Today's trailblazers are banging the drum for a revolution in leadership. And, with converging crises straining our world, it is the right time for a new and courageous brand of leadership that puts people first.
This was the insight from Douglas Knowledge Partners’ inaugural “ideas salon” in London, where we had the honour of hosting three visionaries who shone a spotlight on the ideas that matter to which have shaped their careers. Our panellists called on leaders of organisations to recognise that their employees are far from mere cogs in a machine – they are multifaceted humans pulsing with emotions and nurtured by relationships. We heard a potent call to match work with personal passions, to replace transactions with transformative connections, and to make workplaces arenas of sustainability and well-being.
“My dream is that leaders can move from that unhelpful and inaccurate view of humans as purely economic agents or cogs in a machine. Instead, I envision leaders who embrace a more holistic understanding, yet still grounded in scientific research on psychology and human nature. This understanding encompasses the entirety of people – their emotions, physical well-being and relationships with others. By truly grasping how humans operate, organisations can be propelled forward, fostering transformative ideas that positively impact the world.”
— Tera Allas, CBE, Director of Research and Economics at McKinsey & Company
In April, Douglas Knowledge Partners opened its doors in London. To commemorate this milestone, we invited a panel of exceptional thinkers to share their most heartfelt beliefs with our audience of clients and friends. This was an opportunity to debate world-changing ideas on a global stage as we took a leap from our home in Cape Town.
Our panel was diverse, yet their ideas converged – spontaneously – on the theme of leadership. James Mountford, Health Strategy Officer at Galileo Global Education, is currently building a global private-sector health education system from scratch – a purpose inspired by his years as a young NHS doctor. Rachael De Renzy Channer, Global Head of Sustainability at Egon Zehnder, trained as a “servant leader” at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and honed her views on leadership during a decade of service in the British Army. It was that experience which ignited her passion for fostering leadership teams around a shared purpose. And Tera Allas, CBE, Director of Research and Economics in McKinsey's United Kingdom and Ireland office, grapples daily with the divide between what economists can measure and the essence of individuals, including everything that makes them human.
“What contributes to people’s well-being and enjoyment, and even what builds good businesses, is not about transactions that involve money.”
— Tera Allas, CBE, Director of Research and Economics at McKinsey & Company
“Not everything can be measured in money,” Tera responded when asked to share her thoughts on human capital. She believes that “organisations are all searching for solutions [to people and people management] in a very complex, messy reality of life, which, quite often, the most senior leaders are insulated from.” In the audience, Jon Shipley acknowledged that people management is one of the biggest ongoing challenges that he and his HBR colleagues tackle every day, yet they “haven’t cracked it just yet”.
For Tera, so much of “what contributes to people’s well-being and enjoyment, and even what builds good businesses, is not about transactions that involve money.” Tera has published extensive thought leadership on this topic, such as the McKinsey Quarterly article “Meet the psychological needs of your people — all your people”. She dreams of a world where people are removed from the lens as pure economic agents, and where their whole selves are embraced – the emotional, the physical and their relationships. “Only then can you move organisations to implement ideas that make the world a better place,” Tera said.
“At HBR we work to solve the seemingly endless challenges of leadership and people management every day… and we haven’t cracked it just yet.”
— Jon Shipley, Commercial Director at Harvard Business Review Press
“Leaders need to find ways to help people connect what they do every day to the things they care about.”
— James Mountford, Health Strategy Officer at Galileo Global Education
James’s perspective was a complement to Tera’s: during his time as a junior doctor, the NHS system was run by a layer of managers and leaders whose interests and concerns did not always align with a nurse’s or doctor’s view of how best to deliver patient care – or often with what mattered most to patients. “There is a lack of resonance between the leaders of institutions and the people they are leading,” said James, who is also Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Leader. His mission to empower frontline healthcare workers to become the real leaders in healthcare systems has shaped his career ever since. In turn, this requires that frontline staff’s view of what they are trying to achieve aligns with the results needed from the system. We wanted to know: “how did you communicate your vision and ideas to the right people?”
His impassioned answer suggested that conviction and determination to change things for the better has played a critical role in shaping his idea. “There’s a gap of more than 15 million healthcare workers between now and 2050,” he explained.“It’s about enabling frontline individuals to find their own answers and create meaningful impact in healthcare. It’s back to basic needs in terms of are warding role: people want to know they’re doing a good job, to have a sense of control over it, and to see that their observations and voice matters in how work evolves over time to drive improvement.” These ideas are underlined in “Leadership Lessons from Covid Field Hospitals,” an HBR article James co-authored. At Galileo, the goal is to revolutionise healthcare, propelling it towards a future where people thrive, exceptional care is delivered and individuals’ personal values are aligned with their work.
