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Thinking The Unthinkable: Nik Gowing and Chris Langdon
DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!!
Executive leadership faces new vulnerabilities. Many leaders privately concede them, but few are willing to talk publicly about them. 'Unthinkable' events since 2014 have revealed a new leadership fragility at the highest levels. The pace of change shows that the uncertainties are greater than ever.
Is this the 'new normal?' Thinking The Unthinkable is an investigation into why leaders have appeared more unable or unwilling than ever to anticipate the biggest issues of our time. In an era of 'wicked problems' why are current leadership behaviours and culture apparently not fit for purpose?
What are the causes of so many failures in policy and strategic forecasting?
Are they human frailties? Or are they systemic failures to embrace smartly new realities?
Through hundreds of interviews and conversations, Nik Gowing and Chris Langdon have analysed the deep new challenges to the human capacity of leaders at the highest keels to accept, understand, embrace then handle the extraordinary processes of change and disruption. This essential book draws on the candid responses. The findings will be disconcerting to leaders at all levels.
We live in what might be the most disrupted time in history, hundred year old industries are disappearing over night.
Things that we considered normal have nothing to do with what’s going on. In fact much of what’s going on today we would have considered “Unthinkable” not very long ago.
The question is how can we as leaders thrive in a time where the unthinkable is the norm?
Well let’s find out together…
This has one of my most intriguing interviews. What my guests brought to light is fascinating, awakening and a clear call to action!
My guests on this episode are Nik Gowing and Chris Langdon
The resumes of both are outstanding…
Here’s a quick overview:
Nik Gowing was a main news presenter for the BBC’s international 24-hour news channel… BBC World News from 1996-2014.
He presented The Hub with Nik Gowing, BBC World Debates,
Dateline London, plus location coverage of major global stories.
He spent 18 years at ITN in senior roles including Diplomatic Editor, Channel 4 News. He received a BAFTA award in 1982 for his coverage of martial law in Poland.
Chris Langdon: Founder-Director of Reconciliation Through Film, a charity being established to develop new ways of using communications to help conflict resolution. Chris is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) He has worked extensively on facilitating political reform in SE Europe. Through 2008-2010. he directed the Communicating Europe Programme for the European Stability Initiative, Chris was a TV producer for BBC News, ITN and APTN.
Together they have spent the last 4 1/2 years asking leaders how they are coping with disruption - the answer is scary.
Leaders cannot cope!
However, Nik & Chris have some good news…
They found some leaders who thrive on change.
This is a fascinating episode that steps outside of leadership as we know it and confronts questions about leadership that few have had the courage to face.
On this episode we go FullMonty on:
- Why leaders are struggling to keep up?
- The best way thrive in an age of massive disruption
- The cost of Conformity
- How Nik predicted what is now labelled ‘Fake News’ back in 2009.
- Purpose…what purpose, and why?
- Talking to scared C Suiters
- Political insurgents ‘shatter the mould’
For more on Nik Gowing and Chris Langdon and Thinking The Unthinkable: www.thinkunthink.org
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Published on 5 years, 6 months ago