Chapter 3: Deliberate Leadership
Leadership today is more challenging than ever. McKinsey & Company estimates that ten years ago, CEOs and top leaders typically focused on four or five critical issues at any one point in time. Today, that number has doubled. 1 Geopolitical tensions are unprecedented, climate change threatens the planet and people, and widening cracks in global systems are exposing deeper inequalities and injustices. In this era defined by Wicked Problems, leaders must move beyond traditional, hierarchical approaches. These problems, characterized by their complexity and resistance to simple solutions, demand a new kind of leadership. As Figure A illustrates, combined with a Wicked Problem framework, Deliberate Leadership draws on insights from more than twenty global leadership models and academic research to offer a values- based approach to decision-making. It emphasizes collective thinking across disciplines—spanning business, public policy, and social innovation—and provides an antidote to the autocratic leadership styles that are gaining traction worldwide. The ethical foundation of Deliberate Leadership is rooted in principles such as equity, inclusion, and sustainability. It ensures that decisions prioritize the well-being of people and the planet over short-term gains. By rooting leadership in these shared values, Deliberate Leadership offers a pathway to address the complexities of our time with intention and integrity.
“I am deliberate and afraid of nothing.” —Poet Audre Lorde
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Ten Years in the Making
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