From the editor

As the world of business learns to adjust and adapt to the rigors of recession and the realities of tough times, it becomes more and more important that leaders lead with insight. Insight is the “act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively.” As leaders are forced to make decisions and lead within today’s turbulent context, this ability to apprehend the inner nature of things becomes imperative to operational and leadership success.

In our first article, Alan Marshall and Corné Bekker stress the importance of a leader knowing themselves and their followers and provides us with some practical tools to define and understand person-job and person-organization fit. Alphronzo Moseley, in his article Improving Cross-Cultural Communication Skills, challenges us to be persistent in seeking out and using cultural knowledge to improve cross-cultural communication skills – skills vital in today’s connected world.

Joel Baldomir explores how we can more effectively lead in the learning organization, as well as how we can establish a shared organizational identity. His article offers practical insight into how we can open the organization up to ongoing learning and working together within the organization. To lead with insight means that we need to understand the times in which we leave and be skilled in looking ahead with wisdom. Timothy Mwangi Kiruhi offers us the views of African leaders on what will be the global drivers of change over the next ten years. To navigate uncertain times, we would be wise to learn from those currently navigating rough seas.

As leaders we would be encouraged to remember the words of American diplomat, John Quincy Adams: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, do more, learn more and become more, you are a leader.”