ROUNDTABLE REVIEW
happens when you try new things – you shouldn’t let yourself be discouraged [by the thought of failure]. “And if I were to round off my comments with one additional soft skill, I would have to say empathy, given that [in these troubled times] there’s always a good chance someone is not going to have a great day – and that someone might well be you. We need to encourage students, as well as future leaders, to have that awareness and understanding of how they’re operating in a fragile ecosystem.” Bruno van Pottelsberghe: “I listened to a presentation recently about how the ultimate common denominator of leadership for authenticity, trust and accountability is, at the end of the day, connected to love. I must confess, I like that – especially considering that nowadays, in some places it has become politically incorrect to talk about sustainability or inclusiveness; it’s really worrying to lose the freedom to talk about a particular concept and some of the challenges that the world is facing. “I would also highlight the importance of critical thinking. I have teenagers and it’s amazing how they tend to so easily trust what they see on their social networks, so the ability to look for knowledge, analyse it and make your own assessment [is vital]. “Specialisation is another thing because many functions are being replaced by machines – here in Budapest for instance one company just fired 800 accounting staff. As well as being transparent and accountable to your team, what is needed for the future is specialisation – that aspect is absolutely key. “[I’d like to make one final point] we have just signed a partnership agreement with Allianz and when we concluded the deal, their CEO said: ‘Technology is nothing without the human touch’ – I think that is a good conclusion.”
courage, the ability to try and fail and to accept comments that are not always positive. Also, I believe there will be no individual type of leadership; the future will be collective. And lastly, the final skill I’d choose is how crucial it is for a leader to be able to preserve personal wellbeing because if you’re burnt out, you won’t be able to achieve as much.” Hannah Holmes: “There are a few things that we’ve broadly covered around what the future of work might look like, driven by technology [that are worth recapping]. The importance of ethics in leadership is one, then there’s the issue of managing diverse global teams – neurodiverse, generationally diverse and situated in diverse locations – where emotional intelligence will be critical. “Having a flexible leadership style that works effectively – virtually as well as physically – is crucial too. Lastly, all the uncertainty around the future [in a geopolitical and economic context] means that skills such as adaptability and resilience, plus the need to take personal accountability and be authentic, are essential.” Federica Pazzaglia: “[I agree with the importance of] authenticity – it’s hard to relate to people without keeping yourself accountable and being authentic when you have to operate in a complex environment. Then there’s the ability to be adaptable, flexible, resilient – and to fail and bounce back, like Tessa mentioned. That’s very much something that just naturally
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Editor’s note: In the interest of brevity and clarity, speaker remarks have been abbreviated and paraphrased. Such statements aim to reflect the original meaning and intent of the participants as accurately as possible
Ambition • ISSUE 2 • 2025 25
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