“Hoque shows how some previously under appreciated strengths – transformational leadership, systemic thinking and experiential learning – help move corporate workers steadily along a path marked by unexpected crises and disruptions.”
Lift: Fostering the Leader in You Amid Revolutionary Global Change
Review
FAST Company, the contrarian and innovative business magazine that grew its own publishing house and produced Fasal Hoque’s LIFT, did not get successful in this harsh media world by preaching no-waves traditional corporate “wisdom.” All that faded as the publication showed eyes into the future, featuring experts and business innovators working hard to promote AI, robotics, new tech, as well as pathfinding human approaches. Readership has grown in an era (FAST Company puts overall readership at 3M) where other media – journalism-based tv, big and small publishers – have shrunk or collapsed or been acquired under the weight of ferocious competitive pressures. Its sad, to be sure, but it is our media world right now.
“The more we can all learn from each other, the more successful we can become as leaders in our own right.” Faisal Holque
Enter Faisal Hoque, armed with a FAST Company-type approach to change. The emphasis moves to more collaboration driven by the push to survive, and the author details how one positive side-effect from our series of crises is the benefit to individuals who correctly read their environment and work hard to meet new goals. In fact, Hoque shows how some previously underappreciated strengths – transformational leadership, systemic thinking and experiential learning – help move corporate workers steadily along a path marked by unexpected crises and disruptions. From crisis and pain comes opportunity, and this innovative book will help readers recognize new opportunities just as they begin to form.
Interesting to note are Hoque’s four drivers that are causing disruption and change at the same time they offer unprecedented opportunity:
- the Fourth Industrial Revolution (although there are those of us geeks who believe we are now in The Fifth)
- Covid-19
- climate change
- misinformation or fake news.
With these four drivers, the Mill Girl is particularly struck by the author’s emphasis on experiential learning. For so many years and through so many improvement programs, many of which were academically inspired, we have been shouldered with challenging learning approaches – classroom or PowerPoint based – but this concept of experiential learning is so powerful and fresh (particularly for those of us dyslexics!). Its about time we broadened our learning strategy, especially during a crisis!
Readers will be pleased to find end-of-chapter points that help translate advice from leaders “who have been there,” along with specific recommended actions to move forward. The book is not a difficult read, but its references to technical opportunities are invaluable.
Patricia E. Moody
FORTUNE magazine “Pioneering Woman in Mfg”
IndustryWeek IdeaXchange Xpert
A Mill Girl at Blue Heron Journal, on-line resource for business thought-leaders and decision-makers, patriciaemoody@gmail.com
[Read the original review at Blue Heron Journal]
