been courageous.

We develop a psychological muscle when we push through fear. This muscle helps us when we need the strength and resilience to overcome or avoid adversity. The more we exercise this muscle, the more our self-confidence and faith will grow. We will feel empowered to confront problems head-on and courageous in challenging times that fill us with pain and fear.

Life is meant to take challenges and overcome hurdles and obstacles instead of having reservations on challenges. Success lies in going beyond the boundaries and leaving no stone unturned for achieving your goals. One has to read between the lines that what success lies in because pain is the only thing that tells that a person is alive.

When you believe in your purpose you can work through obstacles, overcome disappointments and endure hardship.

Everyone has a story, despite difficulties in family life, professional setbacks and extraordinary events like COVID-19. The journey of life is the learning’s, we all possess the determination, passion, drive, creativity and skills to create a foundation.

Business professionals and individuals in the great challenges of today’s business world have renewed responsibility for what business does best: innovate, invest and grow.

We are all extraordinary people and have the ability to share and provide wealth creation and richness to our surroundings – the bigger question is how much do we want to change and to be extraordinary?

In the words of Leonardo DaVinci:

“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

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The Season of Christmas and New Year Message

In a year filled with global, geopolitical and financial challenges and dramatic changes for everyone, we share gratitude with all our trusted colleagues, family, friends, and network.

The year was marked by historic elections and global unrest. People in more than 70 countries representing almost 50 percent of the world’s population went to the polls in 2024.
Voters in Mexico and the United Kingdom picked new leaders, while a former U.S. president was elected to a second term in the White House. Military conflicts continued as the Russia-Ukraine War entered its third year and the fighting surrounding the Israel-Hamas War spread.

A number of natural disasters also made headlines, most notably Hurricane Helene and flooding in Spain. Prominent deaths in 2024 included Aleksey Navalny and Quincy Jones. In pop culture news, Taylor Swift wrapped up her record-setting world tour, while Oppenheimer was the big winner at the Oscars.

With a calendar that was full of important elections and various constellations of international actors from the G7 to the European Political Community and BRICS, 2024 already hinted at a tense contest between ideas. Democracy versus autocracy, the West-oriented international community’s waning economic and political influence challenged by the world’s fastest-growing economies. Meanwhile, war and climate change are putting pressure on international cooperation and solidarity. 2024, as it seems now, will present even bigger challenges to new European and US leadership when the year wraps up let’s hope they’re ready.

Christmas is an incredibly busy period; however, this should not stop neglecting the ones who are closest to you.

The festive season is a wonderful time of year, filled with love, excitement and Christmas cheer. But for many people, including older people, the season can be challenging, and leave them more susceptible to feelings of grief and depression.

Maintaining social connections is crucial for good mental health, especially for seniors, but the power of Christmas to bring people together can also accentuate someone’s sense of loss and loneliness. This time of year, can bring back vivid and often painful memories of past Christmases’ and lost loved ones. Older people living alone may also experience acute loneliness at this particularly social time of year.

With the festive season revolving around tradition and sparking memories, it can bring into sharp focus the changes that have occurred in someone’s life, health and capabilities. Whether it’s realising that you can no longer cook your signature Christmas dinner, or that you’ll have to skip the traditional Boxing Day family walk, this time of year can be overwhelming for older people, or those who have seen a swift decline in health.

I have always said we need to take care of our mental health with the same attention we take care of our physical health, building a culture of workplace health takes time and commitment, but it can be done, and it needs to be done.

Christmas is a special time of year, and for many of us, it’s a time to come together with loved ones and celebrate the season. Spending time with family at Christmas can be a wonderful opportunity to create traditions, build bonds, and make lasting memories.

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can be overwhelming, and it’s important to make time for meaningful connections and communication with your family. Plan dedicated time for family meals, conversations, and activities, and make sure to listen and engage with one another. This can help you strengthen your bonds and create a sense of togetherness.

This Christmas time is especially poignant, as we reconnect with our loved ones, families and friends internationally. We wish you a very happy, harmonious and safe holiday season and let us look forward to a positive new year in 2025.

May peace fill all the empty spaces around you, your family and your friends and your colleagues at this special time of year, and in you, may contentment answer all your wishes.

Raise a toast to yesterday’s achievements and tomorrow’s brighter future.

May comfort be yours, warm and soft like a sigh.

And may the coming year show you that every day is really a first day and a new year.

Let abundance be your constant companion so that you have much to share.

May mirth be near you always, like a lamp shining brightly on the many paths you travel.

Work with the best of your abilities in 2025 and show to the world your power to create wonderful and superior things.

New Year 2025 may turn out to be a year when you are put on the road to everlasting success, love and prosperity.

Be the change that you wish to see at your workplace and take initiatives to make things better.

Wish your tomorrow is more prosperous, happy and successful than yesterday and today.

Looking forward to another year with hunger and passion to exceed at work and you are sure to meet with success.

Let new beginnings signify a new chapter filled with pages of success and happiness, written by the ink of hard work and intelligence.

May the New Year bring us more wonderful opportunities for success.

HERE’S WISHING YOU THE GIFT OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY THROUGHOUT 2025

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Nov 2024 IBEM Executive Autumn Dinner

IBEM staged their Executive Autumn Dinner 2024 in London.

Our speakers discussed transformation and innovation that explored new horizons and potentially which disrupts business models, and whether this requires an entrepreneurial mindset.

Leaders need to harness the power of relationships, put people first, enabling them to take on and solve daunting challenges enabled by a mindset that turns problems into opportunities that creates economic and social benefit.

