Freedom after the sharks

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.”

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.”

When something positive or good happens to you or occurs in your life, are you able to take credit for it or do you attribute it to something like luck, good fortune, or even just a fluke or coincidence?

There are many times we can get stuck in a negative mindset, only letting our brains focus on and attribute the negative events that take place as something we are in control of or cause. However, this same negative mindset or thinking can affect our ability to view the positives that we accomplish as our own accomplishments.

What do people say about an orchestra maestro or conductor who brings a group of individual musicians together and then directs them to perform brilliantly and beautifully?

When the orchestra produces perfectly, the conductor is praised highly for their brilliance in melding all of these individuals together into one finely tuned unit.

There are public acclamations and applause because, under the tutelage of this conductor, each one performs in perfect harmony with all of the others.

None of the individual musicians brings unharmoniously sounds into the mixture. And the praise all goes to the maestro.

The dictionary defines ‘luck’ as “The force that caused things, especially good things to happen to you by chance and not of a result of your own efforts or abilities.” And coincidence is “a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.”

I recently took a trip to the US and was recommended by a very dear friend to read a fascinating book by Paulo Coelho: “The Alchemist – a fable about following your dreams”. It has sold more than 65 million copies worldwide in more than 50 different languages, making it an international bestseller.

It follows the story of a shepherd boy named Santiago who travels to Egypt after having a recurring dream about a treasure that awaited him there.

If you have never read this book before, I highly recommend it. If you have, then you’ll know just how insightful and inspirational the story of a simple shepherd boy who decided to follow his dream can be. Possibly one of the most meaningful reads with purpose that I have ever read.

Interestingly in the book it describes the force of luck and coincidence. Luck and coincidences are recurring aspects in the Alchemist. Santiago was blessed with good luck when he met with the King of Salem, who guided him into pursuing his dreams.
However, he later experienced bad luck in Tangiers when the very man whom he thought he could rely on for help ended up stealing all of his money. Santiago worked like a good luck charm for the crystal merchant because his presence brought in many customers and fortune. It was a coincidence for Santiago to meet with the Englishman, who was also very familiar with the two stones, Urim and Thummim. Both of them also shared the same path to their destination and were in search of a “treasure” of some sort.

Luck and coincidence really plays a big role in this story as it determines the plots. So many things have happened to Santiago that was determined by luck either it is bad or good, it is his luck as when he was robbed it was bad luck on his side as he lost his money but then by what happened he meets the crystal merchant which was good luck as he gained a job and a kind master who helped him through his hardship.

What maktub means that its written and can’t be changed, and it’s used because the merchant who is a muslim and speaks in arabic and this is a word used in the Quran to say that our lives have been decided by allah from the day they were born and it’s maktub. It shows the reader how Santiago and the merchants know that their fate is written for them so they have to follow it, but each in a different way.

Paulo Coelho on Luck, Coincidence, and Faith

As Denis Waitley once said: “Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.”

Taking risks is not the secret to life, but taking risks does mean we are never at risk of doing nothing.

Too many people ‘play it safe.’ This is the playground of mediocrity. It is where average people live. They colour inside the lines, and always play by the rules. They fear the unknown, and rarely if ever venture outside the boundaries. People who ‘play it safe’ are predictable. Their life is run by rules and routine. Their actions are often dictated by the opinions of others. This is the crowd that fights to keep things the same…

Risk-takers are entrepreneurs, however, they are a different and extraordinary breed. They live in the realm of possibility and greatness. They are not afraid to live beyond the boundaries and to colour outside the lines. To them, there is no such thing as failure; only experiments that did not work. Risk-takers are marked by a sense of adventure and passion.
They care little for the accolades of the crowd. They are more focused on squeezing everything they can out of every moment of time. They are not afraid to ‘boldly go where no one has gone before.’

Everyone has a story, despite difficulties in family life and professional setbacks, the journey to success is the learnings we all have, we all possess the determination, drive and skills to create a successful and happy life, the bigger question is if we choose to use these skills…..for the great of good.

Think about it. Try naming one historical figure that made a difference by playing it safe and being average. The vast majority of successful people are remembered for the difference that they made in their lifetime. And that difference required them to take risks and challenge the status quo.

We are inspired by people who go beyond the norm and push the boundaries of possibility. Mediocrity, on the other hand, does not inspire. Nor does it lead to greatness. Success, however you define it, will elude you unless you are willing to push the limits you have placed on yourself, and that others have placed on you.

