Lessons In Leadership From The Events Of 2023

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Personal Development, Leadership & Managing Section 2

Lessons In Leadership From The Events Of 2023

By Sally Percy | Forbes Magazine | December 21, 2023

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The end of the year is naturally a period of reflection – for leaders, as well as for those whom they lead. It’s a time to consider what’s gone well, what hasn’t gone so well and where improvements can be made. Last year was a period of turbulence and upheaval, with leaders able to learn some important lessons from 2022’s significant events. So, now that 12 months have passed, what can leaders take away from 2023?

Be like Ken – yes, really.  The highest-grossing movie of 2023 was the pink-themed Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. More can be learned from her superfluous love interest Ken, who puts on an obnoxious display of toxic masculinity until he’s finally humbled by women. Ken’s journey from hubris to humility is a necessary preamble to leadership.  Only when we’ve been freed from the need to be the leader can we be considered safe to lead.  Leadership is about making matters better for everyone.

Learn from success.  In July 2023, Argentinian football sensation Lionel Messi joined American soccer club Inter Miami after leaving French side Paris St-Germain.  While many leaders tout the value of learning from failure, Beckham modeled this maneuver after his own successful experience of playing in the US.  Research suggests we learn more from success than failure, however. Failures point out what not to do. The lessons from our past successes reveal how we do our best work and identify patterns for approaching new challenges.

Be sensitive to human rights.  The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive entered into force in January 2023. This directive requires businesses in the EU to report on the human rights impacts of their supply chains.  Business leaders will need to invest in experts who can set up and oversee management systems to provide input for the reporting.  It is much easier to get ahead of the problem than to try to re-establish credibility.

Deploy technology in the fight against climate change.  COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference that kicked off in Dubai in November, was a powerful reminder that collaboration is key to creating real change. At the conference, privately held technology innovation company World Wide Technology launched AI for Good, a platform that will support climate entrepreneurs to achieve the goals of COP28 by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI).

Step into other people’s shoes.  This year has brought some tragic events, which have underlined the importance of empathy.  Empathy allows us to step into someone else’s shoes, to truly understand their experiences, and to foster connection and understanding.

2 key takeaways from the article

1. The end of the year is naturally a period of reflection – for leaders, as well as for those whom they lead. Last year was a period of turbulence and upheaval, with leaders able to learn some important lessons from 2022’s significant events. 
2. So, now that 12 months have passed, what can leaders take away from 2023?  Some of these are: Only when we’ve been freed from the need to be the leader can we be considered safe to lead.  Leadership is about making matters better for everyone.  We learn more from success than failure, however. Failures point out what not to do. The lessons from our past successes reveal how we do our best work and identify patterns for approaching new challenges.  Be sensitive to human rights.  Deploy technology in the fight against climate change.  And Empathy allows us to step into someone else’s shoes, to truly understand their experiences, and to foster connection and understanding.

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Topics:  Leadership, Sustainability, Success