Passion for ownership and collaboration, thriving in uncertainty, relentless optimism about the future, deeply inquisitive, open to new experiences and unique skills of persuasion are powerful mindsets and beliefs demonstrated by entrepreneurial leaders. The best entrepreneurial leaders are good at experimenting, learning and iterating that unleashes an ability to unlearn and relearn at an increasingly faster rate.

A vision led values-based leader is one that has a very clear view on purpose, vision and mission of the organisation that aligns to a “True North” and importantly leads by example in building trust within and external to the organisation. Typically, these leaders have a very strong combination of EQ/DQ/IQ coupled with a strong sense of curiosity and desire to continuously learn.

A growth mindset starts with deeply appreciating the changing context of the internal and external operating environment that unlocks adjacent opportunities. Having a deep understanding of the business’s currents core assets and capabilities equally allow for the identification of new innovation opportunities.

Trust is one of the most vital forms of capital a leader has today. Amid economic turbulence and global uncertainty, people are increasingly turning to their employers and business leaders as a source of truth, rather than their institutions and government officials. Trust, which can be defined as a belief in the abilities, integrity, and character of another person, is often thought of as something that personal relationships are built on.

No heroic leader can resolve the complex challenges we face today. To address the important issues of our time we need a fundamental change of perspective. We need to start questioning many of our taken for granted assumptions about our business and social environment.

Our by invitee executive guests received the richness of the event conversations and presentations throughout the evening. We covered various topics including the complexities of the macro-economic environment, leadership skills and attributes relating to positivity, curiosity, resilience, building trust and sheer determination amongst many others that unlock sustainable long-term businesses.

Our guest speaker, Stefan Dieffenbacher, touched on some insightful views of looking at non-core, core and differentiating areas of a business model and how and where to play in these areas equally demonstrating why some initiatives fail and the pitfalls to avoid.

Philippa Dempster’s sharing of her personal journey within Freeths was equally amazing as it demonstrates how having a leadership culture that is vision led and values driven can unlock greatness beyond traditional business performance, positively impacting the lives of so many.

Finally, Geoff Hudson-Searle reiterated how we are very excited about our journey of Entrepreneurial Leadership, resilience goes beyond merely weathering storms – it’s about using adversity as fuel for growth.

In leadership, resilience empowers CEO’s to be bold, meet challenges head-on, keep a positive outlook, and motivate their teams to push through. Resilient leaders stay cool under pressure, think strategically, and find innovative solutions to tricky problems.

Yet, there are always lessons to be learned when you take the time to reflect. This can set you up to navigate the future. And in doing so, you need to look beyond the past and to the future for solutions, new ways of doing business and new mindsets. Enter the importance of resilient leadership.

Leaders need to create an environment of continual growth, learning and improvement. You cannot achieve this in a negative, a better way, is in an inspiring, empowering way. This all comes down to having a culture of trust.

To build this culture, allow your people to share ideas, thoughts, suggestions and insights. In other words, ensure they know you trust them to be bold. This can improve relationships, connections and a sense of appreciation. When you build on trust and make it one of your company’s core foundations, you are setting your organization up to succeed and stand the test of time.
We look forward to continuing to develop this approach to leadership working alongside the guests and others to co-create a better future for us all.

Event Host – Geoff Hudson-Searle
Speakers:
– Douglas Lines
– Stefan F. Dieffenbacher
– Philippa Dempster

DOWNLOADS:
– Stefan’s slides – PDF
– IBEM Autumn Dinner – PDF

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The Power of Storytelling

Telling stories is one of the most powerful means that leaders have to influence, teach, and inspire. What makes storytelling so effective for learning? For starters, storytelling forges connections among people, and between people and ideas. Stories convey the culture, history, and values that unite people. When it comes to our countries, our communities, and our families, we understand intuitively that the stories we hold in common are an important part of the ties that bind.

In every culture, in every corner of the world, storytelling has been an intrinsic part of human communication since the beginning of time. From ancient myths etched on cave walls to modern-day novels and podcasts, stories have served as the lifeblood of human connection, understanding and growth. Beyond mere entertainment, storytelling offers a myriad of benefits for both the teller and the listener, weaving a tapestry of shared experiences and profound insights.

This understanding also holds true in the business world, where an organization’s stories, and the stories its leaders tell, help solidify relationships in a way that factual statements encapsulated in bullet points or numbers don’t.

I have written on the subject of ‘Have we learned from the Tudors and Storytelling’, ‘Are good story tellers happier in life and business and ………’Continued’ and ‘Do fables really convey the power in storytelling and education?’

Stories have value. As an author, I have come to respect their evocative power, I share many stories and quotations daily. But even these stories are like fingers pointing to the moon. At best, they replace a deluded cultural narrative or a misleading tale with a tale of compassion. They touch us and lead us back to the mystery here and now.

Perhaps the most interesting intersection in the business world is between mindfulness and technology, as they appear to pull in opposite directions.

Stories do grab us. They take us in, transport us, and allow us to live vicariously and visually through another’s experience. As I’ve said often in my work around presence, shared stories accelerate interpersonal connection.

Learning to tell stories to capture, direct and sustain the attention of others is a key leadership skill. Storytelling also greatly helps anyone speaking or presenting in front of an audience.

As Steven Spielberg once said:
“The most amazing thing for me is that every single person who sees a movie, not necessarily one of my movies, brings a whole set of unique experiences. Now, through careful manipulation and good storytelling, you can get everybody to clap at the same time, to hopefully laugh at the same time, and to be afraid at the same time.”

A Hopi American Indian proverb says: “Those who tell the stories rule the world.” Well, just maybe these words of wisdom are totally correct.

A feature interview with author Salman Rushdie. Literature plays an important role in providing insight into society.

