What we do

The capacity and insight to lead complex societies

GIBS has found that to succeed in emerging markets and countries in transition requires a new generation of leaders who have the capacity and insight to lead their businesses, public institutions and social enterprises in an increasingly complex world.

In order to meet this need GIBS is establishing the Centre for Leadership and Dialogue. The centre develops leaders and hosts strategic dialogue to resolve the most urgent and complex South African and global challenges.

Leadership
All our programmes focus on building leaders who have a wide angle lens and accurate view of reality and are aware of their own role in the issues. We help participants develop their ‘map’ of the environment and their ‘mirror’ for understanding their potential for impact.

Participants operate in the corporate, state and the social sector. They learn through experiential field trips, intimate honest conversation, case studies and seminars by leading thinkers and influential citizens across our society.

Participants come from well run institutions and are passionate experienced individuals that buy into a vision for a better society. They walk away with new capacities and the networks to create change in their own organisations and beyond.

Dialogue
Leaders in complex societies face a range of intractable problems and volatile situations. The stakes are high, the nation is fragmented and the risk is that they miss significant elements of the socio-economic and political context and pass these judgments into the broader realm. With this in minds, we host dialogue for leaders of national influence to reflect on the evolution of our young democracy and share these lessons with South Africans and with the international community.

A facilitated process, accessing the experiences and know-how of participants, allows an accurate picture of the societal ‘puzzle’ to emerge.

Our dialogue involves personal and honest reflection. We focus on conversation across divides and the development of action to take insights forward.

We work with a range of international and local partners to share the successes and the failures of the South African transition

Our country is changing – Are you?

The Centre for Leadership and Dialogue brings together the work of many leading South Africans. We believe that it is only when each of us bravely faces the world around us and grapples with our shared challenges that progress will be made. It would be an honour to work with you.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.”
Margaret Mead, Anthropologist