Harvard Professor explores distinctive leadership challenges of Arab world

Linsky's comments came ahead of the four-day "Leadership for the 21st Century: Chaos, Conflict and Courage" training course that he will be leading. To be held from March 18-21, the convention will be hosted by the Dubai School of Government.

"The speed of change and the need to adapt to unfamiliar realities require making difficult choices. Deciding what needs to be preserved and what must be left behind in order to survive and thrive in a rapidly moving future, generates conflict, is chaotic, and requires courage," he pointed out.

Speaking of the Arab World, he said that although challenges of leadership may be similar everywhere, there were a few specific to the region based on its values, history, and beliefs, and the constraints exercised by those values and beliefs.

According to Linsky, the content of the "Leadership for the 21st Century" programme will be anchored around a set of ideas termed "adaptive leadership".

"There are certain myths that revolve around leadership. Leadership is behaviour, anyone can exercise leadership in any position whether in an organization or in the community. To be a leader, you sometimes have to be the bad guy and give up any dreams of being adored by employees. If that sounds tough, it is," Linsky explained.

"Leadership for the 21st Century" is an interactive course that will provide participants with frameworks, tools, and an intense methodology for delivering those ideas called 'case-in-point'.

"The first two course days are a harrowing breakdown of what people think about leadership," Linsky said. "Instead of resolving conflict, participants will learn how to manage and understand it. Most people come to the programme knowing in their gut what they need to do. They need to put themselves and their organization at risk. It takes courage to take those risks."

Offered annually by the Kennedy School at Harvard for more than a decade, the workshop typically attracts senior managers from all over the world, from public, private and non-profit sectors.

Linsky has conducted many leadership programmes in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and South America as well as in north America.