‘Leadership by example essential’

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

There will be tremendous opportunities for countries like Sri Lanka and India by 2030 in emerging markets with good corporate leadership, Indian Leadership Institute Director T V Mohandas Pai said yesterday.

Addressing CEOs in top companies on ‘Living Leadership’ at a presentation organized by the Association of Accounting Technicians of Sri Lanka (AATSL), Pai said leadership by example is the most important thing because the value system comes into play when there is a moral problem.

“One could be a CEO misusing corporate properties, wasting corporate money but people don’t respect them,” he said. “Corporate leaders should leave at the height of their glory allowing room to create new leaders. Inability to groom new leaders is the weakness of the successor,” he said.

He said world power will change by 2020 drastically and leadership is shifting after 300 years for the first time. Price hikes in commodities and climate change will impact everyone. Migration will continue to take place as a result of globalization and the biggest problem will be finding skilled professionals. People with marketable skills will be in high demand and in the future people will have to buy raw skills and train to meet their requirements in the work place. “As the world is coming together no one can afford to step-out,” he said.

Referring to future technology he said as a result of innovative technology in the health sector people will live for 120 years by 2050. The world is going to be a market place that nobody can control and the regulations will be tougher.