It is true that in our information-saturated age, business leaders “will not be heard unless they’re telling stories,” says Nick Morgan, author of ‘Power Cues’ and president and founder of Public Words, a communications consulting firm.
“Facts and figures and all the rational things that we think are important in the business world actually do not stick in our minds at all,” he says. But stories create ‘sticky’ memories by attaching emotions to things that happen.

That means leaders who can create and share good stories have a powerful advantage over others. And fortunately, everyone has the ability to become a better storyteller. “We are programmed through our evolutionary biology to be both consumers and creators of story,” says Jonah Sachs, CEO of Free Range Studios and author of ‘Winning the Story Wars’. “It certainly can be taught and learned.”

Consumers want to know they can trust a brand before they buy from it. But establishing that trust is a complex, convoluted journey that takes time. The customer has to know they’re in safe hands – and that is getting harder for brands to manage.

The equation for trust was easier in pre-internet days. You would know the local shopkeeper or the brand in your town. You might have friends or family who worked there. And you almost certainly would read about them in the local paper from time to time. The community would tell stories about the brand – and that was enough.

The story that goes before a brand interaction influences how much trust people will give. While great digital experience has been hailed as the holy grail for modern companies, consumers quickly become fed up with brands that fail to cater for unusual or bad user experiences.

Typically, these are experiences that don’t fit the normal user journey, such as customer support, resolutions, payments or something else that is hard to scale.

For that reason, brands have realised that engagement is key to customers – not only the purchase and user experience as you’d expect – but also general behaviours and more recently, points of view on global affairs and news.

In times of growing uncertainty, trust is built further when you demonstrate an ability to address unanticipated situations effectively and demonstrate a steady commitment to address the needs of all stakeholders in the best way possible.

The best business leaders begin by framing trust in economic terms for their companies. When an organization has low trust, the economic consequences can be huge. Everything will take longer, and everything will cost more because the organization has to compensate for the lack of trust it commands.

These costs can be quantified and when they are, leaders suddenly recognize that low trust is not merely a social issue. It becomes an economic matter. The dividends of high trust can also be calculated, and this can help leaders make a compelling business case for trust.

The best leaders focus on making the creation of trust an explicit objective. Like any other goal, it must be measured and improved. It must be made clear to everyone that trust matters to management and leadership. The unambiguous message must be that this is the right thing to do and it is the right economic thing to do. One of the best ways to do this is to make an initial baseline measurement of organizational trust and then to track improvements over time.

Thich Nhat Hanh is a famous Buddist monk whose core message to the tech leaders was to use their global influence to focus on how they can contribute to making the world a better place, rather than on making as much money as possible. Fame and power and money cannot really bring true happiness compared to when you have a way of life that can take care of your body and your feelings.”

As Jon Kabat-Zinn sums this up quite well when he quotes: “Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own powerful inner resources for insight, transformation, and healing.”

Finally, a story expresses how and why life changes. It begins with a situation in which life is relatively in balance: You come to workday after day, week after week, and everything’s fine. You expect it will go on that way.

But then there’s an event—in screenwriting, we call it the “inciting incident” that throws life out of balance.

You get a new job, or the boss dies of a heart attack, or a big customer threatens to leave. The story goes on to describe how, in an effort to restore balance, the protagonist’s subjective expectations crash into an uncooperative objective reality.

A good storyteller describes what it’s like to deal with these opposing forces, calling on the protagonist to dig deeper, work with scarce resources, make difficult decisions, take action despite risks, and ultimately discover the truth.

All great storytellers since the dawn of time — from the ancient Greeks through Shakespeare and up to the present day — have dealt with this fundamental conflict between subjective expectation and cruel reality.

Self-knowledge is the root of all great storytelling. A storyteller creates all characters from the self by asking the question, “If I were this character in these circumstances, what would I do?”

The more you understand your own humanity, the more you can appreciate the humanity of others in all their good-versus-evil struggles.

I would argue that the great leaders Jim Collins describes are people with enormous self-knowledge. They have self-insight and self-respect balanced by skepticism.

Great storytellers — and, I suspect, great leaders — are skeptics who understand their own masks as well as the masks of life, and this understanding makes them humble. They see the humanity in others and deal with them in a compassionate yet realistic way.

In the words of J.K. Rowling:

“The stories we love best live in us forever.”

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The Business Awards 2024 – Skopje – Macedonia

The sun went down on a beautiful day in Skopje – Macedonia this week, the red carpet and torches were in place, the champagne was ready, and The Business Awards 2024 had commenced.

Skopje is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country’s political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. Skopje lies in the Skopje Basin. Scupi is attested for the first time in the second century AD as a city in Roman Dardania.

Hotel Alexander Palace was the centre of the domestic business world on Wednesday 17th October, for this spectacle of an event.

Biznis Lider had to be commended for the success of a spectacular event that brought the finalists of the top 100 companies together to celebrate its success.

The Top 500 companies were reviewed through a strict evaluation by revenue category in Macedonia, the companies have a total revenue of 21.2 billion euros.

The goal of the awards was to encourage the development and strengthening of a positive business climate through the promotion of high business practice of the largest and most profitable companies, as well as the largest employers.

My keynote focused on collaboration, and international growth, and coming together to celebrate ambition, sustainability, innovation, diversity and resilience. It’s important that we celebrate business success stories and the role that this talent and ambition is playing in driving the Macedonian economy. A copy of my slides for the event can be found below.

The business professionals and individuals dealing with the great challenges of today’s disruptive and disrupted business world now have renewed responsibility for what business does best: they must innovate, invest and grow their organizations.

