Leadership

Bystander effect isn't necessarily due to a lack of willingness or ability to make a difference. Rather, the real challenge stems from feeling overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the issues we're passionate about. They're vast, and against them, we often feel insignificant.

Looking back, I am now firmly convinced that young people are the most potent forces for social change. However, our initial focus on this demographic wasn't a calculated decision but rather a matter of convenience—these were the people I had direct access to.

Few have the boldness to assert, 'Not my circus, not my monkeys,' choosing to focus on select issues rather than superficially ticking off an extensive list.

My advice is not to shy away from it but to anticipate and even embrace it. Consider it a signal that what you're facing is important and that you're eager to excel. This perspective allows you to channel your nervous energy into a productive question: 'What am I going to do about it?'

Initially, I harboured a somewhat naive belief that the system's failings were largely due to a scarcity of people willing to do the right thing. Working for international organisations, I was caught up in the belief that we could fix broken systems simply by introducing the right resources, processes, and intentions. However, I've come to realize that good intentions alone are insufficient.

The silence I employ has agency behind it. I choose to use it strategically as the pause between stimulus and response, differentiating a considered response from a mere reaction. We need more of this kind of silence.

Unlearning silence doesn't mean speaking incessantly—the world is far too noisy for that. Instead, it means understanding the difference between choosing to be silent and having silence imposed upon you. It's recognizing whether silence is additive or oppressive, whether it's reflective and generative or merely detracting.

So much of silence is about perpetuating the status quo, reinforcing what someone or dominant groups within an entity or organization have deemed appropriate, good, polite. Being different inherently exposes you to vulnerability; you're pushing against everything that the forces of mimicry urge you to do, which is to conform.

Most accomplished individuals who continue to work well into their later years seldom wake up thinking solely about the day's earnings. Instead, their motivation lies in pursuing a passion, dedicating their lives to something they genuinely love. For them, money becomes more of a metric—a way to keep score.

British Businessman, Dragons' Den Investor & Retail Entrepreneur

My resilience, I believe, is inherited from my parents. They, ordinary in every sense, achieved the extraordinary for us, their children, striving to offer opportunities they never had. They embodied perseverance, teaching me to distinguish a bad day from a bad life, to persist, and to adapt.

Syrian Swimmer & Refugee Advocate Who Competed in Olympics

If someone's brain isn't at its healthiest, their decisions won't be as stellar as they could be, potentially costing them thousands, even millions, of dollars. For leaders, it's crucial to nurture the 'chief executive' part of the brain, the frontal lobes.

Psychiatrist & Brain Imaging Expert Known for ADD/ADHD Research & Treatment

At Hostage International, we tailor our approach to each individual's needs. We assign a liaison to support the hostage's family for as long as needed without a time limit. This personalised care underscores that no two cases are identical. Each must be treated as unique, with specific strategies developed to address its particular challenges.

Envoy Who Negotiated Release of Hostages in Lebanon During 1980s

In this industry, whether you're learning to act or write, you often develop skills in isolation. It's easy to see your own discipline as encompassing the whole creative universe. However, once you're on set, the reality of the collaboration involved becomes apparent very quickly.

I've been fortunate not to be formally trained in any of these disciplines. I don't know how to play music, nor do I know how to code, but I have a strong sense of what the market wants. Around that, I build a team of people who are skilled at execution.

I believe it boils down to confidence and fearlessness—believing in yourself and your own perspective. When you fail to follow your vision and instead listen to the consensus, it dilutes your vision. Consensus tends to pull everything towards mediocrity.

My first ask in any meeting wasn't for money or to put their name on something; it was simply for a second meeting, an opportunity to show them what we're doing and what we're building.