Learning at the top: leading companies come together to explore the future (page 3 of 3)

Cisco has joined the group, enticed by the topic which this time is Leadership and Trust, and it looks to be just as fascinating as the first two topics.

Why do they want to study leadership and trust? Because in future, the traditional boundaries and structures of organisations will be more elastic and less hierarchical, so leaders must find new ways to replace status and hierarchy with indirect methods of leadership that allow greater freedom, lead to more accurate allocation of resources and provide a stronger force for focus on the common good. Leaders will need to return to basic principles to discover a different approach — one that can fully exploit the economic potential of collaboration and flexibility.

Ultimately, leaders want to be assured of two things: that parties will deliver end-products as promised and that parties will not abuse privileged access to corporate resources and relationships to the detriment of the corporate owner. Control is one, increasingly less effective, way of assuring these two things. Trust offers a different approach designed to assure the same thing.

And the next consortium?

Who knows what topics will emerge from this work, but consortium members and others have already been encouraging Tosca to look at:

• Diversity and Inclusivity
• Partnering with customers
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Strategy Execution
• Managing across Cultures
• Metrics for Managing Human Capital
• Succession planning
• Talent Management

Up to seven organisations participate in each consortium, and four people from each organisation can attend meetings, which allows for continuity to be maintained, particularly if people are unable to make all six two-day meetings over the project's duration.

Why no companies from the Gulf?

Looking at the work they have done so far, I am disappointed there has been no input from the Gulf region. As indigenous companies thrive and global companies locate in the area, they are facing all the challenges above and more, I would add, particular to the region. Let's see if companies from here can inform the consortium thinking, sharing wisdom around the world.