The business awards were a critical mission to shape the Macedonia’s future together, while recognizing the accomplishments of key businesses seeking to improve new standards in the business community through a prestigious awards ceremony, this set a strong message to leadership in businesses, senior officials, ambassadors and representatives from the diplomatic corps in Macedonia.

The awards focused on the spotlight, the cameras were live and the audience of 400 people applauded extraordinary leaders from Macedonia. Inspiring as a beacon for leadership excellence, uniting visionaries who, through innovation and resilience, shaping a future defined by impactful contributions. And which illuminated the path for future leaders, fostering a community that champions innovation, impact, and a shared vision for a better economy.

The main focus was to recognize, inspire and connect business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and innovators who have contributed to the economic growth and development of Macedonia.

The goal of the awards was always is to encourage the development and strengthening of a positive business climate through the promotion of high business practice of the largest and most profitable companies, as well as the largest employers.

Leadership is about excellence, uniting visionaries who, through innovation and resilience, shape a future defined by impactful contributions.

The business professionals and individuals dealing with the great challenges of today’s disruptive and disrupted business world now have renewed responsibility for what business does best: they must innovate, invest and grow their organizations.

Change and transformation can be radical and painful, yet many wait until circumstances force their hand even when they know that change must, and should, come. Whether change has been forced upon you, or whether you are openly seeking and embracing transformation, this book will arm you with tips, advice and techniques to spark fresh thinking about the status quo and inspire the innovation your circumstances demand for the creation of a better business environment.

Trust is one of the most vital forms of capital a leader has today. Amid economic turbulence and global uncertainty, people are increasingly turning to their employers and business leaders as a source of truth, rather than their institutions and government officials. Trust, which can be defined as a belief in the abilities, integrity, and character of another person, is often thought of as something that personal relationships are built on.

At one level, we are facing unprecedented opportunities. An interconnected world with tremendous, possibly unlimited, potential. Our ability to communicate instantly through multiple mediums is phenomenal. Online educational capabilities can elevate entire nations.

At another level, we are facing unprecedented risk – a war with no end in sight, raging inflation, fractured supply chains leading to food insecurity, millions of migrating people seeking safety, opportunity, or both, and climate change resulting in stronger hurricanes.

The Business Awards celebrated with a star-studded and excellent cabaret.

B.J. Fogg says celebration can be as simple as looking in the mirror and claiming, “Victory.”

Celebration is an event, not a destination. It’s the little pause where we survey the road we’ve travelled and the mountain we’ve climbed. We can have a snack, with our colleagues or friends, rather than alone in our office. We rest, we catch our breath, we contemplate the next opportunity ahead, before descending to climb again. But the fact that the interval is brief doesn’t make it unimportant, or harmless if neglected. Celebrating achievements great and small is high octane fuel for further achievement. We don’t just celebrate the win; we celebrate to win.

The challenge for people and businesses today is how to navigate through these two views, both of which are very real. We clearly cannot predict the future.

Organisations can gain resiliency and trust through having sound leadership at all levels and strong cultures founded on purpose, responsibility, and accountability. Long-term agility and growth come from that.

If this is implemented in conjunction with clear, concise direction from top management, and in such a way that the middle and lower layers within the company are fully engaged, then the results can be meaningful. However, it is not a one-and-done endeavour.

Even after the company is fully aligned behind a compelling strategy, leaders must continue to reinforce resiliency and trust from the top.

After all, the goal is not to simply navigate today’s needed changes but also to create an organization poised for more change, and sometimes this requires reinvention to travel the terraine.

On Thursday 18th October Geoff was invited to the Slovakian National Day in Skopje – Macedonia.

A meeting with Madam President of Northern Macedonia-Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and the Slovakian Ambassador in Macedonia, H.E. Henrik Markus gathered with senior politicians and ambassadors from other countries.

The speeches called for the deeper continued economic collaboration.

The Importance of developing business links with companies support its economic potential by providing capital to enhance existing industries, boosting infrastructure and productivity and creating employment.

The choir performed the national Anthem of Slovakia and Macedonia to the audience.

Final thoughts, resilient leaders possess the ability to overcome obstacles and maintain focus on their objectives, regardless of the challenges they encounter. They exhibit a sense of determination and perseverance that inspires others to follow their lead.

Moreover, resilient leaders can effectively manage stress and maintain a positive mindset even in the face of adversity. They do not let setbacks derail them, but instead use setbacks as opportunities for growth and improvement.

Resilient leaders are not only successful in the short term, but also in the long term. This is because resilience enables leaders to adapt to and thrive in ever-changing business environments. They can anticipate and respond to market trends, navigate industry disruptions, and seize new opportunities.

Additionally, resilient leaders are effective in managing and developing talent within their organizations. They create an environment that encourages growth and innovation, attracting top talent and retaining them for the long term.

As the business landscape continues to evolve in Macedonia, the role of resilience in leadership will become even more critical. Resilient leaders will be at the forefront of navigating future challenges and guiding their organizations to success.

In a rapidly changing world, leaders will face increasingly complex challenges. Resilience will be essential in managing uncertainty, adapting to technological advancements, and leading diverse teams.

In summary, resilience is a critical trait for CEO’s to possess to effectively lead their organizations. By being resilient, CEO’s can navigate through ambiguity, manage diverse teams, and drive organizational growth. Resilience enables CEO’s to make sound decisions, address conflicts, and adapt to changing market conditions, ultimately ensuring the long-term success of the organization and the economy.

As Fredrick W. Smith – CEO of FEDEX once said:

“Leaders get out in front and stay there by raising the standards by which they judge themselves – and by which they are willing to be judged.”