The Orville brothers would have never made their historical flight if they had listened to the naysayers. Henry Ford would have never invented the automobile if he had paid attention to his critics. David would have never defeated Goliath if he had allowed his own family to discourage him. The list goes on and on.

Every major breakthrough in history, in business, science, medicine, sports, etc. is the result of an individual who took a risk and refused to play it safe. Successful people understand this. Their innovation is the result of their adventurous spirit. They invent, achieve, surpass, and succeed because they dare to live beyond the realm of normal

Change has a funny habit of teaching you much about yourself; it goes to the core of your own weaknesses, strengths and eccentricities. Leadership forces you to stay true to yourself and recognize times when you are at your best and worst; the key is to stay focused and to make decisions that will look at continuous improvement. Even though this may be small, incremental change, it is positive change you can build upon even though you may be in quicksand.

Business has taught me much about life, learning and sharing knowledge and life stories with my employees and associates. My hopes, fears, beliefs, values and dreams were tested to the limit. I learned that only the difficult things in life truly bring satisfaction, and that achievement is proportional to the struggle needed to get there.

I believe we are not forming relationships because of the environment we live in, the world of technology, the fast paced, instant access, immediate response world, we receive things immediately, therefore we expect everything instantly, we are conditioned to having it all “now”.

Brene Brown puts these words into great prospective:
“I now see how owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.”

As with the greatest things in life, the magic only happens when things are given time to breathe, when thoughts are clear, when the mind is at peace. It is only in this environment that love can flourish. The magic ingredient to love is finding peace within your own mind; for when your mind is at peace others will be at peace. It is with this level of peace that bliss exists.

Listen to what your relationships are telling you: love and listening go hand in hand. To love unconditionally you must have the ability to listen to what another person is asking of you; not listening to what your emotions and desires are telling you, but really listening to what that person is asking of you. When we listen to what another requires above our own needs then we create trust, and we create understanding; when we understand things, the fear goes away. It is only then can we become selfless, allowing the time for love to flourish unconditionally.

Like The Alchemist the question is always: “How much do you truly want your dream, and do you have the courage to pursue it?”

“Love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny.”

True love will never put a blockade between you and your dreams. Be it the love of your family, friends or significant other, if the people who surround you do not support, encourage or urge you in the direction of your destiny, they may not be the best people to keep in your company.

You are a product of your environment — choose yours carefully. Surround yourself with the doers, the believers, the dreamers and the thinkers. Only they will lift you higher.

“The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself… no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams.”

Fear holds many of us back in life. The fear of failing, of rejection and of other’s opinions can impact us so heavily that we only fail ourselves by our own inaction.

We’ve heard it many times before: The thought of something is often worse than the thing itself. It is no different than fearing failure if we go in search of our dreams. Don’t underestimate your own resilience.

“People are capable at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”

There is no such thing as too old or too young when it comes to chasing your dreams. There is no such thing as a right time or a wrong time, either. It is simply a matter of deciding what it is you want to do and taking the necessary steps to get there.

Wherever we are in the world, and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, only we can decide to take the leap of faith and make our dreams realities.

“When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

What you think about, you bring about. If you put all your focus, energy and positive thoughts toward whatever it is you want, you’d be amazed at what opportunities come knocking.

Whatever it is, however, it happens, if you want something badly enough, it’s as if the stars re-align and are only too willing to give to you whatever your heart desires. Call it fate, coincidence, beginner’s luck or whatever sits best with you, but when you put that time and energy into something with all you have, you will manifest it into your life.

“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight.”

Advocates of people worldwide have sworn that success in life cannot come about without great failures. No matter how many times you get knocked back, rejected or turned away, either personally or professionally, the key is to never accept defeat.

Always move forward and never stop learning. See your failures as valuable lessons on the road to success, learn from them, grow with them and never give up on your dreams.

“Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”

You will meet many a person who will share opinions regarding your life and your work, whether you ask or not.

Some will agree with you, some won’t. C’est la vie! You will never, ever, please everybody.

At the end of the day, the only person you need compare yourself to is the person you were yesterday. As long as you’re working toward your own happiness, don’t let the opinions of others divert you, especially those from people who have not yet found their own paths in life.

We are all unique, what we decide to do with our time is entirely up to us; listen to your heart and answer only to yourself.

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

The greatest riches we can ever hope to have are the ones that make us truly happy. Where do you find your happiness? To where does your heart call?

It may be a profession, a hobby, a place, a person, a pet or a lifestyle, but it’s only when we stop and acknowledge what it is our hearts want that we will find our greatest treasures. These are the treasures that will bring joy and happiness into our lives; this is where the heart is.

