In this second post of our Leadership series, we will go into the leadership advice of Professor Sattar Bawany, who released his book “Disruptive Leadership” in early 2020! In a recent interview with the Centre of Executive Education, Professor Bawany provided a very clear and direct answer to our question: “what makes a good leader in 2022?”.
His answer? Exceptional Cognitive Readiness.
Exceptional Cognitive Readiness to him, means the ability to combine critical thinking, strategic thinking, creative thinking, emotional intelligence, empathy and communication effectively… so fast that it feels like intuition. He explained that most leaders know that this is what is required of them, but they don’t do it. This creates a knowing-doing gap that is often excused through “waiting for data collection” or “collecting information to make a more accurate decision”.
“The biggest challenge for leaders is knowing what to do when you don’t know what to do”, he says. It is true that the past years have made one thing clear: unpredictability and uncertainty are not exceptions to the game. They are rules.“
Does this resonate with you? If yes, here’s what to do.
[1] Start with awareness. Ask yourself: do you think you’re the right person to lead this organisation? Do you have what it takes? Are you committed to seeing it through?
[2] Can you make liberal thinking the norm? Are you able to reinvent yourself daily to stay up to date?
[3] Can you practice exuberant thinking: thinking that is energised, optimistic, yet grounded and true to the limitations?
[4] Can you develop trust-based partnerships? Work with your customers, your competitors, your government to build networks of support?
Click below to watch the full interview!
We would love to hear from you: what do you think is the single most important skill that leaders today need to have?