DOWNLOADS (PDF):
– “BUSINESS LEADER” AWARDED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MACEDONIAN COMPANIES FOR 2023 – Article
– Geoff Hudson-Searle – Slides From the Event

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Carleton University’s Ethics and Public Affairs

Geoff Hudson Searle – IBEM – Carleton University’s graduate Ethics and Public Affairs – Slides

Geoff Hudson-Searle was nominated as an international guest speaker to the students in Carleton University’s graduate Ethics and Public Affairs (EPAF) program,

The group combines ethical analysis with social science to gain a comprehensive understanding of the options for solving particular public issues.

Considering the loss of trust and confidence in the world today; government, business and in relationships generally. Indeed, trust makes the world go round and right now we’re experiencing a crisis of trust.

I will be presenting a comparative analysis of trust in the public sector/government vs trust in the private sector. And why are members of the public distrustful of government and business.

Prior to the launch of ‘The Trust Paradigm Book’, I gave an interview on London Live, these themes that were discussed, are core to the observations and decay of trust in societal today.

Trust is one of the most vital forms of capital a leader has today. Amid economic turbulence and global uncertainty, people are increasingly turning to their employers and business leaders as a source of truth, rather than their institutions and government officials. Trust, which can be defined as a belief in the abilities, integrity, and character of another person, is often thought of as something that personal relationships are built on.

Please find the slides below (PDF):

Geoff Hudson Searle – IBEM – Carleton University’s graduate Ethics and Public Affairs – Slides

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‘Transforming Business Culture with AI: A Constructive Conversation

Geoff Hudson-Searle partnered with The University of Southampton Business School in Westminster – London across an incredibly important topic: ”Transforming Business Culture with AI: A Constructive Conversation”.

Geoff Hudson-Searle, with Associate Professor Jelena Petrovic debated and challenged CEO’s, Board of Directors and Strategy and Technology Professionals:

1. Senior Leadership and the Board of Directors on GenAI and Artificial Intelligence
2. Fostering a culture of continuous Learning and Innovation in the AI-driven environment.
3. People, strategy and genai alignment; creating a psychological safe environment
4.Collaboration within an organisation to maximise benefits of GenAI and build AI-related skills.

Building the talent and culture required to activate the benefits of tech-enabled transformations requires a fundamental change in whom industrials recruit, how they recruit, and how the recruits do the work. In parallel, companies need to shift their cultures to focus on the end user, collaborate across silos, and foster experimentation.
These modifications are critical for attracting and retaining the digital talent it takes for an industrial company to launch and sustain a tech-enabled transformation and to thrive.

Together, humans and AI can redefine the future of work, ensuring success in a technology-driven world

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Are we entering a new age of wisdom

Oscar Wilde wrote: “With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.”

I recently had a very in-depth philosophical discussion with a good friend and associate, a fascinating discussion, regarding the change and disruption of leadership’s perspectives in wisdom

I have written on the subject of The four Intelligences; IQ, EI, SI, DI and why we need Wisdom Intelligence (WI)

For most of human history, age and experience were assumed to bestow wisdom, and wisdom was assumed to be a good thing. Youthful genius has been recognized since ancient times, but it wasn’t wisdom’s competitor. A figure like Isaac Newton, whose breakthroughs in optics, calculus, and physics all came in his twenties, or brilliant young poets like Thomas Chatterton and Rupert Brooke, were seen as possessed of an inborn, uncontrollable, even divine genius.

Besides, youthful genius hardly figured outside science and art. A mathematician like Evariste Galois might do paradigm-shattering work by twenty, but building fortunes and businesses required years of patience, prudence, and occasional boldness. In larger enterprises, you rose, not leapt, to the top: you paid your dues, did the work, and waited your turn.

In politics, a brilliant start was a sign of a promising career: Thomas Jefferson and William Gladstone were both recognized as stellar minds, but their political careers still unfolded over decades. The professions required both up-to-date knowledge and experience: a great physician or lawyer had to know the latest developments in their fields, but also possess the maturity that came only from years of practice. Across all these realms, greatness required maturity and wisdom, which could not be learned, only acquired.

Wisdom is the art of knowing what really matters and making good decisions to improve our own well-being and, more importantly, that of others. There lies the real key.

The quest for wisdom is an age-old effort. It’s one many have recommended.

It’s been said to be as useful for finding inner contentment as it for fueling external successes. It’s a more prudent way of interacting with reality.

While not everyone’s definition of wisdom is the same, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to distinguish it by a mode of deeper understanding. One that goes beyond just the knowing we commonly associate with the range of intelligence’s; IQ,EI, SI, DI.

When we think of the acquisition of intelligence, we think of new information inspired by a perspective-shift that tells us a truth about one aspect of reality.

Wisdom goes further than that. It strips that same information down to its essence so that it can relate the underlying principle of that knowledge to the existing information network that exists in the mind.

It’s the connectedness of this network that separates it from mere intelligence.

The more links between each pocket of information, the more valuable the whole network will be when tackling any other problem. It adds an extra dimension to each mental model contained in the mind.

Simply knowing this doesn’t make a person more equipped to soak in wisdom, but with awareness and practice, new thinking patterns and imagination can be created.

Machine intelligence is undeniably becoming a significant part of our lives. Artificial intelligence (AI) aims to create an intelligent machine with human-like functionalities. Intelligent machines, now equipped with a learning model, make decisions, and humans living in this world benefit from their assistance, whether it is clinical diagnostics, an independent vehicle, a framework that determines whether we get credit or not, and so on The unparalleled speed with which the field of AI is advancing and showing its impact on different domains of life is marked by growing concerns.