“The Alchemist” is a book that is full of wisdom and valuable lessons that can inspire us to live more purposeful and meaningful lives. The book encourages us to follow our dreams, trust in the journey, and embrace the challenges and opportunities that come our way.

I would like to leave you with some thoughts on love and purpose. I believe every single person on the planet has love to give whether we like to recognize this or not, love if directed in the right way or focus can create amazing things, however, love in the opposite can destroy.

So many of us, for reasons only we can answer, do not implement, execute or action our true and resolute feelings.

Unfulfilled love creates a cavity between our present and our true potential. You have all heard of the saying ‘if only’ or ‘it might have been different if’, we all need to chase our dreams, you need to be careful what you wish for, because it may just come true. Unfulfilled love can only create negative and malicious intent which takes us away from our ultimate desires and purpose in life.

Taking the first step or leap of faith is hard. It involves risks, learning of new things and getting to know new people. Making sure the direction is right can also be trying. But when there is no step, your vision or dream will not come true.

Once you have made up your mind, take the first step, however small the first step is.

Each of us thrives on being successful and in doing so we often forget the difficulties lying in the path to success. We set targets and want to achieve them right away, but we are humans and may fall short on those goals.

Often in life, you make a journey that changes the meaning of life as you knew it. I believe every single person can be extraordinary for something if directed in the right way and if circumstances can take them there for the great of good, amazing things can happen.

Finally, I used to think that omens were magical and rare. But in The Alchemist, omens are both real and common.

When I look back at my trip, I see that there were all sorts of markers for me to follow. I just hadn’t realized until I looked for them. I had stopped listening to my heart because it stopped making sense. Like Santiago, my heart was afraid.

It was afraid of failure. It was afraid because there were no guarantees that anything remarkable would come out of the trip. For the longest time. The Alchemist just as it did for Santiago, if I listen and watch with intention, great things can manifest.

As Friedrich Max Müller, who was one of the great scholars of the nineteenth century once said:

“A flower cannot blossom without sunshine and man cannot live without love”

In the last few years, leaders and their styles have been in the spotlight. What can this person, regardless of political affiliation, learn from leaders of the past?

Confucius recommends that we “study the past if you would define the future.” Lessons abound in past lives, to be sure, and no more than in those who led. As Retired Admiral Stavridis (and former NATO Supreme Commander) notes in his book The Leader’s Bookshelf, leaders across time, profession, level and setting face “creating effective strategies, inspiring subordinates, distributing scarce resources, communicating effectively, building collaborative teams, and developing innovative solutions to seemingly intractable problems”.

Mark Twain would, likely sardonically, agree as in this quote often attributed to him: “History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.”
Hence, anyone ignoring history ignores the lessons, often hard won, of millions of leaders. Time does not begin with us. However, the future does.

A lot of criticism and praise have been poured upon different leaders for their decisions and the way they managed business and people throughout these difficult years. It is said that a crisis can bring out the best, as well as the worst in a leader.

However, leadership today is geopolitical war, rising inflation, talent shortages, revamping policies to meet employee demands for more flexibility, and constantly reassuring and focusing on employees in the face of constant uncertainty.

But does being a strong and effective leader enough to cope with the rising challenges presented by the world?

Trust, empathy, compassion, and inclusion are the key asks from the leadership of today! And what’s the better way than to go down the lane and learn from the biggest crisis and shape our leadership with the right skills.

Leaders need to be empathetic, humble and present. That ideal may sound thoroughly modern but it was pioneered by the ancient Greek philosopher, general, historian, novelist, manager and economist Xenophon (430-355 BC), a ‘Renaissance Man’ centuries before the Renaissance was even a thing.

Lauded by Peter Drucker, the ultimate management guru, this Athenian aristocrat remains overshadowed by his mentor Socrates and by Plato, his hero’s famous (and fascist with a lowercase ‘f’) pupil, who saw no place for poetry in his ideal republic.

Xenophon’s worldview was more nuanced. He was admired – and read – by Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Jefferson who, in their differing ways, drew inspiration from his example as a leader who was both thinker and doer.

Leaders need to let go of the “power” trap. People lose the skills that got them power in the first place. Leaders need to beware of the traps that power can create in them which often lead to disaster.

Followership is an important aspect of good leadership- without followers, there are no leaders. Everyone, including leaders, has been a follower at one time. There have been countless research and workshops on effective leadership but none on effective followership.

