Public Service Commission preparation

Business leaders today need to achieve success in the face of fierce global competitive pressure and uncertainty. The paradox of our times is that focus on securing economic returns has become the least reliable way of achieving business success. The very drivers of value creation are changing as key links in the value chain, such as natural resources and human talent, become scarce. CIMA and Tomorrow’s Company have started a unique journey to explore the future and purpose of business, researching the development of leadership, future talent, the co-creation of value, business accounting, sustainability and integrated reporting.

Irrespective of the size and nature of an organization, the board should aim for the long-term, sustainable success of the company. They are engaged in approving, monitoring and determining the short and long-term strategy of the business, an effective business model and, most importantly, the risk management strategy of the business. The ability to make quality decisions regarding strategic development, risk assessment and risk mitigation, appropriate resource allocation, and talent management are some of the key skills that leaders of today must demonstrate. A board leading by example, and aligning the short and long-term business strategy to the vision, mission and values of the organization, will successfully influence customers, stakeholders, management and shareholders.

This unprecedented change in the demands of leadership over the last 10 – 15 years has been created by social and technological change, by globalization and a growing concern for the future of our planet. We are now at a turning point in the 21st century. The context in which companies now operate is a triple context – where future and enduring business success will rely on understanding and responding to the links between the economic, social and environmental sub-systems and the opportunities.

Thus, there is an increasing requirement for leaders who will prioritize the stakeholders of their organisations (customers, employees, suppliers, the community, the planet, and the shareholders), rather than personal reward, and personal power and prestige.