“The most important message of my course is that any revolution goes through three stages. First it’s considered ridiculous, then dangerous, and finally self evident. This concept applies to every domain, but it’s especially useful for business.
Leadership is the ability to take something that is dangerous and run with it. It could be a radical idea, a breakthrough product, or a disruptive new way to do business.
As the excellent Simon Sinek amply demonstrated, a great leader starts with a ‘Why’, telling people why they’re going to do this. Today, most lead by explaining ‘How’ and ‘What’, which is only about execution. In the future, leaders will have to lead by the ‘Why’ – simply because the expectations of their workforce are no longer the same.
The subprime crisis created a generation that is extremely picky: they don’t want just any job. You have to tell them why they should work. In the past, success was about money; now, it’s about doing the job I love. The world is changing fast. Leadership by the ‘Why’ is coming in the next ten years. In fact, we can see that the balance has already shifted: today, real power is power over yourself.
Why did I agree to teach at the NextMBA? Because I want to change the world. These executives are on a path, and I can change their mindset. If I make my message viral enough, I can change the world”