Building on James’s idea that frontline workers need to be heard and empowered to solve their own problems, Rachael brought an electrifying perspective to the discussion, recognising the challenging position that leaders find themselves in today. She urged leaders to step away from the notion of the “superhero leader” and embrace their role as “orchestrators: connecting and facilitating collaboration”. Shedding their capes, leaders should be encouraged to cultivate self-awareness and develop “Olympic-level listening skills”. She emphasised the need to relinquish the illusion of control and remain open to diverse perspectives – even from younger team members brimming with fresh ideas.
With the world grappling with concurrent crises, Rachael – author of “Stewards of Sustainability” – believes leaders can anchor to their values and purpose to navigate complexity. With lively enthusiasm, she proclaimed that leaders need to step into their values with determination and purpose; that is how they can help others to do the same. Through collaboration and by empowering others, these orchestrators will pave the way for profound and meaningful change in the world of leadership.
“Leaders today are between a rock and a hard place, but superhero leadership won’t work. It’s time to leave the capes at the door.”
— Rachael De Renzy Channer, Global Head of Sustainability at Egon Zehnder
"In our environment I can’t promise new hires work-life balance, as important as it maybe. What I can promise is fulfilment through work that has a genuine impact on the world."
– Ryan Coetzee, Chief Executive at Consulum
As we opened the floor to questions, a chartered accountant from a Big Four firm asked Tera to share insights into measuring the immeasurable: people's true well-being. Here, again, there was surprising synergy from our panellists Tera and James. For Tera, the ask was not as challenging as it may seem. Even a simple question, such as “how are you?”, can reveal a wealth of information. And, these days, it doesn’t take much to survey employees, customers and community members and to gather comparable data, using well-validated survey techniques. James shared the “diamond model” in healthcare, which encompasses money, mortality, patient experience and the often-overlooked element of staff well-being. He believes that the concept of management for well-being, though not conceptually difficult, remains untapped due to society's obsession with easily measurable metrics – money.
Ryan Coetzee, CEO of the public-sector consulting firm Consulum, made an astute challenge from the audience: "I completely agree with Tera's perspective, but in our environment I can’t promise new hires work-life balance, as important as it maybe. What I can promise is fulfilment through work that has a genuine impact on the world; that needs to hold weight as well. It’s crucial to be honest about what we can or can't promise." Tera responded in agreement: “Research shows that over 60 percent of workers across the world seek mostly a sense of belonging, achievement, autonomy, mastery and community from their jobs. The most vital aspect is the social relationships people have at work – not the money.” This aligned perfectly with Ryan's viewpoint because trust is an integral part of social relationships, and honesty plays a pivotal role.
They agreed that facing the truth head-on, rather than sweeping it under the rug, is crucial for creating authentic connection. For Rachael, the real issue around authenticity was the disparity between the stories we tell ourselves and the actual reality we face. “The values displayed on the wall must be lived and embraced every day. If we can't have an honest conversation about the gap, we can't make meaningful improvements.”
As the conversation neared its conclusion it became clear that leaders can make a difference by approaching their roles with humility – empowering the frontline to tackle their own challenges. The importance of listening at an “Olympic level” and asking simple questions about well-being that go beyond monetary concerns, such as community and connection, resonated deeply. It is our shared humanity that holds the key to addressing the multifaceted crises we face on a global scale.
Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world confronts a tapestry of interlinked crises, from economic stress to societal fragmentation and ecological strain.The World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report highlights the cost-of-living crisis and biodiversity loss as pressing concerns, pointing towards an intensifying “polycrisis” with the potential to spark widespread humanitarian and ecological catastrophe. Within this complex scenario, leaders in the public, private and social sectors must navigate uncharted terrain without a roadmap. They need to summon compassion and courage – and the humility to listen to, engage and empower people right across their organisations.
At Douglas Knowledge Partners, we have had the privilege to work with our bold panellists as friends and thought partners, amplifying and sharing their ideas with the world. As a young organisation born in South Africa, our mission is to embrace responsibility for honing and magnifying ideas that have the power to shape a better world.
As we expand our global footprint beyond the African continent, our first London ideas salon fostered exactly the kind of courageous conversation that can enable us – and our extended community of clients and friends – to contribute to humanity’s progress.
“The work of trying to change the world though ideas can succeed when you have two things: one is if you really care and that care is demonstrable; the other is if you have the courage – the willingness to try something that hasn’t been done before and take a risk.”
— Colin Douglas, Chief Knowledge Partner at Douglas Knowledge Partners
