REFLECTIONS AS THE 2012 HBA WOMAN OF THE YEAR

REFLECTIONS AS THE 2012 HBA WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Topic #5. Leadership Model for the 21rst Century

Our current leadership model is based on the hierarchical, command and control model that arose out of the industrial age where the means of production - tangible assets- were owned by the Company. Progress was measured by the ability to climb to the top of the
corporate ladder. Today we see glimpses of the future - where impact increases from leaders finding their way through the labyrinth of relationships, 7x24 connectivity, and multiple distractions to the center of influence.

We are now traversing not only the Information Age, but also the Imagination Age. This is a good thing because many of our institutions - healthcare, education, politics, regulatory, environment - no longer can meet society’s needs and need to be reimagined for the 21rst century.

The issues that need to be tangled with are complex and interdisciplinary and can’t be solved by any one company, industry sector, city or country. The leaders of the 21rst century will be “horizontal” leaders who can fluently cross silos, legal borders, country boundaries, cultural divides and generational gaps. The future leaders know that the secret to sustained progress will be the ability to marshall the forces outside their respective companies to join forces and engage in radical collaboration.