Dan Pink to moderate Clinton at Leaders in Dubai

Pink, who was a speechwriter to former Vice President Al Gore, will have a real insight into the workings of Clinton's mind, having seen him in action at the White House. The debate will also include questions from the audience, as well as live exchanges between the former colleagues.

Earlier in the summit, Pink will himself take to the stage to present his ideas on a Free Agent Nation, as well as the six abilities required for today's leaders: design; story; sympathy; empathy; play; and meaning.

Pink claims that we are moving from an economy 'built on the logical, sequential abilities of the Information Age' to one built on the 'inventive, empathic abilities of the Conceptual Age'.

The main reason for this shift is Asia, automotion, and abundance. 'Companies and individuals have to look at what they do that's different, and what you do differently. In simpler terms, do something that foreigners can't do cheaper and computers can't do faster.'

He believes that academic skills, particularly the American points-based SAT system, are decreasing in relevance. 'Are educational qualifications a true barometer of skill, let alone creativity?

'Schooling systems throughout the world are moving in the right direction, and we need to encourage the systems to follow a child's intrinsic motivations, reward their creativity and challenge their creativity, rather than stick to regimented classes and curricula.

'Schools in America are basically factories for kids, and need massive and radical changes, not least by abandoning standardised tests, having better paid teachers and smaller classes.

'The same principles apply in the corporate workplace - we need to encourage artistry, empathy and big-picture thinking. Companies can't compete with Asia on price, so they need to compete on design.'

Pink cites Apple as a particular example through the creation of the iPod digital music player.

'Apple uncovered a latent desire in consumers. The iPod was compelling, cool, and worked very well, yet it was still just a digital music player, of which there were others on the market. But in Apple's case, the design was glorious, it became an object of desire, and has led to 500 million songs being purchased for download in a year.'

Ten business and political headline names will take part in the debate on leadership best practices at Leaders in Dubai, to be held on November 28 - 29 at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

Speaking at the event are:


• FW de Klerk, former president of South Africa and winner of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize

• Bill Clinton (via videocast), former President of the USA from 1993 - 2001

• Madeleine Albright, the first female Secretary of State in the USA and a director of the New York Stock Exchange

• Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 - 2003

• Daniel Pink, the author of Free Agent Nation, the Washington Post bestseller, who will suggest six aptitudes crucial to the survival of white-collar workers

• Kenichi Ohmae, the former director of McKinsey Japan, who has earned global acclaim as 'Mr Strategy'

• Arie de Geus, who was at the helm of Royal Dutch Shell for 40 years and has been described as 'the global statesman' of business change

• Spencer Johnson, the author of the bestsellers Who Moved My Cheese and The One-Minute Manager

• Scott Bedbury, one of the world's leading brand architects, responsible for Nike's Just Do It campaign and the emergence of the Starbucks brand

Regional business leaders - the Leaders in Dubai corporate alumni - have confirmed their support for the event. They include: HE Sheikh Faisal Al Qassemi, founder of the Al Qasimi Group; Nabila Al Anjari, Assistant Under-Secretary for Tourism Affairs in Kuwait; Aramex's President and CEO Fadi Ghandour; former Lebanese minister of national economy Saeb Jaroudi; Bharat Jashanmal, of the GCC retail corporation Jashanmal & Sons; Khamis Al Muqla, founder and chairman of Gulf Hill & Knowlton and Gulf Saatchi & Saatchi; Lebanese industrialist Jacques Sarraf; veteran hotelier Sami Zoghbi, regional head of Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts; and Saudi industrialist Abdulla al Zamil.

Citigroup Private Bank, Emaar Properties, Etisalat, Nokia, MasterCard International, and Saudi Oger are on board as headline sponsors for the two-day event.

Official partners are Dubai Municipality, ETA Star, Global Investment House, Kuwait Financial Centre Markaz, Octara, Prime Limousine, and TCS Express Worldwide. Audi is the official car partner, and HP is the official IT partner.

CNN is confirmed as the international media partner, with Al Arabiya News Channel as headline media partner. Media sponsors are Al Hayat, AME Info, Gulf Business, Gulf News and Oman Economic Review.

LEADING MINDS, part of the international conference organisers IIR, is a company specialising in presenting the latest thoughts and groundbreaking ideas from pre-eminent international business authorities.