AI-enthusiasts suggest that AI will be developed to augment human efficiency however, intellectuals and the common man are worried about the possibility of AI taking over humans As it is said, ‘good for us, to God for us,’ the potentially catastrophic risk comes with having an AI system that learns from data alone.

Human wisdom and artificial intelligence will enhance each other’s comprehension and utility and can support each other’s development. Thus, the AI models should be built to preserve our human qualities, decision-making, and moral aspirations, or probably the best parts of our beliefs. Therefore, fabricating Artificial Wisdom (AW)
advancements will require broad cooperation among computer scientists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and ethicists In simpler terms, AW will reflect the characteristics of wise people.

AI may be perfect in doing certain performances such as writing an essay, but it cannot substitute, say, for the musical performance of a child which is appreciated and encouraged by relatives and friends. This kind of human interaction is what makes us humans grow as persons, having bodies and staying in multi-modal interactions with others.

The acceleration of capitalism and the growth of the technosphere has not only diminished the space for life on Earth but has also shrunk the domains where we can live these interactions, such as extensive ritual practices of communities engaging all senses. If we can make AI productive and create resources to counter these malicious trends, so be it. Human wisdom will reign over artificial intelligence.

Historically, the boss typically has been older than the staff. But in the last few decades, several trends converged that made it more common for employees to have younger managers. One catalyst is the shift from seniority-based promotions toward those based on merit, according to a research article in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. Also, as the pace of technology innovation increases, companies promote more tech-savvy younger workers into supervisory jobs. Meanwhile, older workers are staying employed longer due to such things as the disappearance of early retirement schemes.

We’re in the midst of two enormous demographic shifts in the workplace that seem to be at odds with each other.
We’re living longer and working longer either by choice or necessity. In the last century, the 65+ age group has grown five times faster than the rest of the population and, by 2031, according to a recent Bain & Co. estimate, employees 55 and older will constitute a quarter of the global workforce.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half of the increase in the number of people participating in the U.S. labor force between 2016 and 2026 is attributable to those 60 and older.

Anupam Kher, who is a successful actor and gold medallist, reached out to his grandfather, seeking guidance. He asked, “Dadaji, why am I going through such a tough time? I just want to go back to Shimla.” His response was a game-changer: “Beta, you’ve worked so hard to get where you are, and your parents have also supported you.
Remember one thing, ‘Bheega hua aadmi baarish se nahi darta’” (A man who is drenched is not afraid of rain.)

This timeless piece of advice from his grandfather profoundly shifted his perspective. It taught the value of resilience and the strength that adversity can build within us.

He went on to share that throughout his career, he had faced numerous storms, but learned to embrace them with open arms, understanding that each challenge is an opportunity for growth. He said I am grateful for the wisdom my grandfather shared and for the life lessons that have come my way.

I recently watched Anupam in “New Amsterdam”, an American medical drama television series, based on the book Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer. The series aired on NBC, with 89 episodes over five seasons. One of America’s oldest hospitals welcomes a new maverick director in Dr. Max Goodwin, who sets out to reform the institution’s neglected and outdated facilities to treat patients and saves lives.

The Cast Ryan Eggold – Dr. Max Goodwin, Jocko Sims – Dr. Floyd Reynolds, Freema Agyeman – Dr. Helen Sharpe, Janet Montgomery- Dr. Lauren Bloom, Tyler Labine – Dr. Iggy Frome, Anupam Kher – Dr. Vijay Kapoor

Series 2 Episode 1 Your Turn

Max works to find a new normal three months after the accident and the birth of his daughter; Kapoor grapples with the stigma of age vs wisdom; Iggy has a successful day that inspires a life-changing idea; Reynolds deals with a new intern.

Companies should recognize that they lose by worshipping youth and discounting experience. When venture capitalists “let young founders go it alone” and run companies rather than pair youthful founders with industry veterans: the consequences have been predictably disastrous.

Young male founders hire young male employees, and spend huge money building kooky office frat houses…. This huge, dynamic industry, which is generating so much wealth, has walled itself off from most of the workforce, telling millions of people that they cannot participate.

This situation obviously shortchanges a lot of workers, but it also hurts tech companies by depriving them of talent.

There’s also a case to be made that discarding or excluding older workers deprives an industry of valuable talent and experience, and actually makes it narrower, less innovative, and even less entrepreneurial. The disappearance of an older generation of executives has meant that industries as a whole is taken less seriously by its clients, overestimates the novelty of every new technology, and lacks the perspective to differentiate noisy events from deep and truly meaningful changes.

Aziz Shamim argues that rather than creating products to eliminate disease, end poverty, or educate the poor, today youthful “tech culture is focused on solving one problem: What is my mother no longer doing for me?” A decade ago, business professor Vivek Wadhwa is an Indian-American technology entrepreneur and academic who studied tech company founders, and found that the most successful were in their late thirties or older. More recently, work by the Kauffman Foundation concluded that successful entrepreneurs are actually getting older: they’re increasingly likely to be in their fifties or even sixties.

Further, history teaches us that industry is exactly where it needs to be in which people are able to make contributions throughout their lives. Creativity come in two kinds: young geniuses who make conceptual breakthroughs, and old masters whose work matures over decades. This holds true in art, music, movie, and even economics. The world would be poorer if it only recognized Van Gogh and Picasso, and ignored Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Finally, we should recognize that creativity lives can be long, and that even youthful prodigies have surprising second acts. Clint Eastwood’s legacy will probably rest less on his roles as Rawhide’s Rowdy Yates or “Dirty Harry” Callahan, and more on his work as a director, which has been his main focus since he turned seventy in 2000.