To differentiate between the “Yes Man” and loyal followers that truly help leaders in creating an impact and achieving the vision. Hence, it is imperative for a leader to be committed to their followers and learn about their team members as individuals. Learn their personal interests and aspirations.

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” – Walt Disney

Disney is seen most often sitting around a drawing table or storyboard, with a dozen other artists — sometimes as many as 40 – meticulously plotting and crafting scenes and characters. Walt Disney relied upon his need to give more opportunities to their teams to collaborate and innovate and make the desired impact, and hence participative leadership is a win-win for both employer and employees.

Reading from time-to-time about Roman history, I often think of the great triumphs and advances made by the Empire. I also think of its great generals and emperors who led with robust confidence and self-belief; and of each Roman who did their part in creating an enriched society that stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved by a well-organised collective.

But I also consider the reasons behind the Empire’s downfall. The conceited leadership, the vast expansions, the greed, deceit and betrayals that ultimately led to the Empire’s end have as much to teach us about the perils of leadership that can arise when we aren’t paying attention.

No matter how grand a leader or an organisation might be, success – to paraphrase Winston Churchill – is never a final result.

Jack Whyte’s books ‘The Singing Sword’ is book two of “The Camulod Chronicles”. I could not help but think of the days King Arthur was in power and of Julius Caesar. How were the words honour, integrity, probity, morality and self-sufficiency used then and exactly what can we learn from this era about ethical or moral conduct of a business or operation today.

Do we lack determination, imagination, courage, and passion in today’s business world?

Are we lost in the big data phenomenon and blame/accountability of others?

Do we actually take responsibility of our actions with others?

How is this effecting the way we behave, our conduct, and more importantly, the outcomes?

So as you can imagine this discussion did provoke lateral thinking around our experiences and learnings from assignments, when finally we came to historical information vs. historical thought.

There is a great deal of historical knowledge around today. We are awash with books on history, massive biographies, and philosophy on historical figures. Information on history is much broader than ever before, but there is very little historical thought across both spectrums in the business world.

As a famous lord, Lord Acton, once said: “Historical thought is far more important than historical knowledge”. Historical thought is using the lessons of history to understand the present and to make decisions for the future.
Can or should we be using history as an analytical tool and making use of the lessons of history?

If we were to draw lessons from the Roman Empire and experience it in our everyday existence, as human nature never changes, similar circumstances will always produce similar events. Churchill did change history and this should act as a guide and impediment to understanding the present, so that we can change the future.

The questions we should ask ourselves:

Do we have the reserves of moral courage that the Romans did to undertake that burden of empire or in business?

If we make change, what will be our legacy to the next generation?

Are we generous in spirit, determined to leave the world a better place, or are we hoping that an algorithm or technology is the answer?

Should we constantly refer to the Roman era or can we in still the disciplines, teachings, values and techniques that are far more enduring and far better than that of the Roman era?

In leadership, we need to have the courage to develop a bold vision, but we also require the humility to recognise that tomorrow doesn’t care about yesterday’s successes. That said, there are several lessons we can take from the ancient world of the Roman Empire. Here are just some of those which stood out for me:

1. Know that good fortune doesn’t last forever
In Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, he writes about his mortality and the certainty of death; and, in Augustine’s works, we read his deeply sad account of his mother’s death. Great leaders use profound realisations of impermanence to consider how to best prepare for the future.

2. Be bold in your leadership… but keep your feet on the ground
In the examples of Julius Caesar and Caligula, we can see just how easy it is for power to go to a leader’s head, making them believe that they have all the answers and their way is unquestionable. Many emperors of the Roman Empire took for granted their power and its continuous nature.

3. Learn from your competitors
The Romans were an ingenuous people, but much of their advances including technology and engineering was helped by taking in the Celts and the Gauls’ approach to developing their own cultures. They would then quickly deploy what they had learnt to enhance their own culture and society, enabling success for the Roman Empire and establishing their leadership.

4. Invest in building a strong culture
This point is well-worn in leadership circles, but many of today’s leaders have yet to learn how to put this valuable idea into practice. The Romans knew the importance of building a culture where everyone knew their role and felt a strong sense of belonging.

Finally, The collective motto of the Roman Empire was Senātus Populusque Rōmānus – “The Senate and the People of Rome”. Having a shared identity and a common purpose – which all were clear on – meant that the Romans truly gave themselves to the cause.

The culture wasn’t simply an idea – it was a lived lifestyle that informed every success of the Empire.

As Julius Caesar, Roman general and statesman, once said:

“Experience is the teacher of all things.”