Like all previous
sessions, we did a recap of the past few lessons, and Professor Shahi showed us
the links between each topic and how each of them relate to Yali’s question. In
this session, we sought to understand the process of change as well as to
understand the importance of our responses to the rapid changes.
The
first part of the session discussed the various drivers of change. In other
words, we learnt about the different factors that caused the global changes. I
felt that it was an interesting observation of how competition was a driver of
change, because before this was pointed out, I never viewed it as a factor.
Disruptive change was introduced and compared with evolutionary and
revolutionary changes. I felt that the understanding of these different types of
changes is essential to determine how to react to these changes. And it is now,
more than ever, very important to know how to react to the different changes
and when to react. Yet, there was a question I found hard to answer – exactly
what change are we heading towards? It led to a lot of questions and many
implications.
The
next part of the session dealt with management and leadership. I felt that this
part of the session was quite dry and a bit confusing because there were many
overlapping duties between a leader and a manager. We covered the difference
between a leader and a manager. And we also recognised the importance of the
followers, particularly the first follower. Yet, what I am still trying to
figure out is the differences in the roles of a leader and a manager because I
felt that their duties vary in different situations.
Interesting
Observations and Ideas (ideas and
concepts that captured your attention)
I
found the graph relating to the adoption of new technology really interesting.
From the graph, there seems to be a lot of late adopters of technology. Many
people tend to react slowly to new technology. Most would be skeptical about
the technology at first, and want to wait for others to try it out. And only
when it has become a trend, will they join in the flow and begin using the
technology. This concept is similar to the video shown in class regarding
leaders and followers.
I
think an important observation from this graph and the video is that many
people tend to be resistant to changes at the initial stages. Not everyone is
courageous enough to take the first lead and make a change and not all is brave
enough to be the first follower. Good leaders will then come in to motivate,
convince and persuade people to follow them. This is where I think leaders play
a very significant role because to change one’s mindset is not a simple task.
It was also very interesting to observe the
psychological effect of actions of the first followers – because as more people
started to follow the trend, more were inclined to join because they would be
seen as ridicules or outcasts if they do not. This is fascinating because this
occurs in almost every situation where change takes place. I think to be able
to recognise this effect is important so that actions can be taken to prepare
for the worst reactions.
Key Take Away
Points (the 2 or 3 key messages from the
session that you intend to keep in mind going forward)
I
felt that the pre-session recap brought back many interesting ideas and even
more new takeaways. I was very shocked when Professor Shahi flashed the
“Sobering Thought” that our world’s oil reserves would finish in 9 years if
everyone consumed as much energy as the average Singaporean and U.S. residents.
I suppose this was a revelation that many people would not want to believe. It
is astonishing to know that our daily consumption of energy (i.e.
air-condition, manufacturing, charging of electronic devices, transportation, etc.)
is so much. And I didn’t expect our consumption to have such detrimental effects
to the natural oil reserves. I found this information frightening, and now I
truly believe that there is a strong need to be sustainable.
The
“linear model” of industrialisation is not dependable and will not be able to
sustain our increasing consumption. We need to constantly innovate to find new
ways of doing things. Energy has become so involved in our every day lives that
living without it would be unimaginable. Furthermore, it will be wrong to only
take into consideration of the needs of the developed countries, because I
believe that there is a need to give everyone a chance to develop. And it is
not only the rich that use energy; the poor should also have the right and have
the chance to use energy.
I
think one important takeaway from this is the urgency and the devastating
implications of the impending issue of sustainability. Professor Shahi predicts
that the green revolution would be the next big thing and I really hope he is
right because if it is not, the consequences may be disastrous and we may not
have the capabilities to react to it.
I
think this is where leadership comes in. Good leaders who take notice of the
problem, will take actions to shift the paradigm, and take the lead to change things.
I
think that a key idea from the second part of the session was the roles of a
leader and a manager. Before this class, I never spared a second thought about
a leader and a manager because I thought these were interchangeable terms and
they meant the same thing. This was why I was stunned when the Professor posed
the question about the difference between the roles of a manager and that of a
leader. It turns out that each held differing roles. But it was also pointed
out during the session that one can be a leader as well as a manager. And there
was also another idea that a manager can lead as well.
I
thought that the overlapping of roles was rather confusing. But after much
thought, I realized that we could never completely differentiate or separate
these two roles because they complement each other. The more important part of
this analysis is the responsibility that comes together with a leader and a
manager. Both are essential for change. A leader seeks to lead the way, create
the change, or rather is proactive to
change, whereas a manager reacts to change and implements the necessary
changes.
In
any sectors, I believe both roles are essential to success. In this case of
sustainability, I think that it is very important for these roles to be carried
out well. These people would be the cause of change and would lead us in the
change.
Issues for Further Discussion (stuff
you wish had been considered or given more air-time in class – and why)
I wished more discussions
were done on the readings, particularly the article “Global Drivers of Change
to 2060”. I found this article particularly comprehensive because it covered a
lot of the drivers of global change. But what I wanted to hear more was the
issues underlying these changes. The article seemed to be pointing at an
inevitable disaster if no actions were taken to head towards sustainability. Fortunately,
in today’s world, there are organisations that have taken significant steps
towards sustainability. So, the next question would be if these efforts were
enough to remedy the damage done to the environment. I believe it would be
interesting to hear others’ view on this.
I crafted the following diagram to characterise the different drivers of change. I was surprised when I saw that the human drivers were significantly more than the natural drivers of change. I think there is more to explore in this area. I believe it would be interesting to discuss about why there are more human drivers than natural drivers.
Personal
Ratings for Session (how you would rate the
session on a scale of 0 to 10. Feel free to be as subjective as you like in
your assessment)
I thought that the
individual presentations done by the students were rather informative. The
information presented was relatable and new. Learning about leaders and
managers and their importance were very enlightening. I believe that together with
innovation and good leaders, we would soon approach the long awaited green
revolution. And this will be necessary for our survival. I would rate this
session an eight out of ten.
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