Global Leadership Forum Program, 12-13 March 2016, New Delhi, India
12 March 2016
08:00–08:50: Registration
09:00–10:15: Inaugural Session
10:20–11:20: Plenary Session
Creating a Peaceful World of Tomorrow: The Geopolitical Economic and Social Imperatives
Politics is at the core of development. Though natural and human resources are important, what seems to matter most is how governments manage those resources. The role of governance is critical to whether a country makes economic and social progress or not. Achieving community goals requires leaders who won’t trip over their egos and who can resist seeking to become the leader of all leaders. An interdependent demographic, economic and social environment calls for leaders who can relate as peers to other leaders in other institutions worldwide. This session will invite world leaders to share their thoughts on how to bring communities and countries together for a sustainable world of the future.
11:20–11:25: WCF Theme Song
11:25–12:00: Coffee & Tea-Break
12:00–13:30: Deep Dive: Concurrent Break-Out Sessions
Deep Dive I : Boundaryless Nations
Boundaryless Nations are today both a myth and a reality. At the beginning of the human evolution, there were no boundaries or limitations. But today, while we are global digitally and economically, politically we are still national. Making national borders porous is still seen as a threat to individual security. The problems like climate change, global warming, and ozone layer depletion are of common concern and have already brought the people of this planet together. While boundary less growth, good will, compassion and care are seen as positives of this, there is also an equal abundance of the opposite that has spread easily. Managing this energy has become a major challenge for the governments of the world. This deep dive invites leaders to share their experiences of managing these paradoxes for a synergistic and symbiotic approach to human development.
Deep Dive II : Current and Farsighted
The paradigm of successful leadership demands maximum attention on the current landscape with a watchful eye on what’s coming in the future. Rapidly changing technology and a shrinking world is compelling leaders to anticipate trends and megatrends like never before. The increasing interdependencies in economies and societies are weaving together fortunes of institutions and nations. In this deep dive, we will invite leaders to share how they are able to be deep-rooted in the now, yet have the ability to pursue a farsighted vision for themselves and their institutions.
Deep Dive III: Dynamic and Peaceful
Leadership is a process of mobilizing a diverse group of people towards a common goal. Dynamism, ambition and even aggression can be cornerstones of a successful leadership action. How then can one maintain inner calm, peace and tranquility? This deep dive aims to ideate and reflect on how leaders can achieve a balance between outer dynamism and inner peace. It will also reflect on how individual peace can become the basis for societal peace and personal dynamism can lead to sustainable nation building.
Deep Dive IV : Global and National
The times when nations were able to exist as islands by themselves has far gone by. The world is becoming more interdependent as boundaries are thinning and populations are moving. Seamless information and knowledge transfer is flattening and equalizing the world, at the same time, events and happenings are strengthening the quotient of national pride. How then can we ensure that the need for national identification is addressed while the notion of global citizenship is nurtured? This deep dive invites innovative thinkers to reflect on ways to attend to this paradox.
Deep Dive V : Human & Digital
Today, technology is reshaping the way businesses run, teams function and customers engage. Technological solutions are replacing human processes at a fast pace; teams are becoming virtual and marketplace engagement is transcending timelines. The more demanding the business environment is becoming, the more important are team cohesion, trust and the human factor. How can virtual teams cherish these values and foster a common identity when they can never see or meet each other? How can businesses deliver a wow customer experience when for the entire client lifecycle, there may be no face to face interaction? In this deep dive, global leaders will share their lessons learnt in running businesses that have technological and human imperatives for success.
Deep Dive VI : Profitable & Ethical
Empirical research shows that ethically run companies outperform unethically run ones in the longer run across all parameters of success. All stakeholders – customers, vendors and shareholders would rather do business with ethical companies than otherwise. Employees would rather work for organizations that have a reputation of being ethically managed. Why then is it still believed that maximizing profits means compromising ethics? This discussion will challenge this paradigm and will showcase leaders who have shown with their personal examples that focus on values can be the foundation for sustainable and successful businesses.
13 March 2016
08:00–08:50: Stand Up Theme Based Breakfast Conversations
09:00–10:15: Plenary Session I
10:20–11:20: Plenary Session II
Building Cities of Tomorrow: The Leadership and Innovation Imperative
Social capital is a necessary precondition for successful development, but a strong rule of law and basic political institutions are necessary to build social capital. This is the foundation for a strong democracy and sustainable economic growth. Bridging societal gaps is essential for strong social capital because a broader radius of trust will enable connections across borders of all sorts and serve as a basis for institutions. Leaders have the opportunity, authority and the responsibility to build communities, states and nations that coexist, collaborate and concreate their future. This session will invite leaders to share their thoughts on approaches to strengthen social capital and build the fabric of a collaborative society.
11:20–11:25: WCF Theme Song
11:25–12:00: Coffee & Tea-Break
12:00–13:30: Deep Dive: Concurrent Break-Out Sessions
Deep Dive I: Steady and Adaptive
In the current turbulent and ever changing times, stoic calm, perseverance and continuity seem to be the key qualities of leadership success. However, exactly because everything is changing so fast, leaders also need to be agile, able to change paradigms and adapt to new strategies. This deep dive asks leaders to share their personal recipes how they have developed these complementary skills.
Deep Dive II: Sustainable & Developing
The relationship between economic growth, human well-being, and the achievement of a sustainable future has a long and complex intellectual history. Currently, the predominant view among the environmentally aware is that humankind has a limited time to set in motion development that will sustain indefinitely as many people as the Earth can support, giving them a satisfactory ‘quality of life’, and causing as little environmental damage as possible. This session will reflect on the crucial topic of how we as a global leadership community can pursue development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs and how we ensure that there are enough resources for the human population as a whole.
Deep Dive III: Women in Leadership
“The primordial energy or “Shakti” which is the life force behind the entire creation is feminine”- Sri Sri. Women are our first teachers or Gurus. They teach us our first behavior. They have a great role to play in the education and development of their children and this contribution is crucial in the creation of a society of happy, dynamic and effective individuals. She can balance the inner peace, beauty and ethical values with external challenges. These qualities are inherent in her. This session will address how women can recognize these inherent strengths by focusing on what they have rather than what they do not. It will highlight the need for women to come together unite and rise above their differences to make a positive social transformation. It will emphasize the role of spirituality and spiritual practices in strengthening the mind and building inner confidence; qualities of a successful as well as contented leader.
Deep Dive IV: Mind Matters
In an increasingly complex and dynamic world, solving problems through strategy and process alone can leave employees burnt out and disengaged, fragment teams, and create negative workplace cultures. To develop resilient teams and adaptive solutions, employees need tools to understand and manage their most important asset – their own minds. In this Deep Dive experts will talk about how transformational processes in organizations and teams can be mastered; and how the transformation of mindsets can be achieved, as transformation of mindsets is the basis for successful transformation of cultures and implementation of strategies.
Deep Dive V: Inner peace for societal peace
Society cannot be peaceful unless the people comprising it are. Even a few stressed, unhappy people in a community can become the reason for breakdown of communication and conflicts. On the other hand, a few happy and inspired individuals can be the fountain heads of change and positive societal transformation. How then, can we as individuals tap into our reservoir of inner peace, tranquility and happiness to spread the waves of positivity in our environments? What can we learn from the different faiths of the world to enrich our own lives and those of people around us? In this session we will have an opportunity to get a glimpse into how the approach of non violent communication has helped in resolving conflicts in the world and how nurturing inner peace can truly be a key to global peace.