Leadership for the 21st century: Think anew to resolve trade-offs

Today's leaders would be well advised to break imagined compromises and overcome perceived trade-offs with authenticity

- HARSH MARIWALA & ABHEEK SINGHI

Many people carry the image of a leader as this Superhero—who can see the future, who knows all the answers and who can command the team on what to do (and how). There may have been a time when that image was partially true. But not in the 21st century.

In the last few years, the world has become more global, more digitally enabled and more transparent than ever before. The pandemic and its aftermath, climate change, geopolitical conflicts have all increased uncertainty in the operating environment. The Economist had a cover story on the overstretched CEO a few weeks back—probably a truer representation than the Superhero imagery.

So what could be the additional requirements of leaders in this century, drawing upon learnings of the past but also keeping in mind the shadow of the future?

“A leader is one who sees more than others see, who sees farther than others see, and who sees before others see," said Leroy Eimes, an author of several books on leadership.

It is clear that leaders are operating in an environment of increased uncertainty. And while no one can predict the future, the ability to see around the corner lends an edge. Leaders can hone this ability by deliberately exposing themselves to a broad range of people and topics across geographies, discipline and hierarchies. This diverse network becomes a source of advantage, especially if they spend time listening deeply and connecting the dots . One of the CEOs in the durable industry consciously marks out time on his calendar to meet with experts and researchers in green energy, quantum computing and material science sectors.