Had Steve Jobs not had a second act in his fifties, the world might never have seen the iPod, iPad, and iPhone. No one ever argued that Lord of the Rings would have been awesome if only it had appeared when J.R.R. Tolkien was in his twenties, rather than his sixties. Lord of the Rings wouldn’t have been better if written by a younger, less experienced J.R.R. Tolkien.

For all these reasons, it’s high time to rethink our preference for youth and disdain for wisdom. The world needs, and should be able to make room for, both.

The great Aristotle once stated when discussing Metaphysics :

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

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The Difference Between Product vs Business Model Innovation

How many times have you heard the saying welcome to the world of “Changing Your Lens,” a powerful tool and approach that can transform the way we tackle problems. This concept revolves around the idea of altering our perspective to address challenges more effectively.

A great quote by Stephen R. Covey:

“To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions.”

Changing one’s lens in leadership involves adopting new perspectives and paradigms, and building on innovation, empathy, and adaptability.

This transformative approach opens avenues for growth and collaboration. It enriches decision-making by considering diverse viewpoints and encourages a more inclusive and dynamic organisational culture. Leaders can leverage this shift to better navigate challenges, inspire teams, and drive positive change.

Broadened Perspectives: Shifting perspectives allows leaders to interrupt their current thinking, break any beliefs they have of a particular situation and can see beyond traditional boundaries. By embracing diverse viewpoints and considering various angles, leaders gain a more comprehensive understanding of situations. This broadened perspective enhances decision-making, strategy development, and problem-solving.

Enhanced Innovation: A changed lens creates an environment conducive to innovation. Leaders who actively encourage thinking outside the box and value diverse ideas create a culture that thrives on creativity. This not only leads to innovative solutions but also cultivates a dynamic and forward-thinking organisational culture.

Improved Adaptability: Leadership demands adaptability, and changing one’s lens is a powerful tool in building this trait. Adaptable leaders can navigate uncertainty, respond to change effectively and guide their teams through transitions. This flexibility allows leaders and their teams to remain relevant and resilient in a rapidly evolving business landscape.

Empathy, Compassion and Connection: A shifted perspective encourages leaders to empathise with their team members and situation. Understanding different viewpoints and acknowledging individual experiences builds stronger connections. Using a compassionate approach (empathy plus action) builds a positive work environment, enhances team morale, and promotes a culture of collaboration.

Inclusive Decision-Making: Leaders who change their lens prioritise inclusivity in decision-making. They recognise the value of diverse voices and experiences, ensuring that decisions are representative and considerate of all stakeholders. This inclusivity not only leads to better decisions but also promotes a sense of belonging within the team.

Enhanced Problem-Solving: Problems become opportunities for growth when leaders change their lens. They approach challenges with a fresh mindset, seeing possibilities where others see obstacles. This mindset shift fuels effective problem-solving, encouraging resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Personal and Professional Growth: Changing one’s lens is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. It challenges leaders to continuously learn, adapt, and evolve. This commitment to growth not only benefits the individual leader but also sets a positive example for the entire organisation.

Building Trust helps to make challenging conversations easier, teams more integrated and employees more engaged. Exploring ways in which trust can be built can help individuals and companies create stronger relationships and healthier cultures.

Trust within organisations boosts productivity and employee engagement, helps leaders and teams to focus on what is important and reduces friction. Furthermore, while an issue of cross-generational relevance, organisational trust is particularly important to the younger members of the workforce: millennials and members of Gen Z.

Transparency, enablement and a culture of trust boost their loyalty and commitment, while a lack thereof can be a primary reason to leave an employer.

Therefore, building trust within organisations is not only key to withstanding current challenges, but will pay off in the future. To inspire decision makers to lead with the next generation in mind, leaders have more work to do to leverage the power of trust in their organisations, and this presents the opportunity for new paradigms

Appreciating the ease or product replication globally it is always believed that there is a journey of discovery relating to business models and business model innovation which is profound.

This ultimately leads to a discovery of what is the core job to be done for customers and does your business model play in the blue ocean or red ocean. Business model innovation is currently untapped in most organisations and is a wonderful approach to reinventing the customer experiences of the future. Most organisations fail to take this opportunity. The ability to truly define one’s distinctive competitive advantage is critical as businesses look to define and innovate around their current and future business models.

Managing through change is complex and requires a well thought approach. Many attempts at business model innovation fail. To change that, executives need to understand how business models develop through predictable stages over time — and then apply that understanding to key decisions about new business models.

Surveying the landscape of recent attempts at business model innovation, one could be forgiven for believing that success is essentially random. For example, conventional wisdom would suggest that Google Inc., with its Midas touch for innovation, might be more likely to succeed in its business model innovation efforts than a traditional, older, industrial company like the automaker Daimler AG.

But that’s not always the case. Google+, which Google launched in 2011, has failed to gain traction as a social network, another great example is Daimler, who has built a promising venture, car2go, which has become one of the world’s leading car-sharing businesses. Are those surprising outcomes simply anomalies, or could they have been predicted?

To our eyes, the landscape of failed attempts at business model innovation is crowded and becoming more so as management teams at established companies mount both offensive and defensive initiatives involving new business models.

We’ve decided to wade in at this juncture because business model innovation is too important to be left to random chance and guesswork. Executed correctly, it has the ability to make companies resilient in the face of change and to create growth unbounded by the limits of existing businesses. Further, we have seen businesses overcome other management problems that resulted in high failure rates.

For example, if you bought a car in the United States in the 1970s, there was a very real possibility that you would get a “lemon.” Some cars were inexplicably afflicted by problem after problem, to the point that it was accepted that such lemons were a natural consequence of inherent randomness in manufacturing.

