The Thought
Leader Mindset
How will we face the challenges of tomorrow?
A key aim of the programme is to help delegates develop what we call a thought leader mindset. This distinctive style of thinking requires clarity in defining the problems, and creativity and humanity in solving them. It can be broken down into six characteristics: problem-oriented, interdisciplinary, pragmatic, empirical, holistic, and values-led.
1. Problem-oriented
It is no use trying to solve a problem if you can’t say what it is. Climate change is a problem, but is it best understood as an environmental, economic, or behavioural one? Thought leaders are able to find the right conceptual “lens” in order to get the problem into view, and are willing to switch lenses if it helps them make progress.
2. Interdisciplinary
Switching between lenses requires an interdisciplinary approach. So we need to be creative in combining theories and methodologies from different fields wherever necessary. Thought leaders are intellectual magpies, on the hunt for “whatever works”.
3. Pragmatic
If we are serious about making things better, we should forget about “being right”. Tomorrow’s global challenges are not opportunities to validate our own ideologies, particularly where these restrict the range of solutions we are willing to consider. Instead, we should embrace the most effective solutions within appropriate ethical constraints.
4. Empirical
Leadership requires intellectual humility, and acknowledging that we might always be wrong. We must be willing to revise our beliefs in light of new evidence, and to justify our beliefs to others. We must be honest about the weaknesses of our own position. To do this effectively, we need a certain amount of scientific literacy so that we can interpret and evaluate expert advice.
5. Holistic
The real world is connected in unexpected ways. As the philosopher Nancy Cartwright has shown, we cannot simply assume that a solution will work in one context just because it has worked in another. Accordingly, thought leaders are always on the lookout for unintended consequences, particularly when a solution and its consequence might not be visible through the same conceptual lens.
6. Values led
In order for something to even show up as a problem, we need to have a general sense of what matters to us. For example, in order to worry about AI replacing human creativity, we must assume that human creativity is somehow important. It is futile to try to eliminate values in search of “objectivity”, since we always bring our own values to the table. (Objectivity is itself a value!) Instead, we should try to get clear about what our values are and why we hold them. By doing so, thought leaders are able to present a clear and coherent ethical vision which others can buy into.
