BOOK REVIEW

THE POWER OF FORWARD THINKING

A book for leaders interested in advancing ingenuity towards a better future, by PAUL STEENKAMP and TANYA MEESON

Today, it’s more important than ever for businesses to modernise their ways of thinking and ways of working. The reason for this is the major societal shift that has seen the world enveloped by growing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Known as the VUCA world, this new paradigm requires that leadership adapt and manage the dual demands of preparing for the future, while optimising for the present moment. Those at the top must tap into their people’s creative energy and collective wisdom to maximise the great advantages their purpose-driven problem-solvers can add to their organisation.

Character Insights for a Regenerative Future: 5 Leadership Superpowers to Drive Growth, Innovation and The Future of Work argues that effective leaders are innovators powered by an operating system loaded with character strength apps. Many other leadership-operating systems run applications based on organisational hierarchies, perverse short-term fi nancial incentives, and increasingly irrelevant skills. The half-life of these hierarchies and skills is rapidly falling in a world that’s becoming a more VUCA world by the day. The good news is that overwhelming scientifi c evidence now demonstrates the link between character strengths and achievement. Paul Steenkamp and Tanya Meeson’s book outlines a philosophy focused on maximising innovation effectiveness by leveraging fi ve leadership character strengths: intellectual humility, grit, othercentredness, growth mindset and empathy. It references the mounting body of scientifi c research mentioned above and taps into the authors’ hardearned personal experiences working in the corporate innovation space. But perhaps most interestingly, Character Insights for a Regenerative Future: 5 Leadership Superpowers to Drive Growth, Innovation and The Future of Work describes Better Future Building as a movement that stands above the necessary, but insuffi cient modern practices of strategy design and innovation. If you are a progressive leader interested in elevating ingenuity, this book is most defi nitely for you. Paul Steenkamp holds an executive MBA from Henley Business School, is an alumnus of Singularity University South Africa and the THNK School of Creative Leadership in the Netherlands, and holds an Honours in Industrial Psychology from Rhodes University. He is a corporate innovation advisor, entrepreneur and investor. Tanya Meeson is an author, columnist and journalist with a special interest in relationships, psychology, transformational leadership and health. Her work has appeared across a wide range of media including Mail&Guardian, JSE, African Decisions, Marie Claire, Woman & Home, Cosmopolitan, 24.com and HEAIDS.

ORDER INFORMATION

Character Insights for a Regenerative Future: 5 Leadership Superpowers to Drive Growth, Innovation and The Future of Work can be ordered from Knowledge Resources Ground Floor, Yellowwood House, Ballywoods Offi ce Park 33 Ballyclare Drive, Bryanston

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tel: (+27 11) 706 6009 fax: (+27 11) 706 1127 e-mail: orders@knowres.co.za Available online at: www.kr.co.za

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