But management expert W. Edwards Deming demonstrated that manufacturing doesn’t have to be random, and, having incorporated his insights in the 1980s, the major automotive companies have made lemons a memory of a bygone era.

To our eyes, there are currently a lot of lemons being produced by the business model innovation process — but it doesn’t have to be that way.

In my experience, when the business world encounters an intractable management problem, it’s a sign that business executives and scholars are getting something wrong that there isn’t yet a satisfactory theory for what’s causing the problem, and under what circumstances it can be overcome.

This is what has resulted in so much wasted time and effort in attempts at corporate renewal. And this confusion has spawned a welter of well-meaning but ultimately misguided advice, ranging from prescriptions to innovate only close to the core business to assertions about the type of leader who is able to pull off business model transformations, or the capabilities a business requires to achieve successful business model innovation.

The difference between product vs business model innovation is that it is not the attributes of the innovator that principally drive success or failure, but rather the nature of the innovation being attempted. Business models develop through predictable stages over time and executives need to understand the priorities associated with each business model stage.

Business leaders then need to evaluate whether a business model innovation they are considering is consistent with the current priorities of their existing business model. This analysis matters greatly, as it drives a whole host of decisions about where the new initiative should be housed, how its performance should be measured, and how the resources and processes at work in the company will either support it or extinguish it.

McKinsey’s Growth Categorization – Growth Strategy

A small but growing number of companies are business reinventor’s, setting a new performance frontier for their companies.

Research shows that 8% of companies, are moving to adopt a strategy of horizon 3 reinvention.

Horizon 3 unlocks benefits including improved financials, the ability to achieve perpetual breakthrough innovation, increased resilience in the face of any disruption and an enhanced ability to create value for all stakeholders.

86% of companies are transformers. They focus on transforming parts of their business rather than the whole and tend to treat transformation as a finite program rather than a continuous process.

6% of companies are what we call optimizers, focused on functional transformations limited in scope and ambition. Technology is not a significant enabler of their transformations.

It is well-documented that people need their interactions with technologies and other complex systems to be simple, intuitive, and pleasurable. When done well, human-centred design enhances the user experience at every touch point and fuels the creation of products and services that deeply resonate with customers. Design is empathic, and thus implicitly drives a more thoughtful, human approach to business.

The essence of design thinking is human-centric and user-specific. It’s about the person behind the problem and solution, and requires asking questions such as “Who will be using this product?” and “How will this solution impact the user?”

The first, and arguably most important, step of design thinking is building empathy with users. By understanding the person affected by a problem, you can find a more impactful solution. On top of empathy, design thinking is centred on observing product interaction, drawing conclusions based on research, and ensuring the user remains the focus of the final implementation.

Design thinking informs human-centred innovation. It begins with developing an understanding of customers’ or users’ unmet or unarticulated needs. The most secure source of new ideas that have true competitive advantage, and hence, higher margins, is customers’ unarticulated needs. Customer intimacy, a deep knowledge of customers and their problems helps to uncover those needs.

There are clear financial benefits to pursuing horizon 3. Companies that use reinvent using horizon 3 report generating higher incremental revenue growth, more cost-reduction improvements and higher balance-sheet improvements than companies in transformation.

Finally, the external environment has moved from a VUCA world to a BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear and incomprehensible) where the contextual operating environment is accelerating at a pace that we can barely keep up with. Today more than ever these entrepreneurial leadership characteristics are needed in all industries and at all levels in organisations.

‘’Entrepreneurial Leadership’’ is a positive leadership mindset that emphasizes the strategic management of risk and dynamic changing ecosystems. Entrepreneurial leaders look for new opportunities and ways to innovate as individuals and as part of a team. These qualities often contrast with traditional leadership methodologies that emphasize following processes and procedures in an orderly, predictable way to minimize risk.

Leaders need to harness the power of relationships, put people first, enabling them to take on and solve daunting challenges enabled by a mindset that turns problems into opportunities that creates economic and social benefit.

Passion for ownership and collaboration, thriving in uncertainty, relentless optimism about the future, deeply inquisitive, open to new experiences and unique skills of persuasion are powerful mindsets and beliefs demonstrated by entrepreneurial leaders. The best entrepreneurial leaders are good at experimenting, learning and iterating that unleashes an ability to unlearn and relearn at an increasingly faster rate.

Implementing business model innovation can be challenging, as it requires a fundamental shift in perspective and the mindset and how a company operates. It requires a deep understanding of customer needs and market trends and the willingness to take risks and experiment with new ideas.

Business model innovation is the art of enhancing advantage and value creation by making simultaneous and mutually supportive changes both to an organization’s value proposition to customers and to its underlying operating model.

At the value proposition level, these changes can address the choice of target segment, product or service offering, and revenue model.
At the operating model level, the focus is on how to drive profitability, competitive advantage, and value creation through these decisions on how to deliver the value proposition:

1. Where to play along the value chain
2. What cost model is needed to ensure attractive returns
3. What organizational structure and capabilities are essential to success

Business model innovation is also critical to business transformation. Many organizations share a common set of concerns: What type of business model innovation will help us achieve breakout performance? How do we avoid jeopardizing the core business? How do we build the capability to develop, rapidly test, and scale new models?

Inspiring an organization to change is not a trivial undertaking, but given the current strategic environment, it’s a critical one.

In conclusion, as businesses look to drive growth and competitiveness, it is increasingly essential for them to move from product innovation to business model innovation. By reimagining a new approach that includes entrepreneurial leadership and how it creates, delivers, and captures value, a company can stay ahead of the competition, tap into new revenue streams and markets, and remain relevant in an ever-changing business landscape.

A quote by Buckminster Fuller – an American theorist and